Missing six darts for the opening leg, Aspinall believes it was down to nerves given that it was a point that he'd never reached before but as ever was sportsmanlike in defeat even joking about the amount of finals he's lost.
"I think that was early nerves, it doesn't matter if its European Tour, TV event. It's a final. These are big tournaments. I've never made a (European Tour) final and I think I felt the nerves," said Aspinall post match.
"He capitalised. Fair play to Michael (Smith). I thought it was a great game to be fair. I don't think neither of us have played well this weekend. We've done the job that's in front of us."
"I think Michael proved why he's World Champion and World Number One, a fantastic performance.
"He loves that bull doesn't he. He's beat me again in another final. I think I'm up to number seven on runner-ups, I think I'm four behind Michael (Smith) so we will see what goes on."
But this was after reaching his maiden final and he takes the positives going into the Premier League next up.
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"I've lost six or seven semi-finals. It's so hard. These Sundays are really tough. It took me a long-time to win that game after the break, I managed to do that.
"I could never win the semi-finals, a new step in my career. A big win. I'm going to take the positives, we go again on Thursday night in the Premier League."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
"Sometimes you have to ride your luck... I wasn't playing well but I still managed to win"
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