Daryl Gurney says it would be 'amazing' to make the Premier League play-offs
Gurney: "It just shows when you get a bit more experience on that stage and a bit more comfortable in your surroundings the darts come."
Friday 4 May 2018 00:16, UK
Daryl Gurney is bidding to pull-off mission improbable by qualifying for the Premier League play-offs and he says that securing a spot at The O2 on finals night would be "amazing".
Gurney currently sits in fifth position ahead of his clash against Michael Smith on the penultimate night of league action in Birmingham, and the Northern Irishman is the only player outside the top four who can still qualify for the play-offs.
He trails fourth-placed Gary Anderson by three points going into the final two weeks of action and although he is relying on results going his way, he is delighted to still be in with a fighting chance.
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"It would be amazing to make the play-offs. At the start of the season when I had all of those draws and then didn't get a win until the seventh week, if somebody said going into the last two games you've still got a chance of making the top four I would have probably laughed.
"It would be another tick in the box if I could get in the top four at The O2, but if it doesn't happen hopefully I can get an opportunity of putting it right next year."
'Super Chin' endured a testing start to his debut campaign, going six matches without a win after relinquishing commanding leads against Raymond van Barneveld, Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson.
Gurney has since stormed into play-off contention after losing just two of his last 10 Premier League ties, but he believes losing two of his three fixtures across the Rotterdam double-header may prove costly.
"To be honest it's had its ups and downs. I've thrown away probably a couple of wins but I think I lost it in Rotterdam. That really hurt my points and chances of making the top four. Overall I think I am where I deserve to be in fifth place."
The World Grand Prix champion has grown in stature since avoiding elimination on Judgement Night and acknowledges that it took a while to adjust to the unique Premier League environment.
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"Now I'm more comfortable. At the start I was a lot more nervous. I didn't have a clue how I was going to hit doubles and I was like a rabbit in the headlights at the start.
"After I got past Judgement Night, then I realised there was nothing really to worry about and I've actually started playing a lot better. My finishing has probably been up there with the best of them since then," he claimed.
The stats certainly back up Gurney's assertion. The Northern Irishman has been prolific in the scoring department throughout the competition, rattling in 57 maximums- more than any other player.
In terms of finishing, he boasts a 38 per cent checkout conversion rate across the entire tournament, but his checkout success rate over the last eight weeks has been a very impressive 50 per cent, which has been key to his resurgence.
Gurney displayed remarkable consistency in major televised events last year, reaching at least the quarter-finals in all events apart from the 2018 World Championship, but he believes his form has not wavered.
"I feel like I'm playing as well as I was last year. Every chance I was getting last year I was taking it every single tournament.
"I seemed to, in my own opinion, have lost that just at the start of the year, but the way I have been playing I have been making those chances now, rather than nicking those chances.
"The atmosphere was unbelievable. I was still watching it last night; whenever I hit 180's if I look over my shoulder there's people going mad and I still hadn't even won the leg yet!"
"I know for a fact when I got the draw against Michael last week, at the start of the Premier League when he beat me 7-2 before, that probably reflected how nervous I was.
"It just shows when you get a bit more experience on that stage and a bit more comfortable in your surroundings the darts come, you feel a bit more relaxed and you don't put as much pressure on yourself. You play your normal game."
Although Gurney has only registered four wins on his Premier League debut thus far, league leader Van Gerwen is the only player to have suffered fewer defeats than 'Super Chin'.
The world number five has demonstrated impressive tenacity throughout the campaign, which was further evidenced as he fought back to claim a 6-6 draw against Van Gerwen in his best performance of the season last week.
Yet unsurprisingly, when reflecting on his debut Premier League campaign, Gurney insists that his Belfast homecoming has been his highlight to date.
The 32-year-old faced world champion Rob Cross on home soil, crashing in an incredible nine maximums as he fought back from 4-2 to prevail; winning five of the final six legs to shock 'Voltage' at the SSE Arena.
His performance was majestic, but the atmosphere was just as incredible and Gurney admits that particular night will live long in the memory.
"The atmosphere was unbelievable. I was still watching it last night; whenever I hit 180's if I look over my shoulder there are people going mad and I still hadn't even won the leg yet!
"They nearly thought I was going to win the match before I did, but definitely Belfast for me has been the highlight, having all the family there as well."
The 2018 Premier League is back for more action on Thursday as we head to Birmingham for Week 14. Coverage gets underway from 7pm on Sky Sports Action & Sky Sports Main Event. The tungsten action will then continue in Aberdeen through to the season's conclusion with the Play-Offs on May 17 at The O2 in London.
Keep up to date with the latest darts news, previews, reports, reaction and expert analysis. Get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts- don't forget to use #LoveTheDarts
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