Chris Dobey overcame a scare from Ross Smith to win 4-2 at the World Darts Championships.

A back-and-forth contest that saw 27 maximums posted throughout started with Dobey taking the first set with a 116 checkout before continuing his ruthless run to clinch the second with an average of 122.

The world number 17 took the opening two legs in the third, but was unable to find the crucial doubles as Smith dragged himself back into the game to pull one back.

Smith drew level but another tight set saw Dobey edge ahead and he hit double 16 for the match to set up a meeting with reigning world champion Michael Smith in the last 16.

Another close contest saw Joe Cullen reach the next round with a 4-2 win over Ryan Searle.

Cullen breezed through the opening two sets but Searle found some rhythm to take the third.

“Heavy Metal” put up a fightback in the fourth, where a tight deciding leg saw him take advantage of Cullen’s missed double with a 124 finish on the bullseye to level the match.

A cagey set followed as “The Rockstar” edged to victory and another tight set followed, but Cullen managed to hit double top for the win.

Stephen Bunting produced a stunning performance to beat Florian Hempel 4-0.

An electric opening saw Bunting set the tone with two 180s in his opening leg before winning the next one, but an excellent 164 checkout spurred Hempel on as he took the next two legs.

With the first set level at 2-2, the “Bullet” took the decider with an average of 115.62 and from there the momentum was firmly with Bunting as he swept Hempel away with a whitewash, averaging 101.15 throughout.

Victory means Bunting will now face Michael van Gerwen in the last 16.

Isco has signed a contract extension with Real Betis until 2027, the club have announced.

The midfield player, who joined Betis from Sevilla in the summer, has scored twice in 17 LaLiga appearances this season.

The former Real Madrid man has been an important player for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who sit in seventh place ahead of their trip to Celta Vigo next week.

Galopin Des Champs returned to his brilliant best with a stunning display in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

Beaten by Fastorslow in his two races since winning the Gold Cup in March, his task was eased when that rival was declared a non-runner on account of the ground, but Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old still impressed with a wide-margin win.

Having raced a little lethargically on his comeback in the John Durkan Chase, he looked full of enthusiasm on this occasion.

With Conflated setting a generous gallop in front, Paul Townend was content to take a lead in second with Gerri Colombe, Gordon Elliott’s big hope, just in behind.

The order stayed pretty much the same throughout but Galopin Des Champs was making several lengths with his brilliant jumping on the way round.

Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard, himself a previous Gold Cup winner, could not get on terms at any stage and Gerri Colombe was under pressure a long way from home.

Townend took a wide course coming off the final bend and with just the last fence standing between him and victory, Galopin Des Champs flew it before pulling further and further clear, with the 6-4 favourite winning by 23 lengths from Gerri Colombe.

Coral make Galopin Des Champs even money for a second Gold Cup in March, with Betfair and Paddy Power slightly bigger at 5-4.

Gaelic Warrior ran out a tremendous winner of the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.

Racing in the famous pink and green Susannah and Rich Ricci colours that Faugheen sported throughout his illustrious career, he looks booked for the very top.

While in the past connections have hinted at a preference for going right-handed, the 4-7 favourite jumped as straight as an arrow on this occasion in the hands of Patrick Mullins.

The leading amateur also rode Faugheen to glory in the corresponding race in 2019, a highlight he still refers to as one of the best days of his career.

He will surely have never ridden an easier Grade One winner as, despite coming up against the smart American Mike, who had lowered the colours of subsequent impressive winner Fact To File last time out, and stablemate Il Etait Temps, a Grade One winner over hurdles, the five-year-old proved in a different league.

Gaelic Warrior’s only worry was when Danny Mullins attempted to sneak up the inner of his stablemate and cousin on the run to the second-last, but once he came out on top in the brief skirmish the race was over.

He crossed the line five and a half lengths clear without coming off the bridle and Willie Mullins will now have to decide which race he runs in at Cheltenham in March, with all options seemingly open trip-wise.

Perhaps tellingly, Betfair go only 7-1 for next year’s King George.

Irish Point announced himself as a major player in the staying division with an authoritative display in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Trained by Gordon Elliott, the five-year-old was a Grade One-winning novice at Aintree in the spring and returned to action this season with a victory over the useful mare Magical Zoe.

This represented a steep rise in grade, however, against last year’s winner Home By The Lee, Asterion Forlonge and Buddy One.

By the time Home By The Lee had cried enough on the turn for home, Jack Kennedy came looming up between horses on Irish Point, the heavily backed even-money favourite.

Asterion Forlonge was the only one to go with him but only briefly and Irish Point cruised to an 11-length success.

He runs in Brian Acheson’s Robcour colours, who already have one legitimate Stayers’ Hurdle contender in Teahupoo. Coral make the pair their 4-1 joint-favourites for the race in March.

