‘A lot of demons’ – Stephen Bunting gives ‘nervous’ update after beating Cameron Menzies following poor darts form

Stephen Bunting has admitted he has been battling nerves and “demons” after securing a crucial victory that has put him on the verge of qualifying for next weekend’s European Championship Finals.

The Bullet defeated Cameron Menzies 6-2, moving himself into the top 32 of the qualification standings needed to secure a place at the tournament in Dortmund, Germany.

The result also pushed Kim Huybrechts out of the qualifying positions, leaving Bunting in a strong position to book his place at the season-ending event.

Reflecting on the pressure he had been under in recent weeks, Bunting admitted that the need to win had been weighing heavily on him.

“Yeah, the last few weeks I have been nervous. Needing to win is a lot more difficult than coming here and expecting to win.

“But hopefully, this pushes me on to Dortmund next week.”

The former Lakeside champion also revealed that he had been closely following the action in Maastricht, with several players battling for the remaining qualification spots.

Asked whether he had been keeping track of the other results, Bunting replied: “Of course I was. I had seven different darts shirts on yesterday!

“No, you can never cheer against them. They are all your friends, and what will be will be.

“If I didn’t get into Dortmund, then it’s not about this week, it’s about the season as a whole, and I’m just glad that I dug deep there.”

Bunting showed his determination against Menzies, capitalising on his opponent’s missed doubles to claim the third leg after the Scot squandered seven darts at a finish.

Menzies briefly halted his opponent’s momentum with an impressive 150 checkout, but Bunting remained composed and continued to find important finishes before sealing a convincing 6-2 victory.

Reflecting on his performance, Bunting acknowledged that he had taken advantage of his opponent’s struggles but insisted there was still room for improvement.

“I found crucial finishes at the right time. Obviously, Cammy was off, and he had a lot of bounce-outs as well, which helped.

“Happy that I won and on to tomorrow. I need to play better to win.”

With qualification now looking increasingly likely, Bunting will hope to build on the important result and carry his improved confidence into the next round of action.