Adrian Lewis faces a fight for a Betway Premier League play-off place after a fourth straight defeat in Manchester.

 

Lewis was beaten 7-3 by Ray van Barneveld and that sends him into his final three matches against Peter Wright, Robert Thornton and Dave Chisnall four points adrift of Phil Taylor in fourth.

 

Taylor's 6-6 draw with Anderson means he stays fourth – and the 16 time world champion says his play-off hopes will depend on next week's matches against Barneveld and Dave Chisnall in Birmingham.

 

"If I lose those two, I can forget it," said 53-year-old Taylor after his see-saw match with Anderson.

 

"It's all about getting to (the play-offs) at the O2 Arena. We are all pushing for that."

 

Both Taylor and Anderson went into their match in form.

 

Taylor had captured the German Masters at the weekend – beating world champion Michael van Gerwen along the way – and Anderson was unbeaten in his previous four Premier League games.

 

In the practice room, Taylor had thrown a nine-dart leg in front of Anderson, but the Scot was unaffected and raced to the opening leg in just 11 darts.

 

Taylor, from Wychwood Park near Crewe, won the next three legs, but from 3-1 up, Taylor found himself 4-3 down.

 

He won the next two legs in 12 and 11 darts respectively, but couldn't shake Anderson off.

 

The Scot broke in the 10th leg to level the match at 5-5, then held in the next, leaving Taylor to hold his throw in the 12th and deciding leg to grab a point.

 

He did just that with a 71 check out, but 'The Power' knows that had he not made mistakes earlier he surely would have won the match.

 

Taylor missed three darts at a double for a 4-1 lead, then miscalculated in the seventh leg and instead of taking out 129, he finished 139.

 

He regrouped and looked set for at least a point when he broke Anderson's throw in the ninth leg for a 5-4 lead, but Anderson broke straight back to level the match again.

 

Taylor admitted the fifth leg was crucial.

 

He left himself 16 after nine darts for a break and a 4-1 lead, but missed and that let Anderson back into the match.

 

Taylor said: "I shouldn't have missed double eight, but I thought I had Gary and was a bit too relaxed."

 

Lewis was then well-beaten by Barneveld.

 

The crucial first break went the Dutchman's way in the fourth leg after Lewis missed a dart at double top.

 

That left Lewis, from Cross Heath, chasing the game and he had a chance to break back in the seventh leg.

 

Again, he was off target with a dart at double top for the leg and from 5-2 down, it was a long way back for Lewis, pictured.

 

He has shown impressive recuperative powers in the league this season – notably when he came from 6-3 down to snatch a point against Anderson – but Barneveld didn't let him back in.

 

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