COLIN OSBORNE claimed his second PDC title with an 8-6 defeat of Denis Ovens in the Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final.
Derby-based Osborne ensured one of the top seedings for the UK Open's televised finals in Bolton in June with a resilient performance to take the £6,000 title.
He led 3-0 in the final after continuing his superb form of the day at the Gateshead International Stadium, only for Ovens - buoyed by a 104 finish - to hit back and lead 4-3.
A break of throw in the eighth leg sparked Osborne again, and a 136 finish in the next saw him regain the lead.
Ovens came back again to level at six-all, but Osborne took the next two on double eight to take the victory.
Osborne's only previous win on the professional circuit came at the Sheppey Classic in 2006, but he admitted it was an ideal boost following his first round exit to Erwin Extercatte in the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship.
"It's the best possible start to the New Year," said the Middlesbrough-born thrower.
"After the disappointment of the World Championship my confidence was low but to bounce back and win the next event is brilliant.
"In my early games on the floor I was scoring heavily and took some big finishes out and then on stage I was giving away my lead. I hung on in there and got over the finishing line."
Osborne swept past John Ferrell 6-3 in the last eight, defying a 136 finish as the Kent man took a 2-1 lead to continue his charge to the final with three maximums.
He took four successive legs to win his semi-final against Wes Newton 7-3, pulling clear after the first six legs were shared.
Ovens produced a superb display to end Wade's hopes in the last four, taking six straight legs to lead 6-1 - including a 161 finish - before holding off the world number three's fightback to seal victory.
Newton enjoyed a fine return to form in the north-east, battling through to his first semi-final since June and hitting a 170 finish in his quarter-final win over Alan Tabern after earlier seeing off Mick McGowan, Tony Eccles and Wayne Mardle.
Wade dropped just one leg in his quarter-final win over Chris Mason, hitting three maximums and a 140 finish, while Ovens took out finishes of 149 and 105 in his 6-4 defeat of Ronnie Baxter.
World Championship runner-up Kirk Shepherd made his return to action by reaching the last 64, where he went down 5-4 to Steve Hine after leading 4-3, picking up prize money for the first time in this year's Regional Finals.
York's Martyn Turner saw off Roland Scholten and Andy Jenkins to reach the last 32 before being whitewashed by Bristol's rising star Steve Brown.
Brown and fellow Bristolian Mark Dudbridge were among the last 16's casualties, alongside Colin Lloyd, Adrian Gray, Andy Smith, Lionel Sams and Hine.
| Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final Final Colin Osborne 8-6 Denis Ovens Winner £6,000 Runner-Up £3,000 |
| Semi-Finals Colin Osborne 7-3 Wes Newton Denis Ovens 7-4 James Wade Losers £1,600 |
| Quarter-Finals Wes Newton 6-5 Alan Tabern Colin Osborne 6-3 John Ferrell James Wade 6-1 Chris Mason Denis Ovens 6-4 Ronnie Baxter Losers £800 |
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Fifth Round |
| Fourth Round Mick McGowan 5-2 Paul Cooper Wes Newton 5-4 Tony Eccles Lionel Sams 5-3 Steve Evans Alan Tabern 5-2 Adrian Lewis Colin Osborne 5-3 Wayne Atwood Adrian Gray 5-4 Michael van Gerwen Andy Smith 5-3 Matt Clark John Ferrell 5-3 Eddie Lovely Chris Mason 5-4 Mark Walsh Steve Hine 5-1 Owen Caffrey James Wade 5-3 Mervyn King Steve Brown 5-0 Martyn Turner Denis Ovens 5-2 Peter Manley Colin Lloyd 5-2 Bob Anderson Ronnie Baxter 5-3 Jelle Klaasen Mark Dudbridge 5-2 Darren Webster Losers £200 |
| Third Round Mick McGowan 5-4 Colin Monk Paul Cooper 5-2 Alan Green Wes Newton 5-4 Wayne Mardle Tony Eccles 5-2 Terry Jenkins Steve Evans 5-1 Jason Barry Lionel Sams 5-4 Gary Welding Adrian Lewis 5-1 Mark Lawrence Alan Tabern 5-2 Wayne Jones Wayne Atwood 5-3 Chris Thompson Colin Osborne 5-3 Kevin Painter Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Simon Craven Adrian Gray 5-4 Kevin McDine Andy Smith 5-3 Dennis Smith Matt Clark 5-4 Alan Reynolds Eddie Lovely 5-4 Tony Ayres John Ferrell 5-2 Alan Warriner-Little Chris Mason 5-1 David Platt Mark Walsh 5-2 Vincent van der Voort Steve Hine 5-4 Kirk Shepherd Owen Caffrey 5-3 Gary Blades James Wade 5-0 Darren Johnson Mervyn King 5-1 Jan van der Rassel Martyn Turner 5-1 Andy Jenkins Steve Brown 5-0 Dave Ladley Denis Ovens 5-0 Chris Allen Peter Manley 5-2 Jimmy Mann Colin Lloyd 5-0 Barrie Bates Bob Anderson 5-1 Gary Barnett Jelle Klaasen 5-0 Matt Sheehan Ronnie Baxter 5-0 Alan Caves Darren Webster 5-4 Kevin Dowling Mark Dudbridge 5-4 Andy Hamilton Losers £100 |
Second Round Colin Monk 5-3 Lee White Mick McGowan 5-0 Jim Leighton Alan Green 5-3 Jon Archer Paul Cooper 5-4 Steve Smith Wayne Mardle 5-2 Neil Wild Wes Newton 5-3 Brendan Dolan Terry Jenkins 5-1 Brian Jones Tony Eccles 5-2 Steve Cusick Steve Evans 5-1 Brian Whybrow Jason Barry 5-0 James Barton Lionel Sams 5-4 Nick Fulwell Gary Welding 5-3 Brian Cathcart Mark Lawrence 5-2 Mark Jodrill Adrian Lewis 5-1 Ian Lever Wayne Jones 5-1 Colin Ritchie Alan Tabern 5-0 Stephen Hardy Wayne Atwood 5-0 Andrew Coulter Chris Thompson 5-4 Tony Randell Kevin Painter 5-0 Dave Smith Colin Osborne 5-1 Sean Dowling Simon Craven 5-1 John MaGowan Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Yves Cottenge Kevin McDine 5-4 Steve Grubb Adrian Gray 5-0 Harry Anderson Andy Smith 5-0 Norman Fletcher Dennis Smith 5-1 Jimmy Dunlop Matt Clark 5-1 Jonathan Overton Alan Reynolds 5-2 Garry Spedding Eddie Lovely Bye (Jason Clark) Tony Ayres 5-3 Dave Honey Alan Warriner-Little 5-1 Richard McLaughlin John Ferrell 5-1 Russell Mason Chris Mason 5-0 Danny Pinhorne David Platt 5-1 Steve Maish Mark Walsh 5-1 John Scott Vincent van der Voort 5-1 Colin McGarry Kirk Shepherd 5-2 Mark Carter Steve Hine 5-0 Robert Watson-Lang Gary Blades 5-3 Rico Vonck Owen Caffrey 5-4 Kevin Harris James Wade 5-0 Kevin Fletcher Darren Johnson 5-2 Ian Eames Mervyn King 5-2 Lee Holden Jan van der Rassel 5-0 Shane Passey Martyn Turner 5-4 Roland Scholten Andy Jenkins 5-0 Rick Andrews Dave Ladley 5-2 Mark Tiller Steve Brown 5-2 Chris Daglish Denis Ovens 5-1 Scott Marsh Chris Allen 5-4 Martin Burchell Peter Manley 5-1 Ian Critchett Jimmy Mann 5-1 Gary Noonan Colin Lloyd 5-1 Andy Relf Barrie Bates Bye (Paul Anthony) Bob Anderson 5-2 Darren Latham Gary Barnett 5-2 Jamie Caven Jelle Klaasen 5-2 Tom Wilson Matt Sheehan 5-2 Ian Branks Ronnie Baxter 5-2 Andrew Howarth Alan Caves 5-4 Mark Stephenson Kevin Dowling 5-2 Robbie Parker Darren Webster 5-1 Kevin Reade Mark Dudbridge 5-3 Paul Knighton Andy Hamilton 5-2 Martin Whatmough |
| First Round Steve Cusick 5-1 Geoff Daniels Brian Cathcart 5-1 Graeme Stoddart Stephen Hardy 5-3 Geoff Wylie Sean Dowling 5-1 Ian Jopling Harry Anderson 5-3 Garry Clamp Alan Reynolds 5-4 Jamie Robinson Russell Mason 5-4 Darrell Thorpe Colin McGarry 5-2 John Quantock Kevin Harris 5-1 Daniel Sare Ken Dobson 5-2 Shane Passey Chris Daglish 5-1 Kevin Hill Gary Noonan 5-1 Ben Burton Gary Barnett 5-0 Darren Williams Mark Stephenson 5-3 Michael Barnard Martin Whatmough 5-0 Paul Williams |