RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD remains hot on the heels of Phil Taylor at the top of the Holsten Premier League Darts table after the pair defeated Peter Manley at Carlisle's Sands Centre on Thursday.

Manley was unable to capitalise on home advantage in Cumbria as he suffered two big defeats, losing 8-1 to Taylor in the night's opening game before going down 8-3 to van Barneveld.

Taylor produced a brilliant display to take his win, averaging almost 108 and hitting the night's best finish of 121.

Van Barneveld then repeated the 8-3 win he took against Manley in Bournemouth a week earlier to compound his opponent's misery.

Colin Lloyd jumped above Ronnie Baxter into fourth place in the table after bouncing back to form with an 8-4 win over the world number three.

Third-placed Roland Scholten snatched a draw in a dramatic finish to his clash with Wayne Mardle, who picked up just his second point of the 2006 tournament with a second successive stalemate.

Holsten Premier League Darts
Night Six, Carlisle
Phil Taylor 8-1 Peter Manley
Ronnie Baxter 4-8 Colin Lloyd
Wayne Mardle 7-7 Roland Scholten
Peter Manley 3-8 Raymond van Barneveld

PHIL TAYLOR 8-1 PETER MANLEY

PHIL TAYLOR stormed past Peter Manley to remain unbeaten in the Holsten Premier League Darts with an 8-1 triumph.

The defending champion returned to top form with a blistering display, averaging almost 108 and dropping just one leg in the match.

He won the opening three legs without reply, a 121 finish in the second leg breaking Manley's throw.

Manley hit the first 180 of the game in the fourth leg, and landed double five to hit back.

He opened the next leg with a maximum, but Taylor responded with one of his own before hitting double four to restore his advantage.

Taylor made Manley pay for three missed darts at a double in the next to go into the break 5-1 up, and wasted little time in wrapping up the match after the restart, taking the next three legs in style.

"It was a cracking game," said Taylor. "Peter averaged 102 and he's getting back to his best, so I knew I had to play well.

"He let me off with a couple of missed doubles, and I knew I had to step in and hit him hard."

RONNIE BAXTER 4-8 COLIN LLOYD

COLIN LLOYD bounced back into form with an 8-4 victory over Ronnie Baxter in the Holsten Premier League Darts at Carlisle's Sands Centre.

World number one Lloyd has not won since the second night of this year's tournament, but produced a clinical display to move into fourth place in the table.

He averaged 100 in the match, but perhaps more crucially was that he took out 57 percent of his checkouts.

Baxter played his part in a high quality contest, landing five maximums to Lloyd's four.

The opening four legs all went against the throw to leave Lloyd 2-1 up, before he gained a crucial two-leg lead by winning the fourth.

He maintained that cushion going into the break at 4-2, before taking the first two legs after the restart to move four legs clear.

Baxter hit back to win the next two, but Lloyd regained the momentum with a brilliant 11-dart leg before wrapping up the win with a two-dart 67 finish.

"I needed that," he admitted. "Ronnie turned me over 8-3 in Aberdeen but I know I'm better than that and the form is gradually coming back.

"Tonight was all about getting the two points but I know I've got to send the message out to the other players that I'm starting to get back to my best.

"I've got some tough games remaining but I've got the hunger back, the fight back and I've got the bit between my teeth."

WAYNE MARDLE 7-7 ROLAND SCHOLTEN

WAYNE MARDLE and Roland Scholten shared the spoils from a pulsating clash in the Holsten Premier League Darts at Carlisle's Sands Centre.

Mardle picked up his first point of the 2006 tournament with a 7-all draw against Colin Lloyd last week, and repeated that result against the Dutchman.

However, he needed to show his battling spirit to come from behind early on, and then to live with his heavy-scoring opponent late on.

He was first to grab a point at 7-6, before Scholten hit back with a 13-dart leg in the decider to secure a draw.

The first two legs went against the throw, and Mardle won the third with a two-dart 58 checkout before wasting the chance to move 3-1 up.

Scholten then hit an 11