PHIL TAYLOR won his second PDPA Players Championship title of 2005 with a dramatic, deciding leg victory over Colin Lloyd in Newport on Saturday, while Roland Scholten hit a nine-darter during the event.
Lloyd missed seven darts at doubles to win the contest after taking a 2-0 lead against Taylor - who started the match with an 11-dart leg and two maximum 180's before seeing his opponent storm clear.
Taylor also trailed 1-0 in the third set before levelling matters after Lloyd missed two darts at double 16 and then stepping in to keep the match alive when his opponent could not take out double 11.
Lloyd also had darts to win the game in the fourth set, missing double top and three further darts at double ten before Taylor squared the match.
Taylor took the opening leg of the final set before Lloyd levelled things at 1-1, but the 12-time World Champion raised his game in the decider to capture the £5,000 prize and a second successive Players Championship title.
"The Power" reached the final with a 3-1 defeat of Bob Anderson, coming from a set down to see off the former World Champion.
The other semi-final saw Scholten come from 2-0 down to take his clash with Lloyd to a deciding leg.
Lloyd won four successive legs - including checkouts of 132 and 116 - to storm into the lead before Scholten found his range on the trebles to pull back to 2-2 in sets and even go one leg up in the fifth before the world number one hit back for the win.
Dutch master Scholten had earlier secured a £2,400 bonus for hitting the first nine-dart leg of the 2005 PDPA Players Championship during a thrilling quarter-final against James Wade.
The youngster from Aldershot hit back from that to take the game into a decider, but Scholten snatched victory after Wade - one of Friday's Skybet World Grand Prix qualifiers - missed one dart at bull for the win.
Taylor was also forced to come from a set behind in his quarter-final against Kevin Painter before winning 3-1, with Anderson defeating Peter Manley by the same scoreline.
Lloyd's last eight contest also went to the wire, with the Essex star eventually defeating Andy Jenkins in a deciding leg.
PDPA Players Championship - Event Four, Newport Centre, Wales
Preliminary Round
Tony Smith 3-1 Ian Critchett
Colin Osborne 3-2 Ken Thomas
Tom Nagels 3-0 Daniel Guest
Steven Smith 3-1 John Lowe
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Kevin Spiolek
Josephus Schenk 3-2 Eddie Lovely
Gary Welding 3-0 Michael Kendrick
Tony Randall 3-0 Michael Barnard
Matt Chapman 3-1 Martin Burchell
Darren Williams 3-1 Peter Green
Dave Whitcombe 3-1 Ray Cornibert
Graham Begbie 3-1 John Scott
Thomas McIntosh bye (Nigel Russell)
Adrian Gray 3-0 Alan Reynolds
James Barton 3-1 Richie Burnett
Jimmy Mann 3-0 Shayne Burgess
Chris Hook 3-0 Mark Tiller
Mick McGowan 3-0 Mark Thomson
Gary Ewington 3-0 Daniel Sare
Darren Latham 3-0 Andy Hayfield
Peter Evison 3-2 Joeri Raets
Andy Nye 3-0 Marcus Knapman
Martin Whatmough 3-1 Andrew Davies
Paul Hollis 3-2 Steve Johnson
Peter Allen 3-2 Aaron Turner
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Dale Newton
Simon Whatley 3-2 Tony Hook
Graeme Stoddart 3-1 Reg Harding
First Round
Colin Lloyd 3-2 John Magowan
Rick Andrews 3-1 Darren Richardson
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Bob Avenell
Mark Salmon bye (Kerry Bannister)
Dave Jowett 3-0 Lionel Sams
Robbie Widdows 3-0 Tony Smith
Steve Beaton 3-1 Kevin Pearson
Colin Osborne 3-0 Anthony Hopkins
John Part 3-1 Norman Fletcher
Tom Nagels 3-2 Steve Hine
Darren Webster 3-0 Jim Leighton
Steven Smith 3-1 Gary Cartmel
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Barrie Bates
Lee Palfreyman 3-0 Darren Williams
Jason Roberts 3-0 Josephus Schenk
Gary Noonan 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Gary Welding 3-1 Ian Whillis
James Wade 3-2 Fraser Hill
Tony Randall 3-1 Darren Johnson