“Jack said he would have done more in a piece of work at home,” said Elliott.

“He was very professional, settled and did everything great.

“You are always worried stepping up to three miles. It’s a nice race to win, we’ve a couple for that division now and it’s a good problem to have.

“We’ve a great bunch of horses and Jack said to me there that all I have to do now is to make sure to split them up.

“He could be a horse that we’d keep for Aintree, we’ll enjoy today and see what happens. The horse was very good and I thought it was a great performance.

“I thought he was so relaxed that he ticked all the boxes to stay, but you are always nervous until he does it.

“Jack said he actually thought halfway down the back that he was so relaxed, but he said when he gave him a squeeze he leapt straight back on it.”

Kevin Durant was relieved to play a leading role in ending the Phoenix Suns' three-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets.

He registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, giving the Suns a 129-113 win.

Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing run with its first road victory since Nov. 26.

Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns' 43-point second quarter.

The Suns are back in action against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and Durant is thrilled to go into a six-game homestand – their longest of the season – with a key road win behind them.

"It was amazing to get back on the winning side," he said.

"It sucks losing. Having a tough stretch in the NBA is one of the worst feelings you can have, regardless of how many games we play in a season."

Phoenix is 15-15 after winning just three of their last 10 games, putting them 10th in the Western Conference.

"Kevin just got into an aggressive mode to score or pass," added Suns coach Frank Vogel.

"Taking the ball in the backcourt, running a high volume of pick and rolls and just being aggressive. He really led us."

Devin Booker had 20 points for the Suns and there were 16 points from Grayson Allen.

Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.

The Rockets fell to 15-14 after Gordon made his mark on his return to Houston, sinking seven 3-pointers.

"It was great to be back here – I had a lot of good memories and a lot of fun here and it was a major turning point in my career, coming to Houston," said Gordon.

Noel George has reaffirmed the intention to skip this season’s Cheltenham Festival with the very exciting Il Est Francais.

George trains in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm in France and their stable star waltzed away with the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Highly regarded types like Hermes Allen and Giovinco were left trailing in his wake as he made every yard of the running under James Reveley, but connections are to stick to their plan of aiming at the French Gold Cup, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, this spring rather than Cheltenham.

“He doesn’t have to front run, he’s very easy, he can sit in behind and pass horses but that’s just the speed he’s comfortable at going and the others aren’t comfortable. He’s just a dream horse and I think the sky is the limit with him,” George told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s potentially the best chaser in the whole of France. He hasn’t stepped up in grade yet but we knew that he was very good.

“We thought about coming to Kempton a year ago and the horse had never even run over fences, but I think it was the right decision to wait and he’s shown everyone how good he is.

“It’s great for everyone involved to show that the top level in France is able to compete with the best level in England.

“The horse came back into training in July, ran in September and was near enough 100 per cent for the whole autumn. If we kept him in training to aim at Cheltenham and then get him back at 100 per cent for the French Gold Cup in May, that’s nearly a whole year having him in full training which I don’t think is the right thing to do.”

He went on: “We still need to discuss it but for me, I’d like to give him a break to make sure he is 100 per cent for a French Gold Cup.

“We’ve got loads of time with this horse, he’s only just turning six and for me, his next real target in England is the King George so there’s no rush, the sky is the limit.

“(Co-owners) Richard Kelvin-Hughes’ dream is to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup and Nicolas Lageneste’s dream is to win a French Gold Cup – if we can achieve both everyone would be very happy.”

Fact To File impressed on his second start over fences in the Ballymaloe Relish Rising Stars Beginners Chase at Leopardstown.

Second in the Champion Bumper in March, Willie Mullins elected to skip a season over hurdles and send him straight over fences, something he has done with a degree of success in the past with the likes of Florida Pearl.

However, he was beaten on his initial run over the bigger obstacles by Gordon Elliott’s American Mike and appeared to face some classy rivals this time in stablemate Minella Cocooner and Zanahiyr, both big-race winners over hurdles.

Galopin Des Champs and Gentlemansgame had won the corresponding race for the past two seasons and Fact To File went off the 4-6 favourite to follow in their footsteps, doing so with aplomb, beating Zanahiyr by 17 lengths under Mark Walsh.

“He has Cheltenham bumper form from last year. He looks like a chaser, he certainly looked like one there, so we decided to skip his novice hurdle year and just go straight chasing,” said Mullins.

“Today is the reason that I hoped we’d be right.

“He’s a horse I’ve loved since the first day he came into the stable. I think he could go the whole way, with a bit of luck – you need a lot of luck in this game.”

Mullins’ Jade De Grugy was cut to 14-1 from 33s for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham following an impressive Irish debut in the Savills Maiden Hurdle.

