Premier League: Michael van Gerwen gets two victories in Dublin

Michael van Gerwen moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a pair of victories in Dublin.

The Dutchman got the better of compatriot Raymond van Barneveld 7-4 in his first match on stage at the O2 before returning at the end of the evening to defeat Adrian Lewis 7-5.
'Mighty Mike' simply never let van Barneveld get going in their contest, breaking his opponent immediately before taking out 152 for a 2-0 lead.

An 11-dart leg made it 3-1 in his favour and he always kept himself ahead, taking out 80 on double 10 in the eighth leg when Barney looked set to make it four apiece.

Van Gerwen used only 13 darts to make sure of at least a point before sealing both on offer when he checked out 84 on double 12.
Early lead

Lewis looked capable of upsetting the formbook when he took on the current leader, going 3-1 up in their match thanks to the aid of a 75 finish in the second leg.

However, from a position of strength he lost the next four legs to fall behind. Double 18 ended the streak and 'Jackpot' produced a 14-darter to take the contest into a decider.

Van Gerwen, though, produced a stunning 108 checkout to seal his second triumph and leave his opponent three points adrift at the foot of the table.

"To get another four points is amazing and I'm very happy with that," said van Gerwen afterwards. "I'm in a good position now in the table and I'm loving the Premier League.

"The crowd was amazing - it's the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of and I had goosebumps, and it was special to win both matches."

Andy Hamilton is Lewis' closest rival now after he suffered back-to-back defeats. 'The Hammer' went down 7-3 to fellow Stoke thrower Phil Taylor in the opener before also losing by the same score to Simon Whitlock.

James Wade has no such worries heading into the final furlongs of the regular season, 'The Machine' turning in a professional performance to see off an out-of-sorts Robert Thornton 7-4.