Rebecca hits the bullseye

CARLOW’S Rebecca Allen has completed the biggest achievement of her young darts career, being crowned Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Girls’ Series champion at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The 17-year-old, who represents Carlow County Youth Darts and splits her time between Graiguecullen and Ballyroan, edged out England's Macy Gibbons 5-4 in a gripping final, with both players averaging over 75 in a contest that underlined just how far the standard of the women's junior game has come.

Rebecca had booked her place in the decider by winning two events on this year's girls’ series circuit, while Gibbons arrived at the final having topped the overall standings. It was sweet redemption for the Carlow teenager, who had reached the inaugural girls’ series final 12 months earlier, only to fall short against Paige Pauling. With this year marking her final season of eligibility for the competition, there was extra weight on her shoulders coming down the stretch.

"Just don't give up, just stay going, the game is not over until the last shot," Rebecca said, reflecting on how she managed the nerves in the closing stages.

That mentality was tested to the full on the deciding leg, which came down to a finish on double one. "Just go in and don't go inside, because it was double one, so if you go inside, you're bust and you can't throw another dart," she explained.

With no second chance available given her age limit, the pressure of the moment was not lost on her. "If I didn't hit the double one, that was it, I couldn't go back and do it again."

Having watched the men's semi-finals from the crowd the night before, she admitted playing on the famous Winter Gardens stage carried extra significance. "I was, like, 'Oh my God, I am going to be playing here in the morning, that is going to be me.' So, yeah, it was pretty cool," she said, adding that once on stage, the noise of the crowd faded into background. "It is so loud, but when you are up there, you can barely hear anything."

Having been through the experience of a Winter Gardens final before proved invaluable, she said, with familiarity around the venue helping her relax compared to her first appearance. Asked to rank the win among her career achievements, Rebecca said it was "definitely up there," given the stature of the stage.

The Carlow star, who cites Beau Greaves as the player she most relates to, given her status as the leading woman on the circuit, isn't planning on taking her foot off the pedal. She has a memorial tournament this weekend before a short holiday, then returns to competing every weekend. "I'd rather be busy than not busy," she said, arguing that momentum from a big win can be lost if it isn't followed up quickly.

Rebecca paid tribute to her sponsors, the leading darts equipment manufacturer Winmau, for their support throughout her career to date and thanking everyone back home in Carlow and Laois who has followed her progress and backed her along the way.