Hometown favourite Josh Rock produced a sensational nine-darter on Night Four of Premier League Darts — only to bow out moments later against Gian van Veen.
Trailing 5-1 in the quarter-final, Rock ignited the Belfast crowd with a flawless leg. After pinning double 12 to complete the perfect finish, the 24-year-old sprinted to the side of the stage in celebration before returning to retrieve his darts and planting a kiss on the board.
Van Veen paused to applaud the achievement and shook Rock’s hand in recognition of the moment.
Despite the heroics, the Northern Irishman was unable to mount a comeback, losing the next leg and the match. Still, he remained upbeat afterwards, proudly receiving a set of solid gold darts to mark the nine-darter.
Speaking to BetMGM at the SSE Arena, Rock said: “Double 12 hasn’t been kind to me over the last six months, so when the treble 20 and treble 19 went in I was just thinking, ‘please go in!’
“When it did, I couldn’t hold back celebrating in front of my home crowd. I can’t even put into words how I feel right now.
“To get a set of gold darts after hitting a nine-darter in Belfast is incredibly special. They’ll have a place in my trophy cabinet forever.”
Fans were quick to celebrate the magical moment.
One supporter wrote: “He might not have won the match, but I doubt Josh Rock will mind. A nine-darter on his Premier League debut in front of a packed home crowd — that’s unforgettable.”
Another added: “You could see how much it meant to him. Absolute quality moment.”
A third said: “A nine-darter at home with family and friends watching — unbelievable scenes. Special memories for a local lad.”
Commentary teams hailed it as one of the standout moments of the Premier League season as Rock soaked up the atmosphere.
On the night, Van Veen went on to lose in the final to Stephen Bunting. ‘The Bullet’, who had started the evening near the bottom of the table without a point, claimed a 6-2 victory in the final after cruising past Jonny Clayton 6-0 in the semi-finals.
Bunting said: “I’m absolutely overjoyed. This ranks right up there with the best wins of my career.”
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