COLIN OSBORNE claimed his second PDC title with an 8-6 defeat of Denis Ovens in the Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final.
Derby-based Osborne ensured one of the top seedings for the UK Open's televised finals in Bolton in June with a resilient performance to take the £6,000 title.
He led 3-0 in the final after continuing his superb form of the day at the Gateshead International Stadium, only for Ovens - buoyed by a 104 finish - to hit back and lead 4-3.
A break of throw in the eighth leg sparked Osborne again, and a 136 finish in the next saw him regain the lead.
Ovens came back again to level at six-all, but Osborne took the next two on double eight to take the victory.
Osborne's only previous win on the professional circuit came at the Sheppey Classic in 2006, but he admitted it was an ideal boost following his first round exit to Erwin Extercatte in the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship.
"It's the best possible start to the New Year," said the Middlesbrough-born thrower.
"After the disappointment of the World Championship my confidence was low but to bounce back and win the next event is brilliant.
"In my early games on the floor I was scoring heavily and took some big finishes out and then on stage I was giving away my lead. I hung on in there and got over the finishing line."
Osborne swept past John Ferrell 6-3 in the last eight, defying a 136 finish as the Kent man took a 2-1 lead to continue his charge to the final with three maximums.
He took four successive legs to win his semi-final against Wes Newton 7-3, pulling clear after the first six legs were shared.
Ovens produced a superb display to end Wade's hopes in the last four, taking six straight legs to lead 6-1 - including a 161 finish - before holding off the world number three's fightback to seal victory.
Newton enjoyed a fine return to form in the north-east, battling through to his first semi-final since June and hitting a 170 finish in his quarter-final win over Alan Tabern after earlier seeing off Mick McGowan, Tony Eccles and Wayne Mardle.
Wade dropped just one leg in his quarter-final win over Chris Mason, hitting three maximums and a 140 finish, while Ovens took out finishes of 149 and 105 in his 6-4 defeat of Ronnie Baxter.
World Championship runner-up Kirk Shepherd made his return to action by reaching the last 64, where he went down 5-4 to Steve Hine after leading 4-3, picking up prize money for the first time in this year's Regional Finals.
York's Martyn Turner saw off Roland Scholten and Andy Jenkins to reach the last 32 before being whitewashed by Bristol's rising star Steve Brown.
Brown and fellow Bristolian Mark Dudbridge were among the last 16's casualties, alongside Colin Lloyd, Adrian Gray, Andy Smith, Lionel Sams and Hine.
Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final
Preliminary Round
Steve Cusick 5-1 Geoff Daniels
Brian Cathcart 5-1 Graeme Stoddart
Stephen Hardy 5-3 Geoff Wylie
Sean Dowling 5-1 Ian Jopling
Harry Anderson 5-3 Garry Clamp
Alan Reynolds 5-4 Jamie Robinson
Russell Mason 5-4 Darrell Thorpe
Colin McGarry 5-2 John Quantock
Kevin Harris 5-1 Daniel Sare
Ken Dobson 5-2 Shane Passey
Chris Daglish 5-1 Kevin Hill
Gary Noonan 5-1 Ben Burton
Gary Barnett 5-0 Darren Williams
Mark Stephenson 5-3 Michael Barnard
Martin Whatmough 5-0 Paul Williams
Round One
Colin Monk 5-3 Lee White
Mick McGowan 5-0 Jim Leighton
Alan Green 5-3 Jon Archer
Paul Cooper 5-4 Steve Smith
Wayne Mardle 5-2 Neil Wild
Wes Newton 5-3 Brendan Dolan
Terry Jenkins 5-1 Brian Jones
Tony Eccles 5-2 Steve Cusick
Steve Evans 5-1 Brian Whybrow
Jason Barry 5-0 James Barton
Lionel Sams 5-4 Nick Fulwell
Gary Welding 5-3 Brian Cathcart
Mark Lawrence 5-2 Mark Jodrill
