Thursday 29 December 2011

COLIN LLOYD 4-1 SCOTT RAND

COLIN LLOYD defeated Scott Rand with an excellent 4-1 win in the second round of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.

The match turned in Lloyd's favour when he hit a superb 167 checkout in the deciding leg of the fourth set, as he denied emerging star Rand the chance to level at two sets all.

Lloyd kicked on from a 3-1 lead to take victory, a decade after he reached the semi-finals in his previous best performance in the World Championship.

Colchester's Lloyd started confidently, hitting a 180 with his first three darts before going on to win the opening leg with a 76 finish to break throw.

Rand, who was hugely impressive in his victory against Andy Smith in the first round, broke back immediately, hitting a 180 of his own in a 14-darter before Lloyd regained the lead by hitting double top with his third dart.

The fourth leg saw Lloyd off-target with four attempts to win the set, but Rand failed to capitalise as he missed four darts at double top to allow him back in on double nine.

Lloyd then took the opening leg of the second set on double top and finished 90 on the bullseye, to win his fourth successive leg before Rand hit double eight to win the next.

Rand hit double 16 to win the fourth leg and then landed double ten with a pressure third dart to level the match, after Lloyd missed a dart at double 14.

The third set began well for Lloyd as he hit double ten to take the first leg, and a 14-dart finish gave him the second.

Rand, who will give up his day job as a lorry driver to become a full-time professional following the World Championship, hit a superb 140 checkout to win the third leg, but a missed dart at double top was costly for the Coventry man, as Lloyd hit double 16 to take the set 3-1.

Rand broke throw at the beginning of set four by hitting double top, but Lloyd claimed the second by landing the same double.

Both players held throw in the next two legs before Lloyd produced a fantastic 167 checkout in the deciding leg to move 3-1 ahead, with Rand waiting on double four to tie the game.

The opening two legs of the fifth set were held with throw before Rand hit back-to-back maximums to leave the opportunity of a nine-dart finish in the third.

The attempt at seventh treble 20 missed its intended target, but the leg was won in 13 darts, as he landed double eight to lead again.

Lloyd took out 64 to win the fourth leg to move a just one away from victory, after Rand was off-target with a dart at bullseye to win the set.

The deciding leg saw Rand miss another dart at the bullseye, and the former world number one hit double five with his third dart to seal victory.

"I'm over the moon with that," said Lloyd. "I'm playing pretty well and although it's not fantastic I'm getting the job done and I can build on this.

"Scott gave me a few chances, but the 167 was a massive shot to move 3-1 up instead of him getting back to two-all, and I know it hurt him.

"I'm enjoying myself and trying to have fun on stage as well but there's also the serious prize at the end of this tournament, and to become Ladbrokes World Darts Champion is what I'm aiming for."

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