ACOMB arrows ace Chris Thompson reached the last 32 of a PDC Players Championship event at Crawley.

Thompson defeated Matthew Edgar (6-4) and Scott Rand (6-1) before bowing out 6-1 to leading Irishman William O’Connor – an earlier conqueror of world number five Wes Newton.

Whitwell-on-the-Hill’s Terry Temple suffered a first round 6-5 exit at the hands of former World Matchplay quarter-finalist Kevin McDine.

In Crawley’s second Players Championship, world number 64 Thompson overcame Steve Grubb 6-2 before being whitewashed by James Richardson.

Temple fell at the first hurdle again in another tough contest against Belgian number one Kim Huybrechts, going down 6-4.