Despite 16 runners, only two were ever involved, with Tom Cooper’s Butcher Hollow going with the eventual winner all the way to the second-last when her superiority took over and the 5-4 favourite pulled 15 lengths clear.

Paul Townend was on board and said: “She’s exciting, she did it nicely. I thought we built up down the back the second time and she stayed going well.

“She obviously stays well, the ground is testing there, and she has a lovely attitude. She jumped well and did everything nicely.

“I was going easy so I felt like I was dictating it a bit. I jumped one well down the back and Sean (Flanagan) came with me and pushed me from the last down the back from there home.”

Rachael Blackmore certainly earned her riding fee on Music Of Tara (7-2 favourite) who went two better than last year in the Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle.

Third behind Sam’s Choice 12 months ago, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare was under pressure a long way from home but stayed on strongly to win by two lengths.

“I thought we were in trouble turning in, but she stayed on really well. She just doesn’t really travel, but she’s a really gutsy mare and Rachael was brilliant on her,” said De Bromhead.

“I’m delighted for the Achesons and the Shanahans (owners), it’s great to get it. We said we’d have a go at this and it’s nice when it works out.

“We might look at a Pertemps qualifier. She has to go left-handed, that’s one thing we have worked out.

“She looked all out turning in, but going to the last I thought by Rachael’s actions that she knew she had a fair chance.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter is backed to benefit from a return to a left-handed track when he lines up for the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Friday.

The eight-year-old is twice the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and started his chasing career earlier this season.

His debut over fences was a success at Cheltenham in October, where he beat Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Broadway Boy by two and half lengths to land a novice chase over three miles and half a furlong.

His next outing came at Punchestown in the Florida Pearl, where he drifted left around the right-handed track and was eventually inconvenienced by a loose horse in finishing third.

Cromwell expects Flooring Porter to be happier back on a left-handed track and is happy to put a line through that last run.

“He’s back going left-handed, he’s very well,” the trainer said.

“The ground is going to be very testing, but he should be fine on it and I’m looking forward to it.

“It was just one of the those races (Punchestown) to put a line through and forget about going into tomorrow.”

Meanwhile Broadway Boy has done a great deal to boost the form of his and Flooring Porter’s earlier encounter, winning twice more back at Cheltenham with two impressive performances.

Cromwell said of those runs: “I was glad to see him do so well, it makes it interesting for our horse.”

A key rival at Leopardstown will be the Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross, another horse with two chasing runs under his belt this term.

Third on debut at Naas behind Grangeclare West and Heart Wood, the chestnut was then the winner of a competitive beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse when beating Three Card Brag to get off to mark over the larger obstacles.

The six-year-old now steps up in trip and grade under Mark Walsh in the silks of owner JP McManus.

Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: “He’s in good form and Emmet’s happy with him.

“He’s stepping up to three miles over fences and we hope that will suit him.

“He’ll have learnt a lot from that last run and hopefully will have come forward for it, we’re looking forward to seeing him run.”

The Willie Mullins-trained Grangeclare West comes into the race in winning form having not run since the Naas contest in which he beat Corbetts Cross.

Favori De Champdou, winner of the Florida Pearl, will represent Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade runs Flanking Maneuver in the same silks of Gigginstown House Stud.

The field is completed by Tullyhogue Fort, a seven-year-old who has been busy all through the summer and into the new season.

Noni Madueke believes Chelsea have finally found answers to the goalscoring problems that plagued them last season.

The England Under-21 international came off the bench to fire Mauricio Pochettino’s side to a 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, slotting the winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute after being fouled by Eberechi Eze.

Earlier Michael Olise, who nearly became a Chelsea player in the summer, had equalised on the stroke of half-time after the hosts had failed to build on Mykhailo Mudryk’s 13th-minute opener.

There were chances for Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson and Ian Maatsen on his first start to add to the hosts’ tally but a combination of wayward finishing and Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson kept Roy Hodgson’s side in it, until Madueke’s late intervention.

Chelsea netted only 38 Premier League goals last campaign, their lowest in the league in almost a century, but already have 31 at the halfway stage this time around.

They have been boosted by the return to fitness of last season’s Bundesliga top-scorer Christopher Nkunku who made a full debut against Palace and was a threat at number 10.

And Madueke feels confident that a corner has been turned.

“We play good football and are scoring goals now,” said the 21-year-old. “I remember last season we weren’t scoring those goals.

“We’re probably conceding a few too many, but I just feel it’s that consistency we need to get down. Once we do, we’ll be a really good team.

“We’ve had some very good performances this season where we haven’t got the rub of the green. It’s a process and where we are now will not define us come the end of the season.”

It was Chelsea’s third league win in a row at home and their fourth in all competitions, though that run has been cut with a streak of four consecutive away losses.

