Painter today heads home to Daventry after Taylor inflicted a 13-3 defeat in their second round shoot-out at the Winter Gardens last night.
Taylor had won both their previous two clashes at the venue, but Painter's form in his first-round demoli
tion of Wes Newton gave him the belief he could dump out 'The Power.'
Painter recorded a three-dart average of 101.02 in the 10-3 win and afterwards said his form was as good as it was when he took Taylor all the way to a deciding leg in the 2004 PDC Ladbrokes.com World Championship final.
There wasn't much between them in the opening five legs last night.
Painter won the opening leg and kept the pressure on Taylor in the next two, but 'The Power' held his nerve to take out 70 and 67 with the Northants thrower waiting on 40 if he was off target.
The fourth leg also went to Taylor after they had swapped 180s and the 14 times world champion struck another blow in the next.
Painter had the throw, started the leg with 180 and 140, but was still beaten and Taylor pulled away to open up a 10-1 lead.
Painter won the next two legs and would surely have claimed the 14th leg had Taylor not taken out 124 with him waiting on 43 after back-to-back 180s. And that was the end for Painter.
