ONCE again the Lancashire Rose bloomed as Lisa Ashton chalked up a brilliant double, becoming the first woman to retain the BDO World Trophy.

The Bolton star has reached the final in each of the first three years of the competition and although she ended the inaugural final as runner-up in 2014 she has gone on to scoop the 2015 and 2016 titles.

This year's event, held at the sport's most iconic venue, Lakeside, saw Ashton live up to her top-seed billing as she retained her crown with victory over Deta Hedman.

The two had been in impressive form in the run-up to the final as Ashton beat Casey Gallagher 4-1 in the last-16 clash, Corrinne Hammond 5-1 in the quarter-final and Anastasia Dobromyslova 6-2 in the semis.

Hedman's results were even more emphatic as she did not drop a set in seeing off Denmark's Ann Louise Peters 4-0 and then beat Trina Gulliver 5-1 and Rhian Griffiths 6-1.

And although the early stages of the final were nip-and-tuck the Johnson Fold star came through with a 7-4 victory.

"It's lovely to be able to retain the trophy," said the two-time Trophy winner, who also has the 2014 and 2015 World Championship titles to her name.

"Deta had been playing really well, we go back a few years so we know each other's games, I know her well and she knows me.

"We've come up against each other a lot and it was close, I think we were level pegging before I got the important break towards the end.

"Once I got my nose in front I knew I wasn't going to let it slip."

Just as satisfying will have been the semi-final victory that secured her spot in the final as she knocked out Dobromyslova, the player to beat her in the first final in Blackpool two years ago.

"I had been feeling good about my form in general lately," she said. "I've been playing confidently, I was happy with that and quite comfortable in the six or so games leading up to the final.

"To retain it this year was brilliant, if only to show it wasn't a one-off last time. I had friends down for the weekend so it was good to celebrate with them, and then with my family when I got home."

Daughter Danielle, who won the Girls World Masters title last October, could not quite match Lisa's achievement in Frimley Green, going out in an exciting quarter-final 4-3 to Maria O'Brien.

And the Ashtons will be back at the practice board in preparation for the forthcoming England National Championships, which Lisa has won twice, and the England Open, a title she has yet to capture.