It is their longest sequence of victories at Stamford Bridge since October 2022 and saw them climb back into the top half of the table.

“(This) was a must-win game,” said Madueke. “There have been similar games in the season that we should have won and haven’t quite got the rub of the green, so I’m happy we’ve done the business and got the three points.”

Madueke also reflected on his impact from the bench having been handed just his eighth league appearance or the season, of which only one has been from the start.

He added: “It’s been a stop-start campaign for me. I’ve had little niggles, little injuries, things that haven’t quite gone my way.

“I’m happy to have an impact off the bench (against Palace) and whether I start the next game or have the same impact off the bench is up to the manager.”

Daryl Jacob is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to ride Impaire Et Passe in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday.

Only four are due to go to post in the two-mile Grade One, and three of those are trained by Willie Mullins.

It is an event Mullins has farmed in recent years – since 2010 he has won all bar three renewals, with Hurricane Fly and Sharjah winning four apiece.

Last year the champion trainer was successful with State Man and he lines up once more as the choice of Paul Townend.

That meant the ride on last year’s hugely impressive Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner Impaire Et Passe was free and as retained rider to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede in the UK, Jacob was in pole position.

Impaire Et Passe lost his unbeaten record on his seasonal return in the Hatton’s Grace, and Mullins has taken the decision to drop him in trip to two miles. But Jacob feels the testing ground will make it more of a stamina test.

“I’m very much looking forward to riding him. He’s a very exciting horse for Simon and Isaac and everyone and this is another step on the ladder for him,” said Jacob.

“He’s racing over two miles for the first time in a while, but I’ve been in Ireland all week and there has been a lot of rain.

“The hurdle course on Wednesday went soft then heavy, but he has handled that sort of ground, he’s won over further and he has got speed.

“He’s a hugely exciting horse and I’m very grateful for the opportunity, I can’t wait to ride him.

“I rode him out on Thursday morning, he seems in really good form and I really don’t see the ground being an issue at all.”

Jacob has enjoyed a particularly fruitful spell of late and is operating at a strike-rate of over 40 per cent for the past two weeks, and he would love to top it off with a Grade One.

“I’ve had a nice few winners of late, but a Grade One win before the new year would be lovely,” he said.

Understandably given his choice, Townend feels State Man sets the standard given the only horse who has finished in front of him when he has completed since joining Mullins is Constitution Hill.

He told his Ladbrokes blog: “He seems to set the standard this side of the water. His only defeat was by Constitution Hill last year. It’s interesting he’s being taken on by Impaire Et Passe.

“I thought Impaire Et Passe ran with a lot of credit in the Hatton’s Grace in Fairyhouse. He has a run under his belt and State Man won the Morgiana.

“It’s a big test, but State Man played at the top table all last season and sets the standard. The pair are sure to make a good race of it.”

Mullins also runs the mare Echoes In Rain, while Gordon Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies is the only other contender.

A village resident has told of houses in states of “absolute disaster” after a “localised tornado” hurtled through a town in Greater Manchester.

Strong gusts whipped through Stalybridge, in Tameside, on Wednesday, damaging around 100 properties, according to the council.

No injuries were reported but many residents were forced to leave their homes.

Hayley McCaffer, who lives with her partner in the village of Carrbrook, told the PA news agency that they have been “fairly lucky” compared with some of their neighbours.

Ms McCaffer, 40, said: “Some of the neighbours’ houses are an absolute disaster – the roof missing, gable ends gone, cars squished with all the stone that’s come off the houses.

“Luckily for us, very luckily, we were in the pub last night when it happened.

“We weren’t here, but also we had parked our car there and looking at the state of our driveway – one of the walls has come down – we were very lucky that it wasn’t parked there because it would have not been in a good state today.”

She said she was alerted to the “tornado” by a phone call from her mother, who lives locally and whose roof was partially ripped off by winds before parts landed on her car.

Emergency services were cordoning off the area when Ms McCaffer and her partner arrived back at their home, and they allowed them to enter and collect some essentials.

“It was dark so we could see big piles of debris and people’s bits of houses missing,” she told PA.

She and her partner were “evacuated” and remain unsure when they will be able to get back into their home.

“But we were safe and that was the main thing,” she added.

“We’ve got insurance, hopefully that will be covered.

“And, you know, when things like this happen, there’s lots of people who are worse off than us, so we can’t really complain too much.”

Patricia Watkinson, who also lives in Carrbrook, was away in Norfolk when gusts swept through the village but was told by a neighbour that apart from a “dangling” aerial her home appears undamaged.

The 83-year-old told the PA news agency: “I’m glad I wasn’t there.

“My neighbour, she just rang me, and her shed is gone and the fence is gone. Hopefully, all that is wrong with mine is the aerial dangling.”