JOE Cullen produced his best darts of the season last week, despite having to deal with a family tragedy.

The Bradford star’s mum passed away on October 9, and just five days later, Cullen was in action at the European Championship in Salzburg.

To his immense credit, the Wyke dartist made it all the way to the semi-finals, before losing 11-3 to Rob Cross.

Cullen told the T&A: “It was my best performance this season. My mum passed away on the Saturday before the tournament, so in truth, I couldn’t have given a damn about how it went.

“But I didn’t want to dwell on what had happened with my mum, and thought it was best I kept myself busy.

“I paid for my brother to come out there with me so I wasn’t alone, but I wasn’t bothered whether I got knocked out in the first round or if I won the thing.

“But, and I know this sounds awful, the situation was weirdly beneficial to my performances, because I wasn’t worrying about anything like the results or my technique, darts was secondary really.”

The highlight in Austria was a superb 10-7 quarter-final win over home favourite Mensur Suljović.

Cullen said: “That was probably one of my best victories of the year.

“I always enjoy beating a home favourite. I’ve done it a few times in Germany and it’s great to play when the crowd are on your back.

“To be honest though, the fans in Austria took to me, even against Mensur, probably because I kept him quiet and didn’t really give him a chance to get into the game.”

But Cross was too good for the Bradfordian in the last four, and Cullen admitted: “I wouldn’t say Rob is underrated, but because he came through and won the World Darts Championship at the first attempt (in 2018), it was maybe to his detriment as he isn’t seen as a seasoned pro.

“I was terrible in that semi-final, but he played brilliantly, especially early on, and once he’d gone six or seven legs in front, it was always going to be a long road back from that.

“He was more than good value for the win.”

Cullen conceded: “It was bittersweet in the end. I’d have snapped your hand off for a semi-final before the tournament, but I was only two wins away from a potentially life-changing place in next year’s Premier League.

“But I lost to the much better player on the day in Rob so I can’t complain.”

Cullen was knocked out of the World Grand Prix just days before his mother died, and he said: “My performances hadn’t been great for the last few months with my mum being ill.

“At the Grand Prix, I couldn’t have cared less how I did and I hadn’t been practicing, which is especially difficult when you have to start and end on a double like you do at that tournament.

“But my opponent, Ross Smith, was brilliant in our first round match and he deserved the win.”

Cullen is competing at a Super Series event in Barnsley this week, four days of mini-tournaments which started yesterday and end on Friday.