BRADFORD darts supremo Joe Cullen produced some moments of magic at the Players Championship Finals over the weekend, but was eventually blown away in a one-sided quarter-final.
The Wyke ace was down in Minehead for the final PDC event ahead of the World Darts Championship next month and began with a comfortable win over Rowby-John Rodriguez.
He was 2-1 down, but a magnificent 132 checkout in the fourth leg gave him a shot in the arm, as he romped to a 6-2 success over the Austrian.
Kim Huybrechts averaged over 100 in his opener against Raymond van Barneveld, but he was thumped by Cullen in round two.
The Bradfordian was on easy street against the Belgian, dropping just one leg on his way to a resounding 6-1 win.
In his last-16 game against Scott Williams, Cullen made a lightning start, romping into an early 4-1 lead in the best-of-19-legs encounter.
His opponent hit back impressively though, and it took an impressive 113 checkout in the 10th leg for the Wyke man lead 6-4 heading into the second break.
Cullen was always able to keep Williams at arm's length and finished the game in style.
Winning 9-7, he closed out the victory with a stunning 137 checkout, which included two D20s.
He averaged 99.09 in that encounter, and though that dropped to 94.72 in the quarter-final, it was more the excellence of his opponent Humphries that proved decisive.
Humphries was sensational, averaging just under 103, and Cullen had no answer.
The Bradford star started the last-eight clash well, coming close to a fabled nine-darter in levelling matters at 1-1.
In-form Humphries soon pulled away and though a classy 81 finish on the bull kept Cullen clinging on at 7-3 down, he lost the next three legs to bow out of the competition.
Humphries lost 11-5 in the semis to the imperious Michael van Gerwen, with the Dutchman going on to claim his seventh Players Championship by beating Rob Cross 11-6 in the final.
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