Double trouble costs Josh Rock as seventh seed Jonny Clayton knocks him out of PDC Darts World Championship

Josh ‘Rocky’ Rock’s fairytale run in the Cazoo World Darts Championship finally came to an end when the 21-year-old arrows sensation was knocked out by Jonny Clayton, going down 4-3 in a thriller.

he capacity crowd got right behind the unseeded Broughshane man, who danced onto the stage to DJ Krissy’s Welcome To The Party. This particular party has come to an end but there will be plenty more in the years ahead for the most exciting talent to hit darts in years.

The Co Antrim arrow artist was bidding to become the first Irishman to scale the sport’s summit by winning the PDC title.

Clayton – who accounted for Fermanagh’s Brendan Dolan on a 4-1 scoreline in the last round – had the darts in the first set but it was Rock who weighed in with the first maximum in just his second visit to the oche. Rock took out 58 to win the opening leg, finishing with double top.

He held his throw with another double top finish, the youngster turning the screw early. And the set was secured when, in the next leg, Rock again had double top but this time hit the single 20 and then 10 when going for double 10 before putting the set to bed with double five.

Rock – who had racked up three straight victories on his Ally Pally debut – held his throw to go 1-0 up in the second set and weighed in with a second maximum in the next leg before missing five darts at doubles. That opened the door to Clayton to finally win a leg and the Welshman checked out 25 with single nine, double eight.

Rock missed a string of doubles in the next leg before Clayton nicked it to edge 2-1 ahead in the set. The 48-year-old also won the next to make it 1-1 in sets.

Rock missed two darts at double top in the opening leg of the third set as Clayton hit back to hold his throw. Rock won the next as he tried to get back on track and put the previous 15 missed doubles behind him, but Clayton then took out 104 with a bullseye finish to go 2-1 up in sets.

Rock took the opener in the next and then broke the throw to make it 2-0 but back roared the man known as ‘The Ferret’ to win the next two. Rock, though, held his nerve to take out double five at the second attempt to edge the set 3-2 and make the score 2-2 overall.

Clayton had the darts in the fifth set and Rock missed double nine to let the World No.7 in to nick the leg. Rock bounced back straight away with a 76 finish of treble 20, double eight but Clayton again held his throw to make it 2-1.

Rock did likewise to make it 2-2 and then stepped up a gear to clinch the deciding leg and make it 3-2 in sets, just one from victory, and he took the opening leg of the sixth set to pile on the pressure.

The Ulsterman produced his seventh maximum to leave 84 in the next but couldn’t capitalise and Clayton took the leg, before breaking the throw to make it 2-1 before taking the set with double 16. This one was going the distance.

So into the deciding set, and Rock missed double top to break the throw, allowing Clayton off the hook to finish on double five, but Rock came up with an eighth maximum in the next, missing a double for an 11-darter and that allowed Clayton in again and he used all his experience to go 2-0 ahead.

Rock conjured his ninth maximum and had a shot at bullseye for the leg but was just off target allowing Clayton in to clinch victory.