Brendan Dolan sets up PDC World Darts Championship quarter-final showdown with teenage sensation Luke Littler after Gary Anderson triumph

Having trailed 2-0, Scottish supremo Anderson came roaring back and won three sets in a row before Dolan regained control of the match to secure the last two, averaging 94.01 with five maximums as the Belcoo native reached the last-eight for only the second time in 16 attempts.

He will now meet 16-year-old Littler on the iconic Alexandra Palace stage after the sport’s brightest talent swept aside Raymond van Barneveld with an impressive 105.01 average in a routine 4-1 victory.

The winner of Monday’s encounter will face either Chris Dobey or Rob Cross in the semis before a likely showdown against either Michael van Gerwen or Luke Humphries could await in the final.

Saturday’s triumph over ‘The Flying Scotsman’ means Dolan has now defeated two ex-world champions in the space of 48 hours after success against Gerwyn Price in the last-32.

"I’m over the moon,” he said. “I hold Gary in such high esteem and when I walk in and know I’m playing Gary, even from the build-up I feel so anxious because it’s Gary Anderson and there aren’t many people I have to play that does that to me.

"I think so much of Gary, how brilliant he is, how natural he is and it’s great to get a win against him. I know it wasn’t Gary Anderson up there for stages of that match.

"It has been a very good couple of days I have to admit. To beat the two best performers on the PDC Tour this year is a massive achievement, but at the same there is so much more to be done.

"You can’t expect to walk in and breeze through the next game. I have to give my next opponent the utmost respect, go and perform at the best of my ability and hopefully come out a winner.”

Victory over Littler, who is deemed second favourite for the title with bookmakers, would move Dolan from 28th in the world up to 23rd and lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy could propel him into the top five – something which he is starting to believe could be possible.

"There’s certain things that have happened that make me think it’s meant to be,” he added. “I never expected Gary Anderson to miss doubles in the first couple of sets that basically handed them to me and I never expected him to be so off.

"I never expected myself to collapse when I had it in the bag, because I did! I knew then that I had to throw something because he was playing decently.

"I fought back even though I could have been mentally destroyed and I came good in the end.”

Dolan’s fellow countryman Daryl Gurney lost out at the last-16 stage in London following a 4-2 defeat against Dave Chisnall.