GARY Anderson joined fellow Somerset player Ryan Searle in the last 16 of the PDC World Darts Championship, but he was far from a happy man after his third round win over Mensur Suljovic on Monday night... suggesting that fans should have watched Coronation Street rather than his 4-3 victory over the Austrian.

Wellington-born Searle had secured his progress on Sunday, beating Kim Huybrechts 4-2 at Alexandra Palace.

Having been pegged back at 1-1, Searle seized control to move 3-1 ahead after Huybrechts missed eight shots at double in the fourth set.

The Belgian player narrowed the gap to 3-2, and had his chances to force a decider, but he missed two shots at tops, and Searle took advantage to seal the win.

Burnham-on-Sea star Anderson was in action 24 hours later, and his match with Suljovic certainly did not lack drama.

The opening set was settled in a deciding leg, with Anderson taking out 73 on the bullseye after the Austrian had squandered four at double to clinch it.

It was the Somerset player who rued missed opportunities in the second set, having been 2-0 up and letting eight set darts go, allowing Suljovic to level.

Anderson was clearly becoming frustrated as his opponent slowed the pace of the play, but still he moved 2-1 ahead, only for the Austrian to win six legs on the spin and lead 3-2.

Anything Suljovic could do, Anderson could do better, however, as checkouts of 106 and 156 either side of an 11-darter made it 3-3 and set up a deciding set.

Two breaks in that seventh set handed Anderson six consecutive legs, and a 4-3 victory, but he was clearly not pleased when speaking to the Sky Sports cameras.

The 50-year-old said: "Absolutely dire, absolute joke of a game.

"Everyone says 'why do you get cheesed off with darts?' That's one of the reasons

"Did you watch the last set? Or the third set? Was he slow then? No. I just want to play darts.

"I'm sure there are 90 per cent of folk watching at home, they probably turned over and watched Corrie or something - I would have done.

"I just want to throw darts and if you get spanked, the boy's been better than you and beaten you.

"But that's a load of tripe.

"I nicked it at the end, I don't know how, but if that's darts I'm offski.

"If that's how darts is going and that's how it gets played now, have fun. I'm off.

"I'm away for a game of golf or something. I'm not going through that again."

Anderson, who was world champion in 2015 and 2016, will face Jason Lowe or Devon Petersen (who play each other on Tuesday afternoon) on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Defending champion Peter Wright will not be lifting the title this year, as he was shocked by Germany's Gabriel Clemens on Sunday.