Ace off to the FA Cup of darts

Shropshire qualifier Andy Roberts leads the county’s assault on the Blue Square UK Open - the competition widely known as the FA Cup of darts.

The 41-year-old has made it through to the televised stages of the Professional Darts Corporation-backed tournament after coming through the regional Punch Tavern Qualifiers.

And he will take to the stage at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium tomorrow evening under the gaze of the Sky cameras to begin his campaign against Salford’s Paul Whitworth.

An extended run in the competition could see Roberts up against the sport’s biggest names, with the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Terry Jenkins all coming in at the fourth round stage.

Roberts, from Oakengates, booked his spot among such elite company by winning his way through a qualifier at The Lamb in Wrockwardine Wood and then winning two matches at the regional finals in Derby.

And Dave Evans, the Shropshire team manager, is backing his boy to make his mark on the national stage.

“Andy’s had some big wins in his career,” he said. “He’s beaten the likes of Steve Beaton and Andy Fordham, and only last year he beat Andy Hamilton in the Yarmouth Open.”

Roberts will take to the stage on board two, next to the main stage where the big televised matches are being played, with tomorrow’s top action featuring the likes of Cliff Lazarenko and Dutch wonderkid Michael van Gerwen.