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ST HELENS darter Michael Smith's hopes of winning the prestigious William Hill World Darts Championship were foiled by the Dutch master Michael van Gerwen, but he can hold his head high.

In his first ever World Final, Smith paid the price for missing key doubles against the world number one in the Alexandra Palace showpiece.

Although the former youth champion will be disappointed to have fallen short, he earned the respect of the crowd and a £200,000 runners up prize.

Smith showed his grit in the first set, after losing the first two legs he made van Gerwen work for it by taking the third and fourth legs to take it to a decider.

The Dutchman took that, but tenth seed Smith went into the first break heartened.

Alas, he missed a bull finish and two shots at double to let MVG take the first leg of the second set, with the world number one holding his throw to go two up.

Smith pegged one back, despite van Gerwen breathing down his neck, but missed a glorious chance to level after scoring well only to miss two cracks at double 12 to let the favourite take a two-set lead.

Again van Gerwen took a two leg lead in the third after Smith's scoring dropped off, before the St Helens man again found his touch against the throw in leg three but that dissipated in a disappointing fourth to go 3-0 down and a whitewash loomed.

Smith twice held throw to lead the set for the first time in set four, and was beginning to fine his maximums more regularly to mitigate his finishing but MVG took it to the fifth with a bullseye finish.

The Clock Face man had a glorious chance to pull a set back, but he allowed a shaky van Gerwen back in during the decider, and even though the Dutchman spurned that chance, three more misses at double 12 gifted the fourth set.

A sign of Smith's luck came when a leg down in the fifth set, he had two darts in treble 20 only to dislodge one of them with his third arrow,

Undeterred Smith took the second leg, but MVG held throw in the third. Despite missing the bull, Smith had another crack after a similar miss from the number one, allowing Bully Boy to level.

After a stutter from van Gerwen, a magnificent 124 finish from Smith stole the fifth leg and the set to cut the deficit to 4-1.

A 127 finish saw Smith take out the opening leg of set six, and then he made it back-to-back bull finishes to take a 2-0 lead to have the Dutchman rattled, coasting through the third to win the set, making it 4-2.

The Ally Pally crowd lapped it up, but a miss on double 13 allowed MVG to hold throw - but this was much better from Smith, who was at last bringing the game he had produced in the semi.

He held throw to level the seventh 1-1, but that seemed to bring the best again out of the Dutch master who made it 2-1 at a canter and then repelled the comeback to take a five sets to two lead.

Both players held throw at the start of set eight, before Smith checked out on 93 to nudge 2-1 ahead.

The two-time winner again helf to level the set and Smith was under the cosh in a crucial leg.

A miss on bull in a 170 finish, but then two misses, at double ten and then five, allowed the two-time champ to move one set from victory instead of it being 5-3.

Van Gerwen coasted through the opening leg of the ninth but missed tops to allow Smith to level.

Alas, it was not the same Smith, who was by now looking a beaten man, as van Gerwen took the next leg.

But Smith was not done yet and levelled again with a magnificent finish to put the pressure back on the favourite in the tense environment.

And he showed his tenacity to take the set with some brilliant finishing to delight the crowd, cutting the deficit to 6-3 and prolong the excitement.

Van Gerwen took the opening two legs, before Smith pulled one back - but it was delaying the inevitable as the Dutchman wrapped it up.