Premier League darts: Joe Cullen wins Night 15 to set-up Newcastle showdown with Peter Wright
- Planet Sport writer
- 20 May 2022
It's all to play for heading into the final round of matches in the Darts Premier League, with Joe Cullen and Peter Wright vying for the remaining play-off place.
Joe Cullen edged ahead of Peter Wright in the race for a Premier League darts play-off place after winning week 15 in London.
Cullen beat Anderson, Wright and Jonny Clayton to move into fourth position in the table heading into the final week.
The win means Clayton and Wright will fight it out in Newcastle on Night 16 for the right to join Clayton, Michael Van Gerwen and James Wade in the final four.
Cullen started the night impressively, beating Anderson 6-1 before downing Wright by an identical score in the semi-finals.
On the other side of the draw, Premier League leader Clayton advanced to the final after coming through tough tests against Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith.
In the final, Cullen was able to sneak a 6-4 win to set up the showdown in Newcastle, where he will play Wright in a winner-take-all quarter-final clash.
"It is tough to play Jonny, he is a good friend of mine and I actually apologised to him for the reaction because I think it was a bit lucky with the shot at the end," Cullen said.
"It is not nice to celebrate like that against your friend and Jonny is a top lad but he knows how much I needed that tonight.
"I put so much pressure on myself the past few weeks and some of the performances have been horrific and I mean horrific.
"My B game is pretty good normally but it has been an A or a C, there has not been many B games in this Premier League and I have no issue in saying some of these performances, I was genuinely embarrassed.
Here's how the Cazoo Premier League table is looking with just one league phase night left to play.
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 19, 2022
Cullen and Wright will meet in a winner-takes-all shoot-out in Newcastle next week! pic.twitter.com/XgUmBPxkE9
"The performance in Dublin was embarrassing.
"I don't think I was great tonight but I ground the results out and, at the end there, it should have been a simple finish and it wasn't but that has been the story of the Premier League for me this year.
"You are trying to pick a game where you can guarantee two points and it is impossible.
"People will look at me and think I have got Joe [Cullen] tonight, that should be two points but we can all play really good darts on the night and I think that is testament to the PDC.
"The format this year is really cut-throat and the last four weeks I think I have lost in the opening round.
"I was under a lot of pressure tonight and I think, well I don't think, I know that I responded because I won the night."
