Phil Taylor: Stayed unbeaten after 8-2 thrashing of James Wade in Dublin
Phil Taylor delighted the biggest crowd in the history of the McCoy's Premier League by claiming a crushing 8-2 win over James Wade in Dublin.
Around 9,000 fans packed the O2 in the Irish capital to see 'The Power' put on another inspired display to maintain his unbeaten record and go five points clear at the top of the table.
The 15-time world champion posted a three-dart average of 107.24 in the process of seeing off Wade, who could not take the fleeting chances he was given to get into the match.
"It was a tough game, I thought James stuck in well," Taylor told Sky Sports after his victory.
Week Seven results:
A Hamilton 7-7 S Whitlock
A Lewis 8-3 K Painter
R van Barneveld 8-5 G Anderson
P Taylor 8-2 J Wade
"He missed a crucial double to make it 4-2 and that was the turning point I think. When I went 5-1 up he was under pressure then and all I had to do was just keep on my guard."
Taylor nailed a 102 finish in third leg and then broke for the first time in the next leg to move 4-1 up.
Blow
The dagger blow came when Wade missed four darts at a double in the sixth leg and Taylor pounced to take out double 10 and open up a 5-1 lead.
Taylor's scoring slackened off slightly towards the end of the match but he was never threatened and secured the win in style with a 110 finish.
In other action, reigning world champion Adrian Lewis finally claimed his first Premier League win of the season and also moved off the foot of the table as he secured an 8-3 victory over Kevin Painter.
Lewis, who began his campaign with a hat-trick of draws before suffering three straight defeats, made his opponent pay for missed double in what was ultimately a comfortable win.
The first six legs of the contest were shared before Lewis moved clear, stepping in to hit double top in the eighth leg after Painter had missed a total of six darts at a double.
He eventually won the last five legs, completing the long overdue success by taking out double 10.
Resurgence
Raymond van Barneveld continued his resurgence of form as he saw off defending champion Gary Anderson 8-5 in a classic encounter to move up to second in the standings.
The five-time world champion posted a three-dart average of 107.22, while his opponent was not far behind on 105.39 but missed three key darts that would have levelled the match at 6-6.
The Dutchman signalled his intentions by taking out 109 in the opening leg, with a checkout of 94 following in the third.
He opened up some daylight by taking out 120 to make it 5-2 before having to fend off a mini-comeback from the Scot to round out the win.
Simon Whitlock shared the spoils with Andy Hamilton as the two played out an entertaining 7-7 draw in the opening match of the night.
The clash featured only two break of throw, which came straight after each other in the eighth and ninth legs, with neither player able to exert any period of dominance.
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