IT was a chance of a lifetime – and I blew it.

If only one dart could have gone exactly where I wanted it, I would have beaten a 15-time world champion and nobody would have heard the end of it.

Ok, I hear what you're saying, I didn’t exactly score all my points myself, but - as the saying goes - just look at the scoreboard.

The fact is, I ended up needing 32 to win and yes, Phil Taylor did admit he was worried for a split second.

I’m rubbish at darts, but the chance to take on The Power was simply too good to turn down.

I was never worried about it – until I realised that there were going to be 250 people watching, my name and a bit about me shouted out over the tannoy by the evening’s MC. All I needed was two models to take me to the oche and we’d be at Alexandra Palace.

Having spoken to Taylor beforehand, he assured me that if anyone is particularly bad – which I told him I was – he gives them a helping hand.

“My favourite game is to tell them they can remove one number from their score when I'm close to finishing,” he said.

“So if they’re on 274, they can take the seven out to leave them 24.

"It’s great fun, until a bloke from Solihull took the 4 out!”

I asked if the one could be removed from my score at the start. He told me to go away, or something like that.

I went first, so yes, I did lead him....briefly.

After a few throws, in which I hit one treble 20, and him plenty, I was on 315, and he was on not many.

So Taylor put two darts in the treble 20 at either side, and told me to hit right in the middle. I did just that, albeit three inches too high, but still got credited with 140.

Taylor threw again and was left with 24, me on 175.

He then put one of his darts in the five, and said: “No excuses, you're on a finish."”

Another two fives followed, so the generous Power swapped them for the treble 20, leaving me the bull to win.

My hand was shaking throughout, but even more so now. It may not have been a legitimate victory, but if I could just throw one dart in the middle of the board, I’d have won.

It was my big moment....but the dart went too high, too wide – infact, nowhere near and rested in the 18.

Taylor missed his next two darts at the double 12, and with me on 32 turned and admitted he’d better get this one or he’d be in trouble.

And promptly landed it right in the middle to win.

But I didn’t care. I’d just played the greatest-ever darts player – and been one dart away from victory. Sort of.