ALAN TABERN battled hard to claim the third PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour event of 2014, following a deciding leg win over Ian McFarlane, at the Rivermead Centre in Reading.
The former top ten star - winner of five ranking titles - continued his strong start to the year on the Challenge Tour, by taking the £2,000 first prize on Sunday.
The St Helens man, who reached the semi-finals and the final of the first two Challenge Tour events, started his road to the title with wins over Tony Richardson, Jonathan Worsley and Steven Lippett to reach the last 16 stage.
From then on Tabern fought hard by recording a trio of 5-4 wins over Daniel Day, Mark Frost and Luke Woodhouse to seal a place in the final.
In the decider against McFarlane, Tabern repeated the trick with a fourth consecutive deciding leg win to triumph in a PDC competition for the first time since 2008.
McFarlane, who reached the semi-finals of the second Challenge Tour event in Wigan, went one better on Sunday as he reached his first career final.
The 43-year-old from Birmingham defeated Hull’s Reece Robinson in the last 32 before edging 5-4 wins over Mark Jones and Richie Howson to secure a last four spot.
In the semi-finals McFarlane over local boy Joe Lacey with a 5-2 win to reach the final before agonisingly losing out on a maiden title after losing 5-4 to Tabern – having to settle for £1,000 in prize money.
Redditch’s Luke Woodhouse produced his best display since last September thanks to a strong run to the semi-finals on Sunday.
The 25-year-old, who won a Challenge Tour title in 2013, came through a tough first round encounter with a 5-4 over Dirk van Duijvenbode and continued the winning form before claiming another notable victory over Jamie Robinson in the last eight.
That victory put Woodhouse through to his third semi-final in the PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour, but hopes of a second victory were extinguished when he was narrowly defeated by Tabern in a deciding leg.
Reading’s Joe Lacey produced his best ever performance to date, taking £500 for his excellent run to the semi-finals which included a trio of 5-2 wins over Gaz Cousins, Dick van Dijk and Stuart Bousfield before his great run was ended by McFarlane.
Jamie Robinson, who won the first PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour event of year, produced a good run to the last eight before his hopes of a second title in the space of a month were ended following a 5-3 loss to Woodhouse.
Former PDC Pro Tour players Richie Howson and Mark Frost enjoyed excellent runs to the quarter-finals while Cheshire’s Stuart Bousfield matched his quarter-final effort in Wigan four weeks ago, with another solid run on Sunday.
The Rivermead Centre will once again play host to the next PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour event on April 6, with £10,000 prize money on offer.
PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour Event Three
Sunday March 30, Rivermead Centre, Reading
Preliminary Round
Ron Meulenkamp 5-1 Darren Burksfield
Jamie Robinson 5-3 James Bevan
Oliver Stell 5-4 Ryan Palmer
Ben Davies 5-3 Simon Cassidy
First Round
Ryan Harrington 5-3 Dan Dean
Mike Nott 5-2 Tim Martin
Daniel Day 5-2 Martin Carvill
Michael Beal 5-1 Ron Meulenkamp
Steven Lippett 5-1 Bradon Walsh
Jason Wilson 5-1 Jake Patchett
Jonathan Worsley 5-4 Vernon Sheppard
Alan Tabern 5-2 Tony Richardson
Karl Merchant 5-0 Robert Fuller
Jack Hill 5-0 Danny Summers
Richard Ludlow 5-3 John Brammeld
Vince Tipple 5-4 Jay Foreman
Prakash Jiwa 5-3 Steve Evans
Adrian Gray 5-0 Stephen Rumble
Phil Henshaw 5-3 Alex Roy
Mark Frost 5-1 Ben Gaiter
Nick Fullwell 5-3 Paul Redfern
