JONNY CLAYTON produced the best darts performance of his life to win the Premier League in Glasgow, beating Jan van Veen, misfire Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price.
The 2021 champion enjoyed a return to the top table, fending off three of the sport’s most in-form players on an unforgettable night for the Welshman.
Ending a losing streak against Price, Creighton defeated an in-form Littler 6-1 and then beat Van Veen 6-2 to cap off a stellar night in Glasgow, clinching victory with a stunning 156 checkout.
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Clayton reflected on winning night three in Glasgow with Emma Payton and Wayne Mardle.
“I felt good tonight. I honestly didn’t expect a 6-1 result against Luke, but I felt good and my darts were progressing. Good finishing boosts your confidence and tonight was my night,” said Clayton, who leads the Premier League with nine points.
“I’m enjoying myself. When you’re enjoying what you’re doing, something seems to happen. I’ve had a little bit of experience in this tournament and it’s my favorite and I know what I have to do to get to final night.”
“I don’t like being the oldest guy in a practice room miles away! It’s nice to see all the different faces of the young guns. That’s the future of our game. I’m having fun and I have to focus on myself and not them.
“I’m just having fun, I’m really having fun. A stadium like this, the crowd is great, it’s the place you want to be.”
Did Littler catch a cold in the semifinals?
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Highlights of the Littler vs. Creighton semifinal in Glasgow
Wales No. 1 Creighton defeated world No. 1 Littler 6-1, averaging 101.33 points and hitting 6/9 doubles to advance to the final.
“The Ferret” was deadly in the outer ring, beating 6/8 in doubles and finishing with 110 and 106. The Warrington prodigy appeared to have caught a cold after receiving a walkover after Michael van Gerwen withdrew through illness.
Former Premier League winner Glen Durant told Sky Sports: “If you ask me who the two semi-final winners are, I’d say Littler. This sixth win is what makes the Premier League so great.”
“Littler looked stunned at the end. Double 16 was a dream for Creighton.”
“The Premier League is not at the level we expect from Luke Littler. We are waiting for him to boom,” added Laura Turner.
Littler caught a cold from a bright red Clayton in Scotland.
This is Littler’s second successive semi-final defeat in this year’s Premier League, meaning the back-to-back world champions are yet to qualify for the 2026 final.
Van Veen fought back from a 3-1 deficit to survive two match darts against Luke Humphries to reach his second final in three weeks in a thriller semi-final.
The Dutch star averaged nearly eight points less than Humphries on his Premier League debut, but he achieved an impressive win in the final game.
Is there pressure on Littler?
Luke Littler sits 6th in the Premier League table
Former Premier League star Wayne Mardle said: “I didn’t think I’d say it this soon. There’s a little bit of pressure on Luke Littler. The reason you win that night and feel good about winning is because he hasn’t played anywhere close to his normal standard.”
“It’s a really small sample, but he hasn’t averaged 105/106. It looks like he can do it with his head. It’s not working for him and it’s not going his way.”
“Against Johnny, he’s playing a guy who’s not afraid of himself. It’s a big game for Luke Littler.”
Rangers fans rock boo at Glasgow bow
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Rangers fan Josh Locke gets booed during walk-on and pitching practice in Glasgow
Humphries put in a great performance, averaging nearly 106 points and smashing 60 per cent of his two attempts to beat Rangers supporter Josh Lock, who was booed in Glasgow.
The lock fanned the flames with a cheeky 3-1 gesture while a walk-on after Rangers’ recent Old Firm derby win over Celtic.
‘Rocky’ then hit a 140 checkout to silence the boos, but it was defending Premier League champion Humphries who showed a classy performance, winning four in a row to advance to the semi-finals against Van Veen.
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The Rock silenced the boos with a massive checkout…
The Dutchman averaged 104.3 points and scored 6/9 in doubles to win the first match, handing Stephen Bunting his third straight quarter-final defeat.
Van Veen took advantage of a three-dart error on Bunting’s double to fire a brutal 114 to secure an early break before landing a 124 to seal the win with an 11-dart leg.
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Van Veen got this finish in the quarterfinals against Stephen Bunting.
Creighton ended a 10-game losing streak against Price and defeated his compatriot for the first time in nearly three years.
‘The Ferret’ averaged just shy of a ton in a great performance to beat his World Cup-winning teammates, and set up a showdown with Littler with a trademark 121 finish at the bullseye midway through.
MVG absent due to illness
Michael van Gerwen has missed Thursday’s Premier League match in Glasgow due to illness.
Van Gerwen was absent from Thursday night’s action due to illness.
The Dutchman was hoping to continue his strong start to the new season after winning the first night in Newcastle and finishing runner-up to Price on the second night in Antwerp.
However, the seven-time Premier League champions were refused to take part in the show at OVO Hydro due to medical issues.
Van Gerwen’s quarter-final opponent Littler then advanced to the semi-finals on a bye under tournament rules, earning two league points and a leg differential of +1.
Van Gerwen won no league points and has a leg differential of -6.
What’s happening on the 4th night in Belfast?
Josh Lock headlines Premier League night four in Belfast
Lock will take center stage in Belfast on February 26, when the Northern Irishman takes on fellow Premier League newcomers Van Veen in a big game at the SSE Arena.
Littler will take on Creighton, Bunting will take on Humphries, while Van Gerwen will aim to return from his absence in Glasgow to face Price in a highly anticipated quarter-final.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and you can watch the match every Thursday on Sky Sports from February to May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
