Ramsgate's Kirk Shepherd, who caused a sensation by finishing the runner-up in last year's Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship despite being a 500-1 outsider, was unable to repeat the fairytale in this year's event.

The 22-year-old sheet metal worker was beaten 3-2 by Dutchman van der Rassel in his first round match at Alexandra Palace.

Shepherd, who won £50,000 for last year's effort, was always playing catch-up against a consistent van der Rassel, who looked home and dry at 2-1 up in the deciding set.

However, van der Rassel could not hold his nerve and his three missed doubles saw Shepherd level at 2-2.

But it proved only a temporary reprieve as van der Rassel won the next two legs to seal Shepherd's fate.