LISA Ashton confirmed her status as the world’s top women’s darts player with an emotional victory in the British Darts Organisation’s World Trophy in Manchester.

Days after the death of her father, the 44-year-old Bolton star won her fifth major title when she beat Anastasia Dobromyslova 7-5 in Sunday’s final at Event City.

It was the Lancashire Rose’s first major tournament appearance since she successfully retained her BDO World Championship title in January.

Having breezed through the first two rounds, beating Sweden’s Maud Jansson 4-1 and England’s Zoe Jones 5-0, she beat her Dutch rival Deta Hedman 6-3 in the semi-final to set up a final duel with Dobromyslova, who beat her in last year’s World Trophy final.

Ashton, from Johnson Fold, dedicated her victory to her father, Arthur Stephens, who died at the age of 74 in the Royal Bolton Hospital from lung cancer.

“He always followed me and my career,” she said. “He’s always been there. He’ll be with me all the way.”