Dublin Date Gives Ice Man Gerwyn Price A Chance To Re-Ignite Premier League Campaign

By Paul Jones.

Gerwyn Price hopes to get back on the horse in Dublin on Thursday night after Scotland unseated him just as he was in full flow.

The Welsh star will be aiming for more success when the Premier League Darts roadshow hits the 3Arena in the Irish capital.

Price was a proud home winner in Cardiff in round two a fortnight ago and said in the aftermath of that triumph, “Absolutely buzzing to win in Cardiff.

“The support was amazing and I couldn’t take the smile off my face. We need more events in Wales. Now, for Wales to win in Scotland in the rugby.”

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Well, Scotland was not kind to The Ice Man – melting the former semi-pro rugby player’s hopes in the Six Nations by hammering Wales, 35-7 at Murrayfield.

Then, the Scottish air didn’t seem to inspire Price, either, as he lost 6-3 to current world champion Michael Smith in the opening quarter-final round on Night 3 in Glasgow.

There can be no arguments that he lost to the evening’s outstanding player, though, as Smith went on to beat Price’s fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton in the semi-final, 6-5, before earning a 6-4 victory over Dimitri Van den Bergh in the final.

In his win against Price, even when not at his best, Smith earned three breaks of throw, plus a 115 finish – form that could make their potential re-match in a Dublin semi-final an absolute classic.

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First, though, Price will need to get past Belgian Van den Bergh in the quarter-final stage, while Clayton opens with a match against Nathan Aspinall.

The Ferret will be keen to improve on his impressive form in Glasgow, where he ran Smith close in a dramatic semi-final before being edged out, following a quarter-final, 6-1, hammering of Chris Dobey.

Smith averaged 101 to edge out Clayton in a last-leg shoot-out, converting 122, 80 and 76 combination finishes in the late stages to complete an impressive comeback.

Naturally, Clayton was disappointed not to make the final in Glasgow, but felt encouraged and said: “I was better and very happy to get my first points on the board.

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“I feel I’m playing well again this year, but it’s time to turn that feeling into results.”

Price will start in third place in the Cazoo Premier League table, behind leader Smith and Aspinall, who have both won one more match.

Clayton is one from bottom of the eight-player table with just that one victory over Dobey.

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Night Four – Thursday February 23
3Arena, Dublin

Quarter-Finals

Michael Smith v Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jonny Clayton v Nathan Aspinall
Chris Dobey v Michael van Gerwen

All matches best of 11 legs