‘I was gone’ – Luke Littler storms back from 5-0 down to stun Gerwyn Price

By Jim van Wijk, Press Association

Luke Littler produced a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down to beat Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider and win night seven of the Premier League in Dublin.

Littler had coasted past Stephen Bunting 6-3 in Thursday’s opening match at the 3Arena, hitting an average of 105, to record a first win in Dublin.

The world champion, though, then had to dig in to fight back and battle past Michael van Gerwen in a last-leg decider at the end of a high-quality contest which saw both players hit 170 finishes as the Dutchman squandered a couple of match darts.

In the final, it looked like Price was set for a second successive victory in Dublin after the Welshman roared into a 5-0 lead.

However, after Littler finally got a leg on the board, turning to gesture jokingly in celebration to the crowd, the momentum swung as Price crumbled.

Five match darts came and went as Littler continued to eat into the deficit before setting up a final-leg shootout, which the world champion clinched when taking out 81 on double 15.

“I have no idea how I have done that,” Littler said on Sky Sports.

“I was gone, but after getting my first leg, I had a bit of fun and waved him goodbye, because when Gerwyn Price is on double top, he doesn’t usually miss.”

Littler added: “I was so gone I may as well have been off the stage, but this is darts, things happen.”

Price had seen off Luke Humphries 6-1 in a one-sided semi-final, averaging 109 with five maximums, having earlier whitewashed Josh Rock.

Littler moves up to second in the table on 16 points, three behind Jonny Clayton, with Price sitting third.

World number two Humphries had inflicted a first quarter-final defeat on Clayton in this year’s tournament as he closed out a 6-3 win, making up for last week’s 6-1 final defeat by the gout-troubled Welshman in Nottingham.

Rock’s miserable debut campaign continued as the Northern Irishman was thrashed 6-0 by Price in the quarter-finals, leaving him still yet earn a point so far.

Van Gerwen received a bye to the semi-finals after fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen withdrew earlier on Thursday after being diagnosed with kidney stones, which saw him need hospital treatment.