SIMON WHITLOCK put one foot into the McCoy^s Premier League Darts Play-Offs with a fine 8-4 win over Raymond van Barneveld at the BIC in Bournemouth, as the Australian moved onto 14 points in the league table.
Whitlock^s sixth victory of the Premier League season means that he sits four points clear of the Dutchman - who opened the night in fourth place - going into the final three weeks of the regular season.
His triumph also dents van Barneveld^s hopes of claiming a semi-final place, as the Dutchman failed to recapture the form which saw him win both UK Open Qualifiers held last weekend.
Although van Barneveld took the first leg - landing double 12 following a miss from Whitlock - it was the Australian who took the next five.
After hitting finishes of double ten and tops, Whitlock produced killer checkouts of 116 and 155 to lead 4-1 - with both coming as van Barneveld waited on a finish - before he punished a missed tops from the Dutch ace to land double four in winning a fifth leg.
Van Barneveld took out tops to hit back in leg seven, but missed two darts at double 18 in the next as Whitlock moved 6-2 up.
Van Barneveld hit 180s in the next two as he reduced the gap to 6-4, taking out 72 and then punishing misses from Whitlock in two visits to win the tenth on double two.
However, the Australian hit a 180 and an 82 finish to win his seventh leg of the game before sealing the victory with a 14-darter.
"The way Raymond has been playing, and with what he did at the weekend, I probably wasn^t expected to win that match but I pulled out a couple of nice finishes which turned the match in my favour," said Whitlock.
"The 155 was lovely, as was the 116, and they changed the match."
He added: "I^m not satisfied with being on 14 points, I want at least another two or four points to make sure I^m in the Play-Offs."
Van Barneveld - who wore a new shirt designed in the traditional colours of his home town, Den Haag - admitted: "I had a lot of chances and they didn^t go in, it wasn^t my night and Simon played well and hit some crucial finishes, the 155 and 116 in particular.
"I had a great weekend in Barnsley but it cost me a lot of energy and I was very tired and didn^t play my game. Simon let me in a couple of times but they didn^t go in.
"It^s not changed much in the league table. Even if I^d won tonight I had to win next week and the following week [to make the Play-Offs]."
Leg-By-Leg
1-0 - van Barneveld posts double 12 to take the first leg after Whitlock missed
one chance to break.
1-1 - Whitlock opens with a 180 and takes out double ten to finish a 14-darter.
1-2 - Whitlock misses tops for a 93 finish to break, but when van Barneveld
cannot take out double eight for a 96 checkout the Australian returns to post
tops with his third dart.
1-3 - Whitlock finishes 116 on tops to move two legs clear.
1-4 - The Australian produces a brilliant 155 checkout to break van Barneveld^s
throw for a second time in the game.
1-5 - Whitlock misses double 18 to take out 110 before van Barneveld is
off-target on tops for a 117 checkout, allowing the pony-tailed ace to return
and hit double four to move four legs clear at the break.
2-5 - van Barneveld hits back by posting double top at the first time of
asking.
2-6 - Whitlock misses two darts at double ten, but van Barneveld is off-target
with two darts at double 18 to allow him off the hook for a third time.
3-6 - van Barneveld finishes 72 on double 16 to win a third leg and keep his
hopes of victory alive.
4-6 - van Barneveld hits a 180 to leave 61, and returns following a missed
double 18 from Whitlock only to miss a dart at double four. Whitlock, though,
fails to hit the double at the second time of asking and double two keeps the
Dutchman in the hunt.
4-7 - Whitlock lands a 180 and takes out 82 to ensure at least a point.
4-8 - Whitlock opens with a 140 and hits a 136 to leave 40 before landing
double ten for a 14-darter to seal victory.
