Wayne Jones' plan to beat John Part

Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones believes 'finishing the job' will be the key to success against John Part in the first round of the PDC Players Championship finals.

'The Wanderer' and Part clash in the fourth match on the opening night of the four-day tournament at the Doncaster Dome, live on ITV4.

It's Jones' first time back on the box since his defeat in the first knockout stages of the Grand Slam at Wolverhampton Civic Hall last month, where Part also bowed out to Adrian Lewis.

Jones blew a two-leg lead and missed a dart at double 16 to level the game against Terry Jenkins and paid the price, going out 10-8.

Part was nearly 'the comeback king' of that stage of the tournament, giving world champion Lewis an almighty fright by coming from 9-3 down to pull the game back to 9-8 before losing the last leg.

Now the two face each other on Thursday night looking to go one better than their last time on TV but Jones is happy with his lot, after explaining what would have happened if Simon Whitlock had not pulled out.

He said: "I am actually quite happy with the draw, because if Whitlock had still been in it I would have been playing Wes Newton. In my opinion, that's a tougher game than Part.

"I would never rule out anybody but, if you ask me who I wanted to play, I would probably have gone for Part.

"Whatever happened, I wasn't going to get an easy draw because the 32 players are, on paper, the ones who are in the best form.

"I know he's playing well, he wouldn't be number five if he wasn't playing well. He certainly won't be under-estimated by me.

"If the finishing is there, the scoring generally is, so I hope to get in there quick, hold my own throw and try to break his throw.

"That's the only plan I ever have."

The Players Championship starts just a week before the PDC World Championships begin at London's Alexandra Palace, where Jones will play either Paul Barham or Scott MacKenzie.

They meet on the opening night in a preliminary match with the winner preceding to the last match of the evening against Jones in the first round.

This weekend could leave Jones battle-weary but the 46-year-old insists he wants a long run in the Players Championship, where he could draw Rugeley's Mark Hylton in the second round on Saturday.

He said: "I won't go into the World Championships on a downer, whatever happens, because of the hassle and pressure I have had just to get into the Players Championship finals.

"If I win tonight it's Mark Walsh and Mark Hylton and, either way, that's another tasty game."