Daryl Gurney has made good on his late call-up to the 2024
Masters by dumping out Joe Cullen in a 10-8 win to conclude Saturday's afternoon session at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Gurney will now face either Nathan Aspinall or Dirk van Duijvenbode next who collide in tonight's evening session and sits it the same part of the draw as Peter Wright who moved through earlier.
It was Cullen though who had the better of the opening exchanges as he moved 3-2 up on Gurney with a 100 checkout. But it was like a game of cat and mouse from there albeit with Gurney always keeping a slender lead.
He reeled off four legs in a row before Cullen converted double six to make it 6-4. That cat and mouse game was in full effect as Gurney took out 72 to maintain a two leg cushion at 8-6. He made it 9-7 albeit after missing three prior darts to claim it. Cullen as expected kept in it with Gurney just able to pressure with a maximum. But in the next leg, it was curtains as 'Superchin' took out double nine for the win with Cullen though missing darts to send it the full distance.