He was clinical on the doubles in the opening exchanges at Ally Pally, dropping just one leg out of the first six. However, the third set did not follow the same pattern, and Littler found himself down 1-0, even losing his throw.
As Aspinall looked to seize the initiative, he was met with a 180 from the teen sensation, prompting one of the Sky Sports commentators to remark, “It’s cruel sometimes.”
Despite this, Aspinall recovered to win the set, aided by Littler, who failed to convert a leg with just five points left on the scoreboard. In the next set, Aspinall had some fun with the crowd, hitting a 180 with his first throw and setting up a chance for a nine-darter.
The crowd was in a frenzy as Littler hit his sixth perfect dart, so Aspinall decided to delay his throw as the audience jeered in anticipation.
Aspinall, 33, vowed to prove people wrong ahead of the clash, claiming he is often underestimated.