Limerick's William O'Connor targets last 16 spot at PDC World Championships

LIMERICK man William O’Connor targets a place in the last 16 of the PDC Worlds Darts Championship when facing world number 61 Ryan Searle at London’s Alexandra Palace this Saturday evening.

Thirty two-year-old Cappamore carpenter O’Connor will look to follow up on his earlier wins over Yordi Meeuwisse, of the Netherlands, in the opening round and 26 seed, James Wilson, of England, when facing World Championship debutant Searle at 7.15pm tonight.

The best of seven set match, the first one of Saturday’s evening session, is live on Sky Sports Darts from the ‘Ally Pally.’

O’Connor’s third round opponent Searle shocked PDC World Championship seventh seed Mensur Suljovic, of Austria, 3-1 in the previous round.

O’Connor rallied superbly from losing the first set to Wilson on Thursday to record a thrilling 3-2 win.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader from London ahead of his third round William O’Connor said: “James (Wilson) started off with a 112 average in the first set. I finished that way, with a 116 average in the last set, so you are better to finish that way that start like it. You have to keep it going when you start that way.

“You cannot get too carried away with the whole thing. At the end of the day it is only another game, I want to win another one now.

“I want to win the next one just as much as I did the last round.

“I am looking forward to it. To be involved in the third round is great. I will give him my best go now.”

O’Connor is due to fly home from London to Limerick on tomorrow, Sunday, but he is hoping to have reason to return to the ‘Ally Pally’ next week.

“I will be coming back home for Christmas on Sunday and to enjoy time with my family,” the Limerick man who works at Furniture Man in Dromkeen said.

“Hopefully, I will be back in London after Christmas, hopefully until the end of the tournament. We will wait and see what happens.”

The winner of tonight’s third round games is guaranteed stg£35,000 in prizemoney, while the loser will pocket stg£25,000.

A total of 96 competitors and a record stg£2.5 million prize fund, including a top prize of £500,000 to the 2018/2019 champion, is on offer at the PDC World Championships which concludes on New Year’s Day.

This year the Limerick arrowsmith has already toppled the likes of multiple world champion, Michael van Gerwen, knocking him out of the Dutch Darts Championship in front of his own fans, as well as reigning PDC World champion Rob Cross in the European Matchplay final where he also overcame both Kim Huybrechts and Mensur Suljovic

O'Connor, nicknamed 'The Magpie' was a latecomer to darts, only starting to play the game in his late teens.