Adrian Lewis 5-1 Ian Lever
Wayne Jones 5-1 Colin Ritchie
Alan Tabern 5-0 Stephen Hardy
Wayne Atwood 5-0 Andrew Coulter
Chris Thompson 5-4 Tony Randell
Kevin Painter 5-0 Dave Smith
Colin Osborne 5-1 Sean Dowling
Simon Craven 5-1 John MaGowan
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Yves Cottenge
Kevin McDine 5-4 Steve Grubb
Adrian Gray 5-0 Harry Anderson
Andy Smith 5-0 Norman Fletcher
Dennis Smith 5-1 Jimmy Dunlop
Matt Clark 5-1 Jonathan Overton
Alan Reynolds 5-2 Garry Spedding
Eddie Lovely Bye (Jason Clark)
Tony Ayres 5-3 Dave Honey
Alan Warriner-Little 5-1 Richard McLaughlin
John Ferrell 5-1 Russell Mason
Chris Mason 5-0 Danny Pinhorne
David Platt 5-1 Steve Maish
Mark Walsh 5-1 John Scott
Vincent van der Voort 5-1 Colin McGarry
Kirk Shepherd 5-2 Mark Carter
Steve Hine 5-0 Robert Watson-Lang
Gary Blades 5-3 Rico Vonck
Owen Caffrey 5-4 Kevin Harris
James Wade 5-0 Kevin Fletcher
Darren Johnson 5-2 Ian Eames
Mervyn King 5-2 Lee Holden
Jan van der Rassel 5-0 Shane Passey
Martyn Turner 5-4 Roland Scholten
Andy Jenkins 5-0 Rick Andrews
Dave Ladley 5-2 Mark Tiller
Steve Brown 5-2 Chris Daglish
Denis Ovens 5-1 Scott Marsh
Chris Allen 5-4 Martin Burchell
Peter Manley 5-1 Ian Critchett
Jimmy Mann 5-1 Gary Noonan
Colin Lloyd 5-1 Andy Relf
Barrie Bates Bye (Paul Anthony)
Bob Anderson 5-2 Darren Latham
Gary Barnett 5-2 Jamie Caven
Jelle Klaasen 5-2 Tom Wilson
Matt Sheehan 5-2 Ian Branks
Ronnie Baxter 5-2 Andrew Howarth
Alan Caves 5-4 Mark Stephenson
Kevin Dowling 5-2 Robbie Parker
Darren Webster 5-1 Kevin Reade
Mark Dudbridge 5-3 Paul Knighton
Andy Hamilton 5-2 Martin Whatmough
Round Two
Mick McGowan 5-4 Colin Monk
Paul Cooper 5-2 Alan Green
Wes Newton 5-4 Wayne Mardle
Tony Eccles 5-2 Terry Jenkins
Steve Evans 5-1 Jason Barry
Lionel Sams 5-4 Gary Welding
Adrian Lewis 5-1 Mark Lawrence
Alan Tabern 5-2 Wayne Jones
Wayne Atwood 5-3 Chris Thompson
Colin Osborne 5-3 Kevin Painter
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Simon Craven
Adrian Gray 5-4 Kevin McDine
Andy Smith 5-3 Dennis Smith
Matt Clark 5-4 Alan Reynolds
Eddie Lovely 5-4 Tony Ayres
John Ferrell 5-2 Alan Warriner-Little
Chris Mason 5-1 David Platt
Mark Walsh 5-2 Vincent van der Voort
Steve Hine 5-4 Kirk Shepherd
Owen Caffrey 5-3 Gary Blades
James Wade 5-0 Darren Johnson
Mervyn King 5-1 Jan van der Rassel
Martyn Turner 5-1 Andy Jenkins
Steve Brown 5-0 Dave Ladley
Denis Ovens 5-0 Chris Allen
Peter Manley 5-2 Jimmy Mann
Colin Lloyd 5-0 Barrie Bates
Bob Anderson 5-1 Gary Barnett
Jelle Klaasen 5-0 Matt Sheehan
Ronnie Baxter 5-0 Alan Caves
Darren Webster 5-4 Kevin Dowling
Mark Dudbridge 5-4 Andy Hamilton
Losers £100
Round Three
Mick McGowan 5-2 Paul Cooper
Wes Newton 5-4 Tony Eccles
Lionel Sams 5-3 Steve Evans
Alan Tabern 5-2 Adrian Lewis
Colin Osborne 5-3 Wayne Atwood
Adrian Gray 5-4 Michael van Gerwen
Andy Smith 5-3 Matt Clark
John Ferrell 5-3 Eddie Lovely
Chris Mason 5-4 Mark Walsh
Steve Hine 5-1 Owen Caffrey
James Wade 5-3 Mervyn King
Steve Brown 5-0 Martyn Turner
Denis Ovens 5-2 Peter Manley
Colin Lloyd 5-2 Bob Anderson
Ronnie Baxter 5-3 Jelle Klaasen
Mark Dudbridge 5-2 Darren Webster
Losers £200
Round Four
Wes Newton 5-0 Mick McGowan
Alan Tabern 5-4 Lionel Sams
Colin Osborne 5-2 Adrian Gray
John Ferrell 5-3 Andy Smith
Chris Mason 5-2 Steve Hine
James Wade 5-3 Steve Brown
Denis Ovens 5-3 Colin Lloyd
Ronnie Baxter 5-3 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £400
Quarter-Finals
Wes Newton 6-5 Alan Tabern
Colin Osborne 6-3 John Ferrell
James Wade 6-1 Chris Mason
Denis Ovens 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Losers £800
Semi-Finals
Colin Osborne 7-3 Wes Newton
Denis Ovens 7-4 James Wade
Losers £1,600
Final
Colin Osborne 8-6 Denis Ovens
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000