Taylor demolished Team Unicorn stablemate Colin Lloyd 8 legs to 1 to stay top of the 2007 Holsten Premier League table…..and it’s a result that leaves Lloyd rooted to the bottom, having lost six of his seven games. He now looks to be out-of-the running for a place in the semi-finals.
Lloyd missed four darts to win the first leg against the throw….and with it went his chance of beating Taylor for the first time on ‘live’ television.
Taylor said: “I really feel like I’m getting back to my best. Colin missed doubles and I feel for him because he is a great player but I am very pleased with the way I performed.”
From 2-1 up, Taylor reeled off six consecutive legs and he won it in style with a stunning 170 check-out, which guaranteed him a £1,000 bonus for the highest finish of the night.
Taylor averaged 101.26 and stretches his unbeaten record to an incredible 35 matches, since the Premier League started in 2005.
Apart from Taylor’s triumph, it was a disappointing Blackpool night for Team Unicorn. Both Adrian Lewis and Peter Manley were way off the pace slumping to heavy defeats, while Dennis Priestley produced the shock of the night – easily beating World Champion Raymond Van Barneveld.
It was a tale of tungsten trouble for Lewis, who was blown away 8-1 by the ever-improving Terry Jenkins. The Unicorn youngster looked shell-shocked at the end of another setback. It is four consecutive defeats for the 22-year-old.
Jenkins took out 116 to win the opening leg and averaged 105 for the first half of the match. Lewis had no answer. Jenkins is now 3rd in the league table – edging ahead of Barney.
Manley didn’t fare much better. He was taken apart by Roland Scholten, with the Dutchman breezing to victory by 8 legs to 2. Manley banged in four 180s but it still wasn’t enough. ‘One Dart’ came up with a 121 finish to take the second leg but Scholten averaged nearly ten points more and his finishing was superb.
Scholten checked out 138, 96 and 102 to punish Manley and move above the Unicorn star in the table.
In a bizarre game, Barneveld completely lost his range and flow against the precision of Priestley. The slow game threw Barneveld completely, with Priestley cementing 2nd place in the current standings after a shock 8-4 victory.
Results:
Adrian Lewis 1-8 Terry Jenkins
Week eight schedule in Glasgow:
Terry Jenkins v Dennis Priestley
BY STUART PYKE
