STUART Kellett defeated a Premier League star during his best performance at a Professional Darts Corporation major over the weekend.

The Northwich thrower reached the last 16 of the Coral UK Open, a feat he hadn’t managed on four previous appearances at the annual tournament.

He bowed out following a 9-5 defeat against amateur qualifier Barry Lynn on Saturday night.

However the 34-year-old had reason to leave Butlin’s Resort Minehead with his head held high after a memorable success against world number eight Michael Smith in the competition’s fourth round.

It is his first victory against the St Helens star since switching to the PDC.

And the Cheshire regular kept pace with Lynn, who had knocked out world champion Gary Anderson earlier on Saturday, in the opening exchanges of their head-to-head – landing double 16 to finish 110 and level at 5-5 after breaking the Braintree underdog’s throw.

He had also checked out 105 to win a close contest’s first leg.

However his opponent booked a quarter-finals place after winning four successive legs in the third session, securing victory with a brilliant 125 finish on the bullseye.

“I just couldn’t get going,” said Kellett afterwards.

 

 

He began his latest campaign with a slender win against Nathan Aspinall, runner-up in last year’s World Youth Championship final, on Friday.

Dutchman Joey ten Berge was then despatched in the third round.

Kellett, whose previous personal best was a run to the last 32 three years ago, banks £5,000 in prize money as a reward for his three victories in Somerset.

He reached the final of the now-defunct UK Masters, then a European Tour event, at the same venue in 2013.