FORMER Wellington Darts League player Ryan Searle narrowly missed out on reaching the last eight of the PDC Home Tour last Saturday.

Former world champion Rob Cross won the four-man second-round group, beating Searle 6-4 in the night’s crucial match.

Cross won two of his three matches, surprisingly losing 6-5 to Luke Woodhouse. Searle also won two games, beating Woodhouse 6-4 and Daniel Larsson 6-4.

Searle could only sit and watch, having won his two matches, knowing Cross needed to win only three games against Woodhouse to advance further in the tournament.

In the night’s decisive match against Searle, Cross surged into a 3-0 lead but began to wobble as he was broken twice late on.

All players in the second round received £1,000 in appearance cash.