Darts results: Watch Michael Smith hit a nine-dart finish against Daryl Gurney in the Premier League

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Perfection for Bully Boy

Michael Smith hit the first televised nine-darter of his career and the ninth in Premier League history as he sent Dublin into hysteria during his 7-5 victory over Daryl Gurney.

Bully Boy's perfect leg sees him join Raymond van Barneveld (2), Phil Taylor (x3), Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis (x2) in an elite club of five players who have managed it in this tournament while it's the first since Jackpot hit the second of his in April 2017.

Smith achieved the feat after Gurney went 2-1 up with an impressive 11-darter and did so by following up his two maximums with a stunning 141 checkout.

It was an incredible highlight to an otherwise low quality match in which both players averaged in the 80s, with Smith's mark of 88.19 not much better than Gurney's 85.98.

The St Helens man only managed one other maximum as his opponent hit four in total while he pinned seven of his 19 attempts at doubles and Gurney missed seven of his 12.

There were also four 20-dart legs in the match, with Smith strangely contributing three of them, including two on the trot to finish the match having earlier looked in trouble at 5-4 down.

Afterwards the 2018 runner-up told Sky Sports: "I just wish I was at home watching it because I know Junior and Casper would be going crazy now with my wife.

"They should be in bed but they would have seen it. Hopefully she recorded it so I can see their reactions."

From the video Dagmara posted on Twitter, he knows his family very well indeed.

Smith, who is still seeing his first maiden major trophy despite reaching four TV finals since the 2018 Premier League (2018 World Series, 2019 Worlds, 2019 World Matchplay and 2020 Masters), also told www.pdc.tv: "It's a feeling you can't explain - it's amazing. I've never hit a nine-darter on TV before and this was special. I've never felt my heart beat so fast in my life!

"It's something on my list that I've ticked off now and I'm over the moon, but even more pleased to get the win too. I could have played better but I'm chuffed to get the win."

Should Smith hit another perfect leg during the season, he'll pick up a £50,000 bonus from sponsors Unibet.

Premier League Nine-Dart Finishes

• 2006 - Raymond van Barneveld v Peter Manley, Bournemouth
• 2010 - Raymond van Barneveld v Terry Jenkins, Aberdeen
• 2010 - Phil Taylor x2 v James Wade, Wembley (Final)
• 2012 - Phil Taylor v Kevin Painter, Aberdeen
• 2012 - Simon Whitlock v Andy Hamilton, London
• 2016 - Adrian Lewis v James Wade, Belfast
• 2017 - Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld, Liverpool

Click here to watch them all in our Premier League guide

Van Gerwen on top but Willie wins the walk-ons

Michael van Gerwen returned to the top of the Premier League table but his match will be more remembered for William O'Connor's walk-on in Dublin.

This week's Challenger was making his debut in the tournament after World Cup team-mate Steve Lennon had been selected to play on the 3Arena stage last year and the Irishman received a hero's reception.

In fact it'll be nigh on impossible for anyone this year to top O'Connor's entrance to 'Zombie' that had the entire capacity singing to the Cranberries' spine-tingling tune.

It brought back memories of John Henderson's incredible walk-on in Glasgow 12 months ago - although on that occasion the inspired home favourite went on to claim an unforgettable 6-6 with the world champion.

A beaming O'Connor would later say the night was the greatest night of his life regardless of the 7-4 scoreline although he did admit the atmosphere and pressure made it difficult to play to his best.

However, the 33-year-old, who won his maiden PDC title in 2019, still managed a respectable average of 95.31 compared to MVG's 97.62, hit one more 180 with three and only missed two of his six attempts at doubles as his opponent missed eight of his 16.

One of the defending champion's successful throws at the outer ring was the double 16 that finished off a superb 134 checkout in the fourth leg.

Van Gerwen said: "It was a phenomenal atmosphere tonight and I think for William it was like my first time playing in Rotterdam. I've had a lot of good games against him in the past and he played okay tonight. It was tough for me and I had to fight for this win so I'm happy.

"There's more in the tank but I feel good and it's nice to be back on top of the table."

O'Connor said: "I've a lot to learn from tonight and it will definitely hold me in good stead for the future.

"I've had a fantastic night. It's a pity the result went the way it did but I played the world number one in my home country. It was everything that I could have wished for."

Iceman freezes Snakebite

Gerwyn Price ended his run of three successive draws in style with a 7-1 thumping of Peter Wright - although the world champion made his life far too easy.

The clash was of stark contrast to the astronomical standard of their Players Championship final on Saturday, in which they both averaged 109 and Snakebite won it with a 170 checkout, but while the Iceman recorded a mark of just over 10 points less, his opponent was a further 15 back on 83.59!

Price, who won Sunday's Players Championship final against van Gerwen, hit the sole maximum of a disappointing rematch of their World Championship semi-final and although he missed nine of his doubles, he only allowed Wright two attempts at the outer ring.

