DETA Hedman is keeping her fingers crossed this is the year she ends her quest for a first BDO World Championship title.

The Oxfordshire county player begins her campaign at the Lakeside against Casey Gallagher today (3pm), having made the final three times in the last five years.

Hedman, 57, lost in the deciding set on each occasion, including last year’s defeat to Trina Gulliver, who for years played for the Shears pub in Wantage.

The world No 2 has her eyes on the prize once again, but her only focus, for the time being, is on her first round match.

“Last year, I just don’t know how I lost that one,” she said.

“The concentration just went and it can happen to anyone at any time.

“It is just how it is, but I am back again and hopefully, fingers crossed, I can get through each opponent.

“You never know, it is all on the day, and they want to beat me as much as I want to beat them. I am looking forward to it.”

Gallagher is a familiar face for Hedman as they were Oxfordshire teammates until last year.

She added: “We took her under our wing and now I have drawn her at the Lakeside. It is what it is.”

Hedman, from Witham, Essex, has to fit in her world championship preparations around 14-hour shifts at the Royal Mail in Chelmsford.

But ensuring she has at least half-an-hour of practice during her lunch break has proved problematic of late.

She said: “Everyone practises then.

“Normally they are pretty good (at letting me play), but recently I have had two annoying blokes. I had a word with them.”

Hedman will combine her playing duties with a spot of punditry for Channel 4.

While she is looking forward to her first taste of TV analysis, maintaining the form which saw her win 16 ranking titles last year is the number one priority when she steps on to the oche today.

Hedman said: “I have been playing consistently, not mind-blowing, but I do enough and while you are doing that and winning, you can’t argue with that.

“I will take that into the Lakeside and see what happens.”