"I just couldn't keep it together" – Chris Dobey ‘so disappointed’ after missing 11(!) match darts in dramatic Grand Slam thriller with Michael Smith

Chris Dobey was left heartbroken after missing an astonishing eleven match darts in a nerve-shredding Grand Slam of Darts classic against Michael Smith, admitting he “just couldn’t keep it together” as his campaign came to an agonising end in Wolverhampton.

The Bedlington star came within a dart – 11 times – of booking his place in the quarter-finals, only to see his hopes vanish in a chaotic last leg where both men struggled to cross the finish line. In the end, it was Smith who scraped through 10-9, surviving a remarkable collapse from “Hollywood” in one of the most dramatic deciders of the tournament so far.

A clearly dejected Dobey reflected on the defeat on social media soon after the match, admitting that the pain of the loss would sting for some time.

“Not gonna lie, I just couldn’t keep it together at the end there,” Dobey wrote. “I couldn’t have asked for a better last leg then go and blow it like that – so disappointing, don’t deserve to win.”

Dobey had led for much of the contest, producing some of his sharpest darts of the tournament, only to falter when it mattered most. He broke Smith early on and maintained control up to 8-6, but the finishing line seemed to close in on him like a trap. As both players missed chance after chance, tension inside the Aldersley Leisure Village reached unbearable levels.

Smith finally sealed it with a ninth match darts of his own, with Dobey left to rue a golden opportunity lost.

Despite his devastation, Dobey showed real class in defeat, praising Smith’s resilience after a tough year battling injuries and inconsistency.

“Fair play to Mike, played a decent game after so many struggles of late,” Dobey added. “He just keeps battling and no doubt will be back to his best soon enough.”

It was a gracious acknowledgment from one of the circuit’s most sporting players, who himself has been working tirelessly to rediscover top form after flashes of brilliance over the past season.

Even amid the heartbreak, Dobey struck a note of determination, insisting that this loss won’t derail his momentum heading into the busy run of events leading up to the PDC World Darts Championship.

“Minor setback for me, but gotta go out next week and put things right,” he concluded.

That grit will be essential, as the manner of this defeat could easily haunt a lesser player. Instead, Dobey seems ready to use it as fuel – a painful reminder of just how fine the margins are at the elite level of darts.

Dobey’s 93.34 average and 22.5% checkout rate told the story of a match full of promise but missing the killer touch. Smith, meanwhile, survived on sheer determination, hitting 34.5% of his doubles and landing a monstrous 164 checkout when he needed it most.

For Dobey, the night will linger as one that got away. But if his reaction is anything to go by, this defeat may yet be the spark that reignites his best form heading into the final stretch of the season.

A gut-wrenching loss, yes — but one that reminded everyone just how much heart Hollywood Dobey plays this game with.