O'Connor edges past Lauby in sudden death thriller at PDC World Darts Championship
PDCThursday, 16 December 2021 at 21:10
William O'Connor is through to a tie with Glen Durrant in the second round at the 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship after seeing off Danny Lauby in a sudden death epic.
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Lauby came from 2-0 down and was seemingly going out but produced some utter brilliance to send O'Connor all the way before 'The Magpie' just edged it with a 96 average and seven 180's in the first tie to go all the way this tournament.
It was a superb start for O'Connor who breezed through the opening set with a 3-1 opening salvo averaging 106.3 in the process.
This story continued in the second set as he romped into a 2-0 sets lead averaging 104 with three 180's and 46% on the doubles.
Lauby only had two legs and no sets to his name despite hitting a 97 average, three 180's but the story was on the doubles as he missed 2/8.
A 77 checkout continued O'Connor's dominance as he went 1-0 up. A 116 checkout saw Lauby level it up.
He followed that up with a clutch double 10 to break before sealing the set to keep himself in it.
O'Connor finally picked out double five for the lead and a break. He pinned an 84 checkout with Lauby pressuring with a 177 to leave double 12.
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The Irishman did that himself as he looked to seal it against the throw. He missed the 128 for the win but missed further match darts and Lauby hit 52 for a hold.
A 121 saw Lauby force a decider which he claimed on double 16 to send it the distance.
A 41 checkout saw O'Connor begin the decider but Lauby was straight back with a hold.
The latter missed the second double 19 for a break and O'Connor nestled the dart in the double four to go one away. Double 10 saw Lauby send it all the way.
O'Connor missed two darts for the match but Lauby missed one for the match off a 121 and 'The Magpie' saved his skin.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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