DENNIS PRIESTLEY 6-8 ADRIAN LEWIS
Adrian Lewis showed his class to come from behind and gain a second successive Holsten Premier League Darts win with an 8-6 defeat of Dennis Priestley at the CIA.
The 22-year-old ended a five-game losing run last week when he defeated Colin Lloyd, and kept alive any lingering play-off hopes with another quality display.
Having lost to Priestley 8-1 when the pair met in Newcastle earlier this year, another loss looked on the cards when Lewis fell 4-1 down.
But he produced some superb scoring, landing five 180s in taking seven of the next nine legs for victory.
"It's pleasing because Dennis is hard to play against," said Lewis afterwards. "Hopefully I can carry this form on now and put pressure on Raymond van Barneveld and Terry Jenkins.
"They will have to watch out because I've still got a chance of making the top four. I'm finding form at the right time and they're not safe."
In addition to his late burst of heavy scoring, Lewis also had three maximums in the first five legs, but saw a more clinical Priestley take the early lead, landing a 113 finish in leg three and six perfect darts in the fifth.
A two-dart 100 finish settled any Lewis nerves going into the break, although a 96 finish put Priestley 5-2 up.
The youngster put in two maximums in taking the next two to reduce the arrears to 5-4, before Priestley took advantage of his missed doubles in the next to edge back clear.
It was Priestley who missed chances in leg 11, his off-target bullseye for a 126 finish followed by Lewis landing double ten.
He then levelled matters by winning the 12th and a superb 11-darter put him ahead 7-6 before producing a quality final leg, including another 180, before double four put him over the winning line.