Kurt Parry 5-1 Nathan Derry
Dave Kelly 5-1 Michael Blake
Jamie Robinson 5-3 Danny Pinhorne
Shaun Littler 5-0 Mike Harris
Philip Wathen 5-3 Darren Whittingham
Matthew Dicken 5-1 Martin Perring
Darren Weaver 5-2 Michael Burgoine
Ewan Hyslop 5-4 Ben Songhurst
Hermie van Orsouw 5-3 Doug Thompson
Luke Woodhouse 5-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Paul Carter 5-4 Stuart Holden
Lewis McGurn 5-0 Wayne Dunn
Jamie Gemmell 5-4 Barry Lynn
Dimitri Van Den Bergh 5-2 Kevin Bambrick
Dave Weston 5-3 Robert Turner
Ian McFarlane 5-2 Paul Palmer
John Crossley 5-0 Nick Paenen
Reece Robinson 5-2 Colin Fowler
Krit Middleton 5-3 Oliver Stell
John Ferrell 5-1 Adam Smith-Neale
Mark Jones 5-1 Mark Pritchard
Wayne Thomas 5-2 Curtis Hammond
Philip Milburn 5-4 Martin Homer
Brett Claydon 5-1 Mark Flawn
Shaun Griffiths 5-2 Barrie Bates
Darren Williams 5-1 Peter Evison
Richie Howson 5-0 Neville Roberts
Kevin Thomas 5-0 Ryan Herrington
Paul Rowley 5-2 Jack Tweddell
Mark Hylton 5-1 Stephen Gallimore
Aden Kirk 5-1 Curtis Bagley
Matthew Dennant 5-1 Jon Jukes
Gaz Cousins 5-3 John Newland
Trevor Burkhill 5-1 Lee Holden
Joe Lacey 5-0 Ben Davies
Ricky Sudale 5-4 Scott Mackenzie
Gary Eastwood 5-3 Sam Hamilton
Dick van Dijk 5-2 Geoff Heath
Alan James Tabern Jnr 5-4 Richard Denis
Stuart Bousfield 5-1 Sam Hill
Simon Burt 5-2 John Scott
John Burgess 5-1 Darren Mawer
Michael Symes 5-2 Nigel Birch
Lee Moffatt 5-1 Andrew Howarth
Matthew Edgar 5-3 Terry Roach
Steve Douglas 5-4 Shane Edwards
Andy Pearson 5-3 Dave Honey
Second Round
Ryan Harrington 5-4 Mike Nott
Daniel Day 5-3 Michael Beal
Steven Lippett 5-3 Jason Wilson
Alan Tabern 5-3 Jonathan Worsley
Karl Merchant 5-2 Jack Hill
Richard Ludlow 5-4 Vince Tipple
Prakash Jiwa 5-2 Adrian Gray
Mark Frost 5-4 Phil Henshaw
Nick Fullwell 5-4 Kurt Parry
Jamie Robinson 5-0 Dave Kelly
Shaun Littler 5-3 Philip Wathen
Matthew Dicken 5-3 Darren Weaver
Ewan Hyslop 5-0 Hermie van Orsouw
Luke Woodhouse 5-0 Paul Carter
Jamie Gemmell 5-3 Lewis McGurn
Dave Weston 5-2 Dimitri Van Den Bergh
Ian McFarlane 5-2 John Crossley
Reece Robinson 5-2 Krit Middleton
Mark Jones 5-1 John Ferrell
Philip Milburn 5-4 Wayne Thomas
Brett Claydon 5-3 Shaun Griffiths
Richie Howson 5-3 Darren Williams
Kevin Thomas 5-4 Paul Rowley
Mark Hylton 5-4 Aden Kirk
Gaz Cousins 5-2 Matthew Dennant
Joe Lacey 5-4 Trevor Burkhill
Ricky Sudale 5-2 Gary Eastwood
Dick van Dijk 5-2 Alan James Tabern Jnr
Stuart Bousfield 5-0 Simon Burt
Michael Symes 5-2 John Burgess
Matthew Edgar 5-2 Lee Moffat
Steve Douglas 5-3 Andy Pearson
Losers £50
Third Round
Daniel Day 5-3 Ryan Harrington
Alan Tabern 5-0 Steven Lippett
Karl Merchant 5-2 Richard Ludow
Mark Frost 5-2 Prakash Jiwa
Jamie Robinson 5-4 Nick Fullwell
Matthew Dicken 5-3 Shaun Littler
Luke Woodhouse 5-4 Ewan Hyslop
Jamie Gemmell 5-2 Dave Weston
Ian McFarlane 5-2 Reece Robinson
Mark Jones 5-3 Philip Milburn
Richie Howson 5-4 Brett Claydon
Kevin Thomas 5-2 Mark Hylton
Joe Lacey 5-2 Gaz Cousins
Dick van Dijk 5-4 Ricky Sudale
Stuart Bousfield 5-3 Michael Symes
Steve Douglas 5-4 Matthew Edgar
Losers £100
Fourth Round
Alan Tabern 5-4 Daniel Day
Mark Frost 5-4 Karl Merchant
Jamie Robinson 5-0 Matthew Dicken
Luke Woodhouse 5-2 Jamie Gemmell
Ian McFarlane 5-4 Mark Jones
Richie Howson 5-0 Kevin Thomas
Joe Lacey 5-2 Dick van Dijk
Stuart Bousfield 5-3 Steve Douglas
Losers £200
Quarter-Finals
Alan Tabern 5-4 Mark Frost
Luke Woodhouse 5-3 Jamie Robinson
Ian McFarlane 5-4 Richie Howson
Joe Lacey 5-2 Stuart Bousfield
Losers £300
Semi-Finals
Alan Tabern 5-4 Luke Woodhouse
Ian McFarlane 5-2 Joe Lacey
Losers £500
Final
Alan Tabern 5-4 Ian McFarlane
Winner £2,000
Runner-Up £1,000
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