It was a bizarrely poor display from the Masters champion considering how he's been statistically such a force with his new darts that he started using just before his Ally Pally fairytale.

Two-time Grand Slam of Darts king Price won't care as he chalks up his first win having picked up three points from his previous three games with Rob Cross, Michael Smith and Daryl Gurney.

"It's a very good win for me," said Price. "I've had three draws so it's nice to get the win and get my campaign underway, and I feel like I'm in the tournament now.

"I was a bit edgy and I wasn't at my best, but I'll take a 7-1 win over Peter any day of the week. Peter wasn't scoring well and he didn't perform tonight, but he will come back from this."

Aspinall dents Duzza dream

Nathan Aspinall came through a hard-fought clash to inflict Glen Durrant's first defeat of his maiden Premier League season.

A week after knocking Michael van Gerwen off top spot with a brilliant display, the debutant did the same to previously unbeaten Duzza via the same scoreline of 7-5.

The performances were far from similar, however, with both players struggling to reach their best throughout a tense affair that opened the night in Dublin.

Aspinall, who averaged over 100+ against MVG in Cardiff, was down in the low 80s when trailing 3-1 while Durrant was close to a ton having pinned three of his four attempts at doubles and nailing a sublime 144 checkout.

Momentum changed in the fifth leg when the three-time Lakeside champion, who is usually so clinical at the outer ring, missed spurned seven darts at doubles including three in the madhouse.

Aspinall punished him and eventually clawed his way back to 4-4 before unleashing a stunning 129 finish to edge ahead.

Durrant broke straight back but wired double 16 in the next leg and was made to pay as the Stockport ace got his nose in front again before serving out the match.

The UK Open champion, who will be defending that title next weekend, averaged 93.82 compared to Duzza's 92.81, threw the only two maximums of the match and converted seven of his 22 darts at doubles as his opponent missed 12 of his 17.

Aspinall said: "I'm a happy guy. The start wasn't good but Glen let me off with some missed doubles. The 129 was a massive shot and I knew it, and in patches I played well.

"I've never played well against Glen but I had a bit of luck tonight at crucial times and I got the job done. I'm in a good position at the moment and I want to build on this.

"The crowd were phenomenal tonight and it was an absolutely brilliant atmosphere."

'Tripe' leg key for Anderson

Gary Anderson picked up his second victory of the season after being taken to a deicing leg by a lacklustre Rob Cross.

The Flying Scotsman averaged over six points higher with a mark of 97.77 but Voltage managed to stay with him in the same way he did against Peter Wright a week earlier only to lose 7-5 once again.

Anderson later felt the decisive moment was a "tripe" ninth leg as the decisive moment, in which he pinned an 85 checkout to complete a 24-darter after Cross had spurned two attempts at a double.

That put him 5-4 up before a much better one in 14 guaranteed himself a point although Cross stayed alive with a superb 128 checkout on the bullseye for a 12-darter.

The two-time Premier League champion had the advantage of throw and his fourth 180 of the match - straight after Cross had fired in his third - set him on his way to a match-winning 14-darter although he was under pressure after his opponent waited on 68.

Anderson pinned seven of his 20 attempts at his double as the World Matchplay king spurned 11 of his 16 while he also made a pair of 100+ checkouts from 109 and 106 to level the match at 3-3 and 4-4 respectively.

Anderson said: "Some of it was pretty and some of it was awful, but it's nice to scrape a win there. I'm still making mistakes but there's times that the throw is working and it will come good.

"It's going well on the practice board and I want to take it up on stage. My darts are getting a bit better week by week - tonight wasn't quite as good but that was down to the person throwing them!"

Night four results, next week's fixtures and table

Night 4, February 27
Motorpoint Arena, Dublin
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)

• Glen Durrant 5-7 Nathan Aspinall
• Rob Cross 5-7 Gary Anderson
• Daryl Gurney 5-7 Michael Smith
• William O'Connor 4-7 Michael van Gerwen
• Gerwyn Price 7-1 Peter Wright

Night 5, March 5
Westpoint Arena, Exeter
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)

• Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
• Gerwyn Price v Glen Durrant
• Nathan Aspinall v Peter Wright
• Gary Anderson v Luke Humphries
• Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen

Click here for full Premier League Darts season guide including fixtures & dates

2020 Premier League Darts Table

1. Van Gerwen P 4 W 3 D 0 L 1 LegD +9 Pts 6
2. Aspinall P 4 W 3 D 0 L 1 LegD +6 Pts 6
3. Price P 4 W 1 D 3 L 0 LegD +6 Pts 5
4. Durrant P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 LegD +5 Pts 5
5. Smith P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 LegD +4 Pts 5
6. Anderson P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 LegD +1 Pts 5
7. Cross P 4 W 1 D 1 L 2 LegD -2 Pts 3
8. Wright P 4 W 1 D 1 L 2 LegD -6 Pts 3
9. Gurney P 4 W 0 D 1 L 3 LegD -10 Pts 1

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