Premier League Darts 2017 Results: Phil Taylor Narrowly Clinches Play-off Spot

Phil Taylor clinched the last spot in the 2017 Premier League Darts play-offs after defeating fellow Stoke-on-Trent native Adrian Lewis 7-5 at the GE Oil and Gas Arena in Aberdeen.

The Power will face Peter Wright when the play-offs get underway next Thursday after Snakebite finished second in the regular season standings following a 7-1 demolition of Raymond van Barneveld. 

Michael van Gerwen consolidated his place atop the standings with a 7-4 victory over Gary Anderson, while a draw against James Wade saw Dave Chisnall miss out on a place in the post-season.

Read on for a roundup of Thursday's final round of the regular season from the Premier League Darts in Aberdeen.

Position	Player	Pts	Pld	W	D	L
1	Michael van Gerwen	22	15	9	4	2
2	Peter Wright	21	15	9	3	3
3	Gary Anderson	18	15	7	4	4
4	Phil Taylor	19	16	8	3	5
E	Dave Chisnall	15	15	6	3	6
E	Raymond van Barneveld	14	15	6	2	7
E	Adrian Lewis	13	15	6	1	8
E	James Wade	12	15	5	2	8
E	Jelle Klaasen	3	9	1	1	7
E	Kim Huybrechts	3	9	0	3	6

The play-offs will take place on Thursday, May 18 at London's O2 Arena.

Recap

Taylor ensured his last run in the Premier League Darts before taking his leave of the sport was prolonged on Thursday, when he came back from 5-3 down with a four-leg swing at match's end to seal a win over Lewis.

Arguably the greatest player to have stepped to the Oche commented on his victory after Thursday's win in Aberdeen, per the official PDC Darts website:

"I'm over the moon to get to The O2. It's an extra bonus for me, I didn't expect to get there to be honest, so it's massive. There's no pressure on me but I'm going to be trying to win it and I've done it six times before.

"I'll have a massive smile on my face because I've been dedicated for 30 years and it's time for me to move on, but I'm in it to win it next week and I'm looking forward to it. If I can go out there and win my seventh Premier League title it will be brilliant."

And just as one legend of the sport approaches the end of his career, it was almost fitting to see Van Gerwen's place atop the Premier League order cemented by a convincing 7-4 victory against Anderson.

The Dutchman never trailed in his back-and-forth with the Flying Scotsman, and Van Gerwen sealed a priority place in the O2 Arena play-offs as a result, per PDC Darts:

"

LEAGUE WINNER! Michael van Gerwen finishes top of the @betway Premier League Table with victory over Gary Anderson. #LoveTheDarts pic.twitter.com/spMVhKGdzv

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 11, 2017"

Van Gerwen might have had top spot stolen from him had he failed to beat Anderson, considering Wright's clinical 7-1 thumping of Van Barneveld initially thrust him to the summit:

Snakebite edged his Dutch foe in 180s and sealed his result with a 116 finish, capping off a terrific regular campaign and setting him in good stead for a titanic encounter with Taylor.

Chisnall's run in the competition ended after drawing 6-6 against Wade early on Thursday evening, although Chizzy deserved his plaudits for thundering back from 6-2 down to snatch a share of the spoils.