RONNIE Baxter saw the PDC World Matchplay Darts Championship slip agonisingly through his fingers after a thrilling final with top seed Rod Harrington at Blackpool.
Church-based Baxter missed a shot at double top to take the crown before he was dramatically pipped at the end of an epic encounter.
Baxter, conqueror of world champion Phil Taylor in the quarter finals, made all the running in the best-of-35 leg final, leading 13-10 and 17-14.
But he missed his chance of glory when he crucially failed to check out with double top in leg 33.
He was made to pay as Hartington fought back magnificently to take the lead for the first time in the match, hitting double top with his last two darts to snatch victory in leg 35.
And he then rounded matters off by taking the next leg to complete a sensational 19-17 triumph to leave Baxter's dreams in tatters.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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