Steve Beaton has defeated Fallon Sherrock in the PDC World Championship first round, running out a 3-2 victor on Sunday night.
While Sherrock stormed into a 2-0 lead in the opening set, the jeers for Beaton appeared to motivate him, the veteran responding with 99 and 126 checkouts to move in front.
The pair continued to perform to an impressively high standard in the second, and after Beaton missed the bull in a deciding leg, Sherrock took out 40.
Ahead of the start of set three, Beaton was averaging 104.8 with Sherrock on 98.39, but both players dropped off considerably with Beaton winning the third without reply.
Sherrock improved to take the fourth in the same fashion, giving her the momentum heading into the decider, but Beaton always held the edge in a scrappy fifth session, taking it 3-1.
The 1996 Lakeside champion will take on Kim Huybrechts in the last 64, while Sherrock will turn her attention to Q-School next month as he bids to win a PDC Tour Card.
Darren Plant
