This lad was a joy to watch.
From the moment Lourence Ilagan stepped on the Ally Pally stage on Monday night, we knew we were in for an experience.
With a pep in his step, a cock in his walk and more finger-points in his short walk up to the oche than you’d get in Coppers Face Jacks of a Saturday night, it was clear that he thought he was the real deal.
And though he took a while to get going, it soon turned out that it wasn’t just all in his head.
The pre-match theatrics were no false show of confidence, this was the Filipino’s way of doing things and every time he toed the line in Ally Pally, he’d follow through on his throw like he was throwing himself at the dartboard after his tungsten arrow.
Then if he’d landed a good one, he’d roar like Ronaldo does after a goal and he’d give the crowd the celebration they wanted too. Then by the time the first set was over, he had the Ally Pally crowd roaring for him too.
The Thriller from Manila had everybody gripped.
He was up against the big, burly dutch man Vincent van der Voort, who in many ways is the direct antithesis of the Filipino’s flairy style. Business-like and efficient, there were less smiles and less shapes.
In the first, there was more business though with the Dutch man taking it in three legs.
The Filipino came back, and he came back roaring too. He took out a satisfying 120 and with the shapes coming out of his ears by this stage, he soon took the set.
Watch his highlights here.
WHAT A FINISH!
Ilagen takes out a 120 finish to move ahead in the second set!#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/GMGQVy3md2
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2018
THAT'S THE SET!
Lourence Ilagen clinches the second set and is lighting up the stage here at Alexandra Palace. It's 1-1!#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/1AfhnIPa4Y
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2018
We had a game now but everyone was up for the one man and though Van der Voort took the third, Ilagan came bouncing back in the fourth and it looked like he was about to force a fifth.
At one stage, he even turned to the crowd before taking a shot at a double and though it didn’t work out for him in the end with the Dutch man winning out 3-1, he definitely gave it his all and he brought all of us on a journey too.
VVV INTO ROUND TWO | van der Voort knocks out Ilagan 3-1 in a brilliant first match up tonight #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/WEOJbiAGni
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2018
Fair play to the 40-year-old. Yeah, we didn’t think he looked 40 either!
