"So I owe you all a pint” - An emotional Nathan Aspinall pays tribute to the crowd after a hard-earned win

Nathan Aspinall needed the Bratislava crowd as much as his own finishing hand to survive a tense second-round scare at the Slovak Darts Open.

The former UK Open and World Matchplay champion beat Jim Long 6-4 on Saturday evening, but only after a match that tightened dramatically from 5-1 in front. Aspinall eventually crossed the line with a classy two-dart 72 finish, yet his post-match interview quickly turned from the result to the support he felt from the Slovak crowd and the throwing issue he is again trying to manage.

“They kept me going,” Aspinall said on stage. “Thank you. I don’t know why you like me!”

Aspinall averaged 90.99 in victory, with Long finishing on 87.06, but the scoreline told only part of the story. The Englishman looked in control when he moved 5-1 ahead, only for the match to become far more uncomfortable as Long reeled off three straight legs and forced Aspinall to dig in at the end.

Aspinall has previously spoken openly about dartitis and the wider impact of throwing problems on his game, but in Bratislava he kept the description of his latest issue broader. After the win, he said he was again dealing with a problem in his throw and made clear how much the crowd had helped him through the final stages.

“Obviously, it’s my first time being here and I wanted to play well,” Aspinall said. “I’ve not been playing very well of late. I was 5-1 up there. I started off very slow, then started playing really well, and then I started to struggle."

“But you know what? I wanted to play again tomorrow. Honest to God, I swear, I’m not just saying it: unbelievable support in here tonight, and I appreciate every single one of you," he continued. “Without you guys, I would have lost that, because I would have thrown the towel in.”

Long’s late surge turned the final legs into a real test for Aspinall. The Canadian punished missed match darts, dragged the contest back to 5-4 and forced Aspinall to stop the run before the match reached a decider.

The 32-year-old did not try to hide what had been visible during parts of the match. Without putting a specific label on the latest problem, he admitted there was again something affecting his throw.

“Without going over it, I think everyone can see tonight that I’ve got a bit of an issue again with my throw,” Aspinall said. “I’m working very hard again to try and get rid of it."

“Honestly, it’s shit. It’s pissing me off," he admitted. "It’s come back. But with fans like you guys getting me through these tough moments, I’ll keep battling.”

Aspinall finished by returning to the support he had received in Bratislava, adding: “Even though I was 5-1 up, he started playing well. Without you guys there at the end, I would have lost that. So I owe you all a pint.”

The win sends Aspinall into Sunday’s final day at the Slovak Darts Open, but it came with more strain than the scoreline at 5-1 had suggested. A place in the last 16 was secured, the issue with his throw remains part of the battle, and the Bratislava crowd made sure he got another night on stage.