Alan Warriner 3-0 Yves Cottenge
Paul Heston 3-2 Matt Chapman
Alan Caves 3-0 Andrew Stephenson
Darren Williams 3-1 Kevin Dowling
Roland Scholten 3-0 Kevin Harris
Dave Honey 3-2 Dave Whitcombe
Mick Manning 3-0 Martyn Miles
Graham Begbie 3-1 Chris Gough
Dennis Priestley bye (Mark Landers)
Andy McGovern 3-1 Thomas McIntosh
Dean Williams 3-1 Alex Roy
Wayne Jones 3-1 Adrian Gray
Phil Taylor 3-0 Andy Smith
James Barton 3-2 Geoff Wylie
Steve Maish 3-1 Robert Heard
Jimmy Mann 3-1 Sean Palfrey
Dennis Smith 3-1 Jason Clark
Chris Hook 3-2 Gary Creamer
Dave Askew 3-0 Ian Eames
Mick McGowan 3-2 Lee White
Kevin Painter bye (Jonathan Archer)
Gary Ewington 3-2 Steve Coote
Andy Callaby 3-1 Erik Clarys
Darren Latham 3-0 Dwayne Kennedy
Denis Ovens 3-0 Jonathan Platt
Peter Evison 3-1 Rod Harrington
Chris Mason 3-2 Kelvin Painter
Cliff Lazarenko 3-2 Andy Nye
Peter Manley 3-0 Mark Lawrence
Martin Whatmough 3-1 Steve Evans
Jan Van Der Rassell 3-1 Matt Clark
Paul Hollis 3-2 Mark Pook
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Jimmy Dunlop
Peter Allen 3-0 Bryan Whybrow
Jamie Harvey 3-1 Mark Robinson
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Kieron Leal
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Vic Hubbard
Colin Monk 3-0 Simon Whatley
Keith Deller 3-0 Michael Doabe
Graeme Stoddart 3-2 Ken Dobson
Terry Jenkins 3-0 David Platt
Mark Holden 3-0 Ian Long
Bob Anderson 3-0 Kevin Edwards
Barry MacLean 3-0 Deta Hedman
Second Round
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Rick Andrews
Mark Salmon 3-2 Adrian Lewis
Robbie Widdows 3-0 Dave Jowett
Steve Beaton 3-2 Colin Osborne
John Part 3-0 Tom Nagels
Steven Smith 3-0 Darren Webster
Andy Jenkins 3-2 Andy Hamilton
Lee Palfreyman 3-0 Jason Roberts
Gary Noonan 3-0 Gary Welding
James Wade 3-1 Tony Randall
Alan Warriner 3-0 Paul Heston
Darren Williams 3-2 Alan Caves
Roland Scholten 3-0 Dave Honey
Graham Begbie 3-0 Mick Manning
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Andy McGovern
Wayne Jones 3-1 D Williams
Phil Taylor 3-0 James Barton
Steve Maish 3-2 Jimmy Mann
Dennis Smith 3-0 Chris Hook
Dave Askew 3-1 Mick McGowan
Kevin Painter 3-0 Gary Ewington
Andy Callaby 3-1 Darren Latham
Denis Ovens 3-0 Peter Evison
Chris Mason 3-0 Cliff Lazarenko
Peter Manley 3-0 Martin Whatmough
Jan Van Der Rassel 3-0 Paul Hollis
Peter Allen 3-1 Mark Dudbridge
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Jamie Harvey
Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Colin Monk
Graeme Stoddart 3-1 Keith Deller
Mark Holden 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Bob Anderson 3-1 Barry MacLean
Third Round
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Mark Salmon
Steve Beaton 3-2 Robbie Widdows
John Part 3-0 Steven Smith
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
James Wade 3-0 Gary Noonan
Alan Warriner 3-1 Darren Williams
Roland Scholten 3-0 Graham Begbie
Wayne Jones 3-2 Dennis Priestley
Phil Taylor 3-2 Steve Maish
Dennis Smith 3-1 Dave Askew
Kevin Painter 3-1 Andy Callaby
Chris Mason 3-1 Denis Ovens
Peter Manley 3-0 Jan Van Der Rassel
Peter Allen 3-1 Wayne Atwood
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Graeme Stoddart
Bob Anderson 3-1 Mark Holden
Fourth Round
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Steve Beaton
Andy Jenkins 3-1 John Part
James Wade 3-2 Alan Warriner
Roland Scholten 3-0 Wayne Jones
Phil Taylor 3-1 Dennis Smith
Kevin Painter 3-1 Chris Mason
Peter Manley 3-0 Peter Allen
Bob Anderson 3-1 Ronnie Baxter
Quarter-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Andy Jenkins
Roland Scholten 3-2 James Wade
Phil Taylor 3-1 Kevin Painter
Bob Anderson 3-1 Peter Manley
Semi-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Roland Scholten
Phil Taylor 3-1 Bob Anderson
Final
Phil Taylor 3-2 Colin Lloyd
Nine-Dart Prize (£2,400): Roland Scholten (v James Wade)