COLIN
LLOYD defeated Phil Taylor 8-6 to win a
second successive Blue Square UK Open
Regional Final at the Brentwood Centre
in Essex.Lloyd claimed victory in Taunton three weeks ago, and took another £6,000 cheque with another solid display in his home county.
Taylor had won Saturday's Players Championship and had stormed into the final with more imperious form 24 hours later.
But his bid to take a clean sweep over the weekend fell short when Lloyd came from 5-4 down to edge to the win.
"I'm enjoying myself again and enjoying the competition," said Lloyd, who has started 2008 promisingly following a tough 18 months which saw him slip to the edge of the world's top ten.
"A lot of people wrote me off but I've been playing for a long time and I'm a good player, and I have got some self-belief back.
"It was a fantastic performance. Phil is no mug and he has proven his quality as a player and as a man over this weekend, he's phenomenal.
"I've won lots of tournaments in Essex before but this is the most special - it's a high-profile PDC ranked event and it doesn't get any better than winning it against Phil."
Lloyd opened the final with two 14-darters to lead 2-0, and also led 3-1 before Taylor powered in a 143 checkout in the fifth and then a 161 in the seventh in taking a 4-3 advantage.
Finishes of 124 and 129 saw Lloyd stay in the game at five-all before he took advantage of five rare missed doubles from Taylor to sneak back in front.
Taylor then missed double 16 in the next as Lloyd moved 7-5 up, only for Taylor to respond in 11 darts to stay alive.
But Lloyd wrapped up the win in style with a 138 checkout to claim his second title of the year.
EARLY ROUNDS
For a second successive day, World Champion John Part was among the first round casualties, alongside Denis Ovens, Kevin Painter and Mark Dudbridge.
Steve Smith's run to the last 16 secured him a place in the televised finals at Bolton in June, while David Platt overcame Peter Manley, Steve Hine and Colin Monk in his best display of the Regional Finals so far.
QUARTER-FINALS ROUND-UP
Jelle Klaasen won the all-Dutch first quarter-final with a 6-3 defeat of Michael van Gerwen. The duo shared the first four legs before Klaasen took the fifth with a 15-darter to secure the game's first break of throw.
Klaasen moved 4-2 up after beginning a second successive leg with a 180, and took a second break of throw in leg seven thanks to a 121 finish.
Van Gerwen landed double 16 in the next to stay in the game, but a miss at the same bed allowed Klaasen back in to seal the win.
Klaasen will play Phil Taylor in the semis, after the 13-time World Champion blitzed Vincent van der Voort 6-1.
Taylor
kicked off the match with a 180, taking
the opening leg in 15 darts and then
breaking the throw immediately with a
12-darter to double his lead.A 101 finish put him 3-0 up, and two missed doubles from van der Voort allowed Taylor back in for double top in the next for a 13-darter, with another 15-darter putting him with a leg of the win.
Van der Voort got off the mark by winning leg six against the throw, taking out double ten with Taylor sat on 57 after 12 darts.
But Taylor wasted no more time in taking the win with a 14-darter, finishing 70 in two darts to progress with an average of almost 108.
Colin Lloyd remains on course for a second successive Regional Final victory following his 6-3 defeat of Barrie Bates.
Lloyd, the winner in Taunton three weeks ago, took a 4-0 lead in superb style, including finishes of 102 and 108, before Bates fought back to 4-3.
But a 118 checkout settled Lloyd's nerves, and he sealed the win on double eight.
Wayne
Jones earned a date with Lloyd in the
last four following a 6-3 victory over
Holland's Jan van der Rassel.Jones took a 3-0 lead in the game, defying two maximums from the Dutchman in taking out finishes of 74 and 76 along the way.
A 121 finish put him 4-1 up after van der Rassel got off the mark, but the lead was soon whittled down to 4-3 as van der Rassel landed double eight and a 101 finish.
Van der Rassel missed three darts to level the game as Jones took out double 16 to move within a leg of victory, and a missed bullseye for a 121 finish in the next allowed the Wolverhampton man back in to seal with win - taking out 127 on the bull.
SEMI-FINALS ROUND-UP
Phil
Taylor continued his dominance over the
Dutch challenge in Brentwood with a 7-3
win over Jelle Klaasen in the first
semi-final.After averaging 107.8 in the quarters against Vincent van der Voort, Taylor hit a 107.7 average in seeing off his MasterDarts stablemate.
Taylor took a quick 3-0 lead, including a 142 finish for a break of throw in leg two that proved crucial as Klaasen mounted a fightback.
The young Dutchman held his throw to win three of the next five legs - in doing so becoming the first player to take more than one against Taylor during the event and hauling himself back into the game at 5-3.
But a 13-darter from Taylor saw him move to the brink of victory, and he kicked off a second successive leg with a 177 in the next before taking out 101 on double 16 for the win.
Colin
Lloyd produced a fine display to book
his place in the final with a 7-2 win
over Wayne Jones.Lloyd took the game's opening two legs before Jones hit back to level - only for the Essex thrower to delight his local crowd with five in a row to storm to victory.
Double top stopped Jones' fightback, while a maximum set up a 90 finish in the next as he moved 4-2 up.
Lloyd then landed back-to-back 14 darters to take a 6-2 lead, and sealed the win in 15 darts on double top.