Margate’s Kirk Shepherd will have to wait another year to fulfil his world championship dream after defeat in the third round of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday.

Shepherd, pictured, crashed out 4-1 to Welshman Mark Webster after winning just three legs in the whole match. In a double disappointment, Shepherd also lost his place in the world’s top 32.

The 2008 runner-up went into the match with high hopes having beaten his conqueror of two years ago, John Part, 4-1 in the previous round. However, the 24-year-old failed to reproduce that form and was outplayed throughout, losing the first three sets before giving himself a glimmer of hope after sealing the fourth 3-2 with a two-dart 52 finish.

That was as good as it got, though, as Webster sailed through the fifth set 3-0 to clinch a one-sided contest.