Brendan Dolan defended Gerwyn Price after his victory over the Welshman at the World Darts Championship on Thursday evening.
Dolan defeated the 2021 world champion 4-2 to earn a place in the last 16. In the final set, Fermanagh man Dolan had led 2-0 but Price took out finishes of 81 and 76 to make it 2-2. In that moment, Dolan thought his opponent was "Pure class". That was a thought enhanced by the crowd being against Price.
After his victory over Conor Scutt earlier in the tournament, Price said he had considered not playing this year due to the anxiety he felt about playing in front of the Ally Pally crowd.
DOLAN BACK IN FRONT!
Gerwyn Price cannot believe it!
After missing three set darts in the previous leg, the Welshman can only look on as Dolan delivers a clinical 90 kill on the bull to move 2-1 in front!
📺 https://t.co/f3RU9WTIoD#WCDarts | R3 pic.twitter.com/8JAbkSBjTP
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 28, 2023
"With the crowd the way they were, it wasn't easy for him," Dolan said during his post-match press conference.
"One minute, they were roaring and cheering him on and the next, there were a few boos. He just showed pure class at times. I just had the utmost respect for him when he took them out.
"Possibly, he's had a lot rougher crowds in the past. When I've seen it on television, I've felt it's a lot worse. I've played Gezzy a couple of times on the stage and that's the worst it has been.
"In certain ways, I'm not used to the crowds being for me. Probably, at certain times at the start, when they were cheering for Gezzy, it calmed me down a bit.
"It can be more distracting than anything. It's nothing like what Gezzy is feeling. He's fighting a battle all the time and the man doesn't deserve it. He's a class act and does amazing stuff for our game, our sport.
"And yet, in a flick of a switch, they're roaring him on. It was too mixed. Once I got ahead, and at certain stages when I was going for doubles at the end, the booing for me was not on - it shouldn't have happened.
"That's why that 81 and that 76, to make it 2-2, it was just pure class. Those finishes are far better than a 170 or 164 because, with those, you have nothing to lose. Gezzy had everything to lose there and he pulled it out of the fire. Thankfully, he didn't score enough in the last."
READ MORE: 16-Year-Old Darts Sensation Luke Littler Addresses Popular Ally Pally Chant
Dolan will face the winner of Boris Krcmar and Gary Anderson's match in the next round.
Bedlam at the Ally Pally!
What a win for Brendan Dolan, sending Gerwyn Price home. Up the History Maker!pic.twitter.com/hOt3YqKfQl
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) December 28, 2023
"To beat someone like Gezzy, it's unreal," said Dolan.
"As far as I'm concerned, him, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries have stood out this year with their performances on a consistent basis for so long.
"It was going to be a tough battle, I knew that. Gezzy didn't play as well as he could have. He definitely gave me a set early on, the set where he missed doubles and I took out the 84, and then the 90 to win it. That set was crucial and gave me the idea that 'You never know, maybe this is for me'.
"I've had great wins on the stage but I've never won a TV tournament. I'm in the last 16. I haven't got that far too often before. It is major but I want to win. I'm here to win. I know it's going to be a battle to get there but as I've done in the first two rounds, I'm ready to fight.
"Maybe I'm a dreamer or I don't realise my own capabilities - maybe they're not what I think they are. I'm here to win the tournament. I've won nine PDC tournaments and to beat the people that I've beat along the way... I can do it."
🗣️ "I'm here to win, and I'm ready to fight!"
Hear the thoughts of Brendan Dolan, who produced an inspired display of finishing to dump out 2021 champion Gerwyn Price and progress to the last 16... pic.twitter.com/4nE9QXS4Bs
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 28, 2023
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