JOHN BURTON'S dream of lifting the Embassy World Darts Championship is over.

The 38-year-old Chepstow factory worker, who came through Gwent County and international qualifiers to reach the Lakeside venue for the first time, went out 3-0 to former double world champion Raymond Barnaveld, of Holland, last night.

Burton produced an excellent 13-dart opening leg and looked good to give 'Barney' a big run for his money. However, the Gwent ace was unable to capitalise on errors by Barnaveld to nail his doubles.

That inability from the Chepstow man to checkout was the turning point of the match as the Dutchman went on to win the first set from there.

Burton, though, took the first leg of the second set off Barneveld with an excellent 116 checkout, but the Dutchman, backed by his orange army of fans in the auditorium, went up a gear.

He won the next three legs, including a 13-darter of his own, to win the second set and then shot the first leg of the third set, again with just 13 arrows.

Battling Burton managed to level with the next leg, but that was as far as he got as Barnaveld ripped through the set, finishing with a brilliant 12-darter.

The Dutchman said afterwards: "John took the first leg with 13 darts, but the important leg of that set was the second. We both missed doubles, but then I hit it and went on to take the first set 3-1."

It leaves Aberdare's Richie Davies as the last Welshman left in the competition after he put out another former world champion, John 'Boy' Walton.

That victory, by 3-0, was revenge for Davies, who lost to Walton in the first round by three sets to one in the Englishman's 2001 title-winning year.

Ironically, Davies will now be looking for similar revenge over reigning champion Tony David, of Australia, who also beat the Glamorgan man in the first round of his march to the title 12 months ago by 3-1.

And Davies is confident he can account for this world king as well in their quarter-final clash.

He said after beating Walton: "Because I played Tony in the first round last year, I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm capable of beating him and I think Tony knows that because he had a hard game last year."