'Pie man' plays through grief

Andy Jenkins booked a place in the second round of the Ladbrokes.Com World Darts Championship yesterday - two weeks after the death of his father.

The No 12 seed, from Portsmouth, beat American qualifier Bill Davis 3-1 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet but found it tough.

"It would be great to go all the way and win the title," said Jenkins. "But it would be difficult to do that knowing my dad Chris would not be here to see it.

"He used to come to every event. He died just like that. He just sat down and had a heart attack.

"At first I did not want to pick up a dart, but I did and then there was never a doubt that I would be here."

Jenkins now meets Andy The Pie Man' Smith, who had no trouble earning the quickest £5,000 of his career yesterday when he beat Chinese qualifier Shi Yongsheng 3-0.

Smith, from Warwickshire, who weighs 22-stone and has a passion for steak and kidney pies, has vowed to go on diet when the tournament is over.