COLIN LLOYD stormed back to form to win the Blue Square UK Open South-West Regional Final with an 8-6 defeat of Andy Hamilton.

Lloyd produced some superb darts on the way to his first tournament win since November 2006 to claim the £6,000 first prize at the Wellsprings Leisure Centre in Taunton.

He dropped just one leg in early wins over Andy Howarth and Stephen Hardy before seeing off world number three James Wade 5-2.

Lloyd then defeated Mervyn King 5-2 in the last 16, Kevin McDine 6-3 in the quarter-finals and Wayne Atwood 7-6 to end a run of ten months without a final appearance.

He stormed into a 5-1 lead in the final before Hamilton hit back, but a 121 finish saw Lloyd regain a cushion at 6-3.

Hamilton edged three of the next four legs to stay in the contest at 7-6, with Lloyd missing two match darts at double 18 in the 13th.

But Lloyd claimed the match in style with a 132 finish of 25, treble 19 and the bullseye to pocket the winner's cheque.

Hamilton was a comfortable 7-1 winner against Stoke rival Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals, after being pushed all the way by Mark Walsh in a high-quality quarter-final which featured nine maximums in 11 legs.

Hamilton also overcame Terry Jenkins and Ronnie Baxter on his way to the final.

Kevin McDine followed up his run to the final of the Irish Regional Final in October by reaching the quarter-finals, dropping only two legs in his first three matches and seeing off Alan Tabern in the last 16.

World Champion John Part included Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts rival Peter Manley and Kevin Painter among his scalps as he reached the last eight, only to go down 6-2 to Lewis.

Atwood's run to the semi-final was his first since last July's Bobby Bourn Players Championship, taking advantage of eight missed match darts from Tony Eccles in the last 16 before defeating Roland Scholten 6-3 in the quarters.

Streamed Stages Round-Up
Quarter-Final
Wayne Atwood defeated Roland Scholten 6-3 in the first quarter-final.

The Welshman took an early 3-1 lead before being pegged back, but landed a crucial 180 in leg seven before taking out 126 on the bullseye with Scholten sat on 57.

He then punished four missed doubles from the Dutchman to go 5-3 up thanks to a 115 finish, and sealed the win on double 16 in the next.

Atwood will face Colin Lloyd in the last four, following the Essex thrower's 6-3 defeat of Kevin McDine.

Lloyd kicked off with a 121 finish to break the throw in the opening leg, and was 3-0 up before McDine stepped in to take the next two with his opponent sat on a finish.

Lloyd kicked off leg six with scores of 180 and 171 to set up a potential nine-darter, and although that bid failed on his 150 finish, he took out 52 for an 11-darter and a 4-2 lead.

A 76 finish pushed him one leg away from the win, and though that was matched in the next by McDine, Lloyd was able to step in to take leg nine on double ten for victory.

Adrian Lewis defeated World Champion John Part 6-2 in the third quarter-final, pulling clear from two-all with four successive legs, including a 104 finish, to book his semi-final place.

He faces Stoke rival Andy Hamilton in other final, after the Grand Slam of Darts runner-up showed some fine form to edge out Mark Walsh 6-5.

All 11 legs went with the throw in a tight contest, which saw nine maximums shared 5-4 in Walsh's favour and Hamilton land an 11-darter along the way.

Walsh opened the deciding leg with a 180 against the throw, but Hamilton replied in kind and took the win on double four.

Semi-Finals
Colin Lloyd sneaked past Wayne Atwood 7-6 to reach his first final since last April in the first semi-final.

He included a 112 finish in taking leads of 3-1 and 5-3, only for Atwood two hit back and level matters, the Welshman taking out 140 for the tenth leg.

Lloyd took out double 18 to lead 6-5, but Atwood battled to take the game into a decider on double 16.

However, an early bounce out in the final leg saw Atwood lose momentum and gave Lloyd the breathing space to miss four match darts before booking his place in the final.

Andy Hamilton made light work of Adrian Lewis to join Lloyd in the decider, taking a 7-1 win against his Stoke rival.

Hamilton opened with a 139 finish and also took out 150 on his way to a 5-0 lead, before Lewis finally got off the mark in the sixth leg.

Double 16 put Hamilton a leg away from the win, and he hit a second 180 of the match in the next before sealing victory on double four.

Blue Square UK Open South-West Regional Final