Joe Cullen inconsolable after losing epic Premier League final to Michael van Gerwen

Joe Cullen came within fractions of winning the Premier League darts as Michael van Gerwen won a thrilling final in Berlin after an epic final-leg decider.

Fresh from his stunning 10-4 rout of Jonny Clayton in the first match of the night, Cullen kicked off by winning the opening leg in 11 darts. Van Gerwen roared back, taking a 3-1 lead before being pegged back to 3-3. The Green Machine, who defeated James Wade in his semi-final, went two legs clear again at 6-4, but Cullen reeled off three in a row to lead 7-6.

As the tension increased, the quality of play never dipped, with neither player giving an inch as they traded legs in the race to 11. A big moment occurred at 9-9 when Van Gerwen took out 92 to break Cullen and close to within one leg of victory. But Cullen broke back immediately, showing incredible poise under pressure to win the leg in 13 darts and set up a final-leg decider on his throw.

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And the Rockstar, whose finishing had been excellent all night, had one hand on the trophy when he needed 68 to close out the match. The first two darts were on target, leaving him with one match dart. But he missed double 16 my millimetres before sinking to his knees, knowing he’d missed his big chance.

Van Gerwen had three darts to win it but needed just one, nailing double 14 before celebrating his sixth Premier League crown, the same number as the great Phil Taylor.

Was that the greatest final in Premier League darts history? Have your say in the comments section below.

Joe Cullen after missing a match dart to win the Premier League (Image: PDC/Twitter)

After the match, Cullen couldn’t hide his devastation. As he received a rapturous ovation from the 11,000-crowd, he said: “I’m gutted, absolutely gutted. Michael’s a fantastic player and a fantastic champion, but I’m absolutely gutted.”

Regardless of the result, Cullen has certainly proved himself at the sport’s top table over the last six months, but he added: “I’d like to say that’s a consolation, but I’m absolutely devastated, I can’t believe I’ve lost.”

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