Van Gerwen screaming from the podium after defeat in the final against phenomenal Clayton | Darts

The evening started for Van Gerwen against a tough opponent. Former world champion Gerwyn Price had fully recovered from his hand injury and hoped to regain his form from earlier this year. But after six quiet legs, Van Gerwen found the accelerator, and he was no match for the Welshman. After nine legs and a final score of 6-3, there was an average of no less than 106.9 behind the name of the Brabander. In doing so, he had hit 60 percent of his doubles.

In the semi-final against James Wade, the game started a little more chaotic: low averages and three breaks straight away. But after Mighty Mike kept his own leg by hanging and strangling via double 3 and thus took the lead, he was hardly in danger anymore. The Machinewho won his first night in Manchester last week, was defeated 6-3.

The final seemed to follow the same pattern. Van Gerwen was the first to take a break with an impressive finish (94: single 18, double 19, double 19), and also cashed it in. But Clayton wasn’t fooled and broke back in the eighth leg for the 4-4 tie. Even after Van Gerwen took another break in leg nine, Clayton – who had the crowd against him – came back. By also taking the decisive leg, Clayton not only took the win in Aberdeen, but also took the lead in the overall standings of the Premier League.

After the last leg, Van Gerwen was furious with referee Russ Bray. He had said ‘thank you’ a few times to the audience in the last legs. There was one person in the room whistling very disturbingly, precisely when Clayton was throwing doubles. The Welshman himself was clearly bothered by it, but decided not to make a scene.

Bray’s extra sentence was too distracting for the Vlijmenaar, and he was only too happy to let the referee know. After his own last throw, after Clayton’s last finish and after thanking the audience, the Brabander walked over to the experienced caller to express his displeasure.

,,At the end of the game I was angry about something else. It had nothing to do with the fans,” Van Gerwen wrote on Twitter afterwards.

The reason Clayton faced the crowd in the final probably had everything to do with the first two games. The Aberdeen hall was packed to the brim with Scottish fans, all hoping that Peter Wright or Gary Anderson would ensure success in their own country.

But as often this season, Gary Anderson didn’t give up at all. The hall became silent in the first legs of the evening, because some fans had not yet put down their beers when the Flying Scotsman trailed Jonny Clayton 3-0. A few minutes later he was beaten 6-2 and he could go home again.

Then hopes were pinned on Peter Wright. The world champion indicated in an interview with PDC beforehand that he would ‘blow everyone off the board.’ That worked to a limited extent in the quarterfinals against Joe Cullen. snakebite won with the heels over the ditch 6-5, and set a fine average of 103.2. But in the semifinals, Jonny Clayton was a size too big. With the entire hall behind him, Wright, the number one in the world, could not blow his opponent from Wales off the board. The Scottish crowd gave their best with loud booing, but defending champion Jonny Clayton was never fooled at any point in the evening.

Scottish darts fans now have to wait for May 5, when the darts circus will land in Glasgow.

• Jonny Clayton – Gary Anderson 6-2
• Peter Wright – Joe Cullen 6-5
• James Wade – Michael Smith 6-5
• Gerwyn Price – Michael van Gerwen 3-6

• Jonny Clayton – Peter Wright 6-5
• James Wade – Michael van Gerwen 3-6

• Jonny Clayton – Michael van Gerwen 6-5