‘Miscount of the year’ – Embarrassing moment darts star Daryl Gurney celebrates despite being nowhere near checkout

DARYL GURNEY was left scratching his head after a bizarre scoring mix-up during his Players Championship clash with Martin Lukeman.

The pair were locked at 3-3 when the moment of confusion unfolded, with Gurney sitting on 175 and Lukeman on 142 in the seventh leg.

Lukeman stepped up first and piled on the pressure, expertly working his score down to just 40 to leave himself on a handy finish.

Gurney responded in style at first. He fired in a treble 20, followed it with a treble 14, and then pinned double 20 — racking up 142 for the visit.

But in a strange twist, the Northern Irishman briefly celebrated as though he had taken out a stunning finish.

It quickly became clear something wasn’t right.

Rather than completing a 175 checkout, Gurney had been looking at the wrong number. His 142 scored left him stranded on 33 — not the match-winning moment he initially believed — and suddenly he was at a significant disadvantage with Lukeman poised on 40.

The error drew immediate reaction from viewers, with many stunned that such a miscalculation could occur at professional level.

Despite the blunder, Gurney managed to regain his composure and went on to secure victory in Hildesheim, Germany.

The 39-year-old’s run didn’t end there either. He followed it up with a strong showing at Players Championship 2, advancing all the way to the quarter-finals before eventually falling 6-3 to Dave Chisnall.

Fans were quick to react to the unusual moment on social media.

One wrote: “Early miscount of the year contender here.”

Another pointed out: “Technically not really a miscount. He just looked at the wrong score — which might actually be worse.”

A third added simply: “That’s hilarious!”

While Gurney recovered well from his mix-up, the incident served as a reminder of how easy it is for even seasoned professionals to momentarily lose track under pressure.

Elsewhere in Germany, it was Wessel Nijman who ultimately claimed the title, edging out Gerwyn Price 8-7 in a thrilling final to lift the trophy.