JOE Cullen's fightback failed in his first major quarter-final yesterday at Minehead's Butlins Resort.

The 26-year-old Bradfordian, who defeated 2015 semi-finalist Stephen Bunting 9-7 and Alan Norris 9-6 on his way to the last eight, was beaten 10-7 in a high-quality clash at the £300,000 Coral UK Open by last year's finalist Peter 'Snakebite' Wright.

Cullen, who fought back from 9-3 down, said: "Fair play to Peter – he took the finishes when he had to take them, which is what these top players do.

"There was one leg which stood out for me – the ninth, where I missed four or five darts at double ten.

"To have been 5-4 instead of 6-3 was a massive difference."

Wright took out finishes of 99 and 100 with a brace of double tops to bring the 5,000 crowd to their feet either side of a 130 finish by Cullen, and the Scot also took out a key 116 checkout to move to the brink of victory.

Cullen, who defeated Mark Frost 9-1 in the last 64 on the way to earning £10,000, hit back with three successive legs as he took his tally of 180s to nine in the match but a 95 finish from Wright sealed his semi-final spot with a 102 average.

"I finished pretty well and I'm relieved to have won because Joe hurt me with that 130 finish, but I suppose my 116 finish was the same for him," said Wright.

Cullen threw a 180 in the first leg but lost it to a double seven as Wright went into a 3-0 lead.

However, the world No 48 won the fourth and the sixth, where he had a 130 bull checkout.

Another 180 and a 177 could not help Cullen win the seventh or the tenth but, trailing 9-3, he took the 13th, buoyed by two 180s, and an 11-darter in the 16th made it 9-7.

However, the comeback ended in the 17th leg when Wright polished his man off with a double 16.