PHIL TAYLOR will go into his clash with Raymond van Barneveld next Thursday unbeaten after continuing his 100% start to the Holsten Premier League Darts with an 8-2 win over Wayne Mardle.
Taylor has now won all five matches so far in this year's tournament, and will take on fellow unbeaten star van Barneveld in Bournemouth next week.
The defending champion was never in trouble after taking command with an early 3-0 lead, and hit finishes of 122 and 111 on his way to a comfortable win.
Mardle's poor start to the Premier League continued when he returned to the Wolverhampton Civic stage to face Roland Scholten, going down 8-3 to the Dutchman.
Peter Manley held off a fightback from Colin Lloyd before taking an 8-6 win from their clash, but he lost the night's final game against Ronnie Baxter.
Baxter leapt above Manley with an 8-3 victory in his best performance of the year, averaging just under 99.
2006 Holsten Premier League Darts
Night Four, Wolverhampton Civic
Phil Taylor 8-2 Wayne Mardle
Peter Manley 8-6 Colin Lloyd
Roland Scholten 8-3 Wayne Mardle
Ronnie Baxter 8-3 Peter Manley
Highlights from Wolverhampton will be available to DartsTV subscribers on Friday.
PHIL TAYLOR 8-2 WAYNE MARDLE
PHIL TAYLOR continued his unbeaten start to the 2006 Holsten Premier League in style to defeat Wayne Mardle 8-2.
The defending champion set up his clash with Raymond van Barneveld next week with a comprehensive victory to complete the double over Mardle.
The world number four was never in the running after falling behind to an early 3-0 deficit.
He landed double 20 in the fourth leg to cut the gap, but Taylor responded with checkouts of 122 - finishing on the bull - and 111.
Taylor returned from the break to take the seventh leg before Mardle cut back the deficit to 6-2.
Taylor landed his third 180 of the match to secure a point at 7-2 before responded to a Mardle maximum by hitting his fourth in the next before a 74 checkout sealed victory.
"I'm over the moon," said Taylor. "I've been practising hard and things are coming together.
"Normally Wayne plays a lot better than that, but he was under pressure from the beginning.
"He's struggling with his form a bit and it's not like him, but form is temporary and class is forever."
PETER MANLEY 8-6 COLIN LLOYD
PETER MANLEY gained his second victory of the 2006 Holsten Premier League by winning a dramatic final leg shoot-out against Colin Lloyd.
Manley saw Lloyd come back from 5-1 down to level a thrilling contest and could have seen both points slip away as tensions rose to breaking point.
At 6-6, Manley landed his trademark double 20 to secure a point and, with memories fresh of an 8-6 win for Lloyd in Sunderland last month, hit back to grab the win in the 14th and final leg.
Manley looked to be cruising when he took a 3-0 lead early on and led 5-1 going into the break.
Lloyd - seemingly intent on silencing a vocal band of Manley followers - exploded into life after the restart to take four successive legs.
He landed a 127 finish, the joint best of the night, in the seventh leg before hitting back-to-back 180's in the next.
He added further maximums on his way to levelling matters before Manley edged 6-5 up.
Lloyd punished Manley's missed doubles to restore parity before the former Las Vegas Desert Classic champion regained his touch on double top to take the win.
"At 5-1 I should have put the game to bed," admitted Manley. "But Colin showed why he is the world number one with that comeback.
"When it went into the final leg I had memories of our last game, when he hit a ten-darter in the final leg, but he gave me an opportunity and I took it."
The win put Manley back into the play-off places, and he added: "To reach the semi-finals means so much to us players and I'm desperate to be in the top four."
ROLAND SCHOLTEN 8-3 WAYNE MARDLE
ROLAND SCHOLTEN won his third game of the 2006 Holsten Premier League with an 8-3 win over Wayne Mardle - who remains without a point after five matches.
Mardle's defeats to Phil Taylor and Scholten at the Wolverhampton Civic leave him adrift at the foot of the Premier League table as the only player without a point.
He had looked on course to take something from his clash with the Dutchman when the pair shared the opening six legs, which all went with throw.
But Scholten returned from the break to find his top form, peppering the treble 20 bed in a burst which saw him take five successive legs.
After breaking Mardle's throw in the seventh leg to go 5-3 up, he then landed a 127 finish - equalling Colin Lloyd's best of the evening - before taking two more to wrap up both points.
"Wayne didn't perform the way he can and I took the benefit from that tonight," said Scholten. "Wayne never got going.
"I'm capable of more, especially hitting 180's, but luckily I hit my doubles.
"I'm still capable of winning this and that's the way I'm approaching it."
RONNIE BAXTER 8-3 PETER MANLEY
RONNIE BAXTER overcame Peter Manley to grab his second win of the 2006 Holsten Premier League Darts in Wolverhampton.
Baxter had won just one of his opening four matches, but produced his best display of the campaign to see off Manley with ease.
He opened up a 3-0 lead - including a brilliant 125 finish - before Manley could land a double, and took the next two to lead 5-1 at the interval.
Manley landed double ten to pull back the seventh leg, but Baxter took the next two to ensure a point.
Manley hit double two to stay alive by winning tenth leg but Baxter - who averaged just under 99 in the game - took out the next in 14 darts to complete the triumph.
"I got into my ryhthm tonight and my finishing was quite good," said Baxter. "I'm getting used to the Premier League now and it's all a matter of consistency.
"If I'd finished as well in my first four games I could have been top, but I'm pleased to be in fourth place at the moment."