DEFENDING champion Scott Mitchell scraped to a thrilling victory over Mark McGeeney yesterday to reach the quarter-finals of the BDO World Championships.

Number six seed Mitchell, from Bransgore, saw-off his fellow England international in a pulsating last-16 clash that was decided when the Dorset county star picked out double top in a sudden-death showdown.

Frimley Green newcomer McGeeney had earlier blown no fewer than eight darts to win the match before the 45-year-old Mitchell, who had thrown for the match on three occasions, completed a remarkable Houdini act.

Mitchell, who faces the Netherlands’ Richard Veenstra in tonight’s last eight clash, said: “I’m trying to hang on to this thing – I don’t want to give it away.

“If anybody doubted that I wanted to retain the title, I think the past two games I’ve played against Mark and Craig Caldwell have shown that’s not the case.

“Mark and I are good buddies and I knew he wasn’t going to break. Either it was going to be a mistake or I was going to have to play out of my skin to beat him.”