Glen Durrant keen to kick on after close shave at Lakeside

Glen Durrant survived an almighty scare to reach the BDO World Championship quarter-finals at the Lakeside.

Coming into the game off the back of a 3-0 win over Mark McGrath, Durrant was the clear favourite to beat Scott Baker. And the defending champion wasted no time in going 3-0 up. But his unseeded opponent came back from the brink to make it 3-3. With the crowd sensing an all-time Lakeside great giant-killing, Duzza regained his composure to seal a 4-3 success.
"I was thinking, a nice 3-0 victory in the first round. And I was looking for a 4-0 victory when I was 3-0 up," Durrant told the BDO in a post-match interview.
But I was a beaten man at 3-3."

Vocal support

Baker roared back into the game with vocal support from his fans. Durrant, whose average dipped from near 100 to a final three-dart score of 95.92, admitted that he was affected by the situation.
"He's such a rhythm player, and things were affecting me that I need to address quickly. That was my fault - nothing to do with Scott Baker's fans, they were terrific.
Sometimes with your second or third dart, they're shouting 'miss'. I should be more focused, I shouldn't be hearing those words."
The Mod completed his comeback with a stunning 140 checkout. At that point, not only his own support but the whole Lakeside crowd was sensing a shock. But Durrant held his nerve, and broke the Baker throw twice to win against the run of play.
"Sometimes the better player loses. When he hit that 140, I had that sinking feeling," the Middlesbrough ace admitted.
When you're stood behind him, it's 100s and 140s in two seconds. And I'm such a methodical player. Give me a slow player any day."

History beckons

Durrant now moves on to a quarter-final against another unseeded player in Kyle McKinstry. He is now three wins from a third world title in a row, a feat only Eric Bristow and Phil Taylor can match. Having won his past 11 Lakeside games in a row, Durrant was able to lean on plenty of big stage experience. But he added that it wasn't the only thing that helped him over the line.
"There's just something, that little bit of experience, that came out. I've been there before," the 48-year-old explained.
"And I think Lady Luck was on my side!"
Click here for more information about the 2019 BDO Lakeside World Championship. Click here for the Friday schedule.