Nick Fullwell in best-ever PDC run

The 43-year-old walked away with £3,000 for his efforts and jumped 26 places in the Order of Merit world rankings, going from 112th to 86th.

Fullwell was on the verge of his maiden ranking title yesterday but Michael van Gerwen ended his dreams with a 6-3 victory in the final game.

The Dutchman had shone on Sky Sports the previous week in winning the World Grand Prix in Dublin and is in red-hot form at the moment.

For Fullwell, his weekend in Killarney had started with a third round finish on Saturday, ending with a 6-1 defeat to 'the Pie Man' Andy Smith.

But Gerry O'Hara and then, impressively, former BDO world champion Richie Burnett had been dispatched, by 6-2 and 6-4 respectively.

Returning to the oche at the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney yesterday, Fullwell was matched against another formidable foe in Robert Thornton.

The Scotsman is the reigning UK Open champion and knocked Phil Taylor out of the Grand Prix but fell to Fullwell 6-5 in a close-run affair.

Former world youth champion Aaron Monk was next up in another game that went the full 11 legs, but Fullwell repeated the trick to win 6-5.

A 6-4 victory over Mick Egan ensured Fullwell would better his run from the previous day, where he enjoyed a 6-1 success over Brian Woods.

That got him to the quarter-finals, where he comprehensively defeated John Henderson 6-2 to set up a meeting with Peter Wright in the last four.

Wright had won the previous day's Players Championship for his first ranking title but lost 6-4, as Fullwell and van Gerwen got through to the final.

Brierley Hill's Mark Jones was whitewashed 6-0 by Gaz Cousins in the preliminary round yesterday, losing to Wright 6-3 in the first round on Saturday.

Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones rued his last 16 run came in a non-ranking event after opening defeats in the PDC Players Championship.

'The Wanderer' travelled over to Ireland and narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot after Brian Woods edged him out 4-3.

Jones did pick up £250 for his efforts on Friday night but the tournament did not count towards his placing in the Order of Merit.

Saturday and Sunday's events did and Jones endured first round defeats in both, first when Henderson beat him 6-2.

The next tournament lumped the 47-year-old together with Simon Whitlock, a repeat of their meeting in Germany last month.

But Jones couldn't get as close to 'the Wizard' this time and was again beaten 6-2, having pushed him to 6-5 the last time around.

Rugeley's Mark Hylton got similar short shrift as he tumbled out of both Players Championship events at the first hurdle.

A tough draw on Saturday lumped 'Mile High' - a former airline cabin crew manager - together with 'the Warrior' Wes Newton.

Newton dumped him out 6-2 leaving Hylton pinning his hopes on the final event, but the draw didn't favour him once again.

Former BDO world champion Mark Webster was first up this time and Hylton again struggled, going out to a 6-1 defeat.