TO hit the winning double to win the INDO Inter Counties championship for your team is special, but to do it two years in a row is something exceptional.
Such is the hunger for success in Donegal, however, that the man who has just achieved this feat, Jordan Boyce, hasn't ruled out making it a hat-trick next year.
Former World Youth finalist Jordan was the toast of Donegal last year when he won the decisive game against Dublin that landed Ireland's most successful darts county its first Inter Counties title in four years.
They didn't have to wait so long again, as Jordan remarkably pulled off the same trick last Sunday night as Donegal defended their title with a victory over Cork in the final.
Speaking to Darts In Ireland, Jordan said hitting that winning double felt even more special this year.
He said: "I didn't have as much pressure on me this year as we were 6-2 up when I went in this time, while the score was 6-5 last year and a much more crucial game.
"When I saw I was going in as the ninth man this year, I didn't actually think about it being the decisive game as you are expecting the score to be close, but the team had played so well that we were 6-2 up when I went in.
"But even during my game I didn't think about hitting the winning double again, until I got a chance at double 18 and then double 9 to win the game 3-1.
"I missed those ones and it went 2-2 but thankfully I played very well in the next leg and I was able to see it out.
"If anything it felt even better this year as it was nice for us to retain the trophy."
Donegal's success at national level is quite incredible, with the county winning a record 14 INDO Inter Counties titles over the years.
Jordan says the success doesn't come as a surprise to him, given the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in Donegal to continually produce a conveyor belt of talent.
He said: "We have competitions in Donegal now when we have 80 to 90 players competing in them and up to 20 to 30 of those are good enough to win it outright.
"We also have a very strong B team and at least four or five of those will be pushing to make it onto the A team next year and that just makes us all play better as well."
He added that the Donegal team has an unbelievable spirit to add to their talent.
Jordan said: "One of the great things about this Donegal team is how we all stick together. If someone is having a tough time and not playing as well as usual we rally around them.
"Also the players who don't play still get behind the team and never complain. We had a squad of 18 players at the Inter Counties, who are all very good players in their own right, but only 13 can play, yet those who don't get picked still got behind everyone else.
"The spirit we have is unbelievable."
It's that spirit that Jordan reckons will push Donegal on to even more success in the future.
He says the hunger and desire is very much there for the county to keep on winning.
He added: "I see no reason why we can't win a few more of these in the next few years. We have a team good enough to do it.
"But you can only take each year as it comes and you don't know what's going to happen next year, and what players will be available, or if other counties come on strong.
"We lost in the quarter finals of the West Coast Challenge this year and that might have been the best thing that happened to us as it helped us to refocus.
"We certainly want to keep on winning and you never know, I might get the chance to hit the winning double for a third year in a row yet."
CHECK OUT DART CITY FOR ALL YOUR DARTING NEEDS. JUST CLICK ON THE LOGO BELOW:
Add comment
Comments