12:57am Friday 6th April 2007
By Steve Wilson
DENNIS Priestley had the look of a man who'd lost a pound but found a penny, even though some good old Yorkshire grit earned him a 7-7 draw with Roland Scholten.
In a nip-and-tuck encounter, the willowy frame of the Dutchman Scholten and his fluid technique appeared to have Priestley's number, particularly with a flurry of 180 starts as he piled the pressure on the double world champion.
But Priestley, who led 4-2 and then trailed 6-4, showed some of his old magic as he eventually clawed his way back into the contest with his slow and methodical throwing style taking out a crucial 127 finish to tie the match at 6-6.
And the Yorkshireman - in his trademark Dennis the Menace colours - did it again in the final leg as he held his nerve to fire home double 10 and clinch an absorbing draw.
Priestley, however, was none too impressed by his own performance afterwards. The 56-year-old veteran said: "I pinched a 7-7 only because I had a few big finishes, but I stuck in there.
"Up until now, I've been surprised with how well I've done in the Premier League but I think it's caught up with me in the last few games.
"It's become an ordeal and I'm exhausted by it.
"I've been playing fast in practice but the pressure is too much up on stage and I get frightened of the dart not going where I want it to. I get uptight and I shouldn't be at my age should I?
"When you're younger you don't have that fear and maybe I'm just anticipating all the bad things."
Perhaps predictably for a man of his roots, Priestley, however, ruled out the use of a sports psychologist to spur his bid for Premier League honours.
He said: "Its all in the mind, I'm sure it is, but that's down to me to sort that out.
"You can't go paying someone a load of money to work on your mind - they don't get up on stage and throw the darts for you.
"I just feel like I'm not giving anywhere near my best at the moment. I'm really struggling.
"It's not very nice going to work and not finding your best when you know you can do an awful lot better.
"But one of these days, I'll turn the tide, start to enjoy it again and play my best darts."
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