Luke Littler dumped out of Players Championship by darts star who had two-year ban from sport overturned

LUKE LITTLER has been KO’d by an English opponent who only played after having a two-year ban slashed to a single month.

Dom Taylor stunned the world champ 6-5 in the second round of the Players Championship 6.

Luke Littler was beaten in a final-leg thrillerGetty

Dom Taylor produced one of his best wins ever

Taylor, 26, returned to action at the end of January after serving a suspension for failing a drug test.

He had to pull out of the Players Championship Finals last November following a positive test for a banned substance.

Taylor admitted to breaking anti-doping rules and banned for 24 months.

But that was cut to three months for two reasons.

He proved the substance was not performance enhancing AND was taken outside of competition.

The suspension was then reduced further to just one month when Taylor agreed to do a three-month course in Substance of Abuse treatment.

Now his comeback has taken a huge leap forward – by beating 18-year-old Littler.

And he did it in style.

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Both players averaged over 104, amassing a dozen 180s between them.

And it was Taylor who triumphed in a final-leg thriller.

The Bristol star checked out on 25 for a 15-darter – a high-pressure finish as Littler was waiting to return with a target of 50.

It came after the Nuke pipped Alan Soutar 6-5 in the opening round – despite the Scot bagging a NINE-DARTER.

Ironically, Taylor followed up his victory over Littler by exiting 6-4 to Jermaine Wattimena – a Dutchman who has a woeful record against the Warrington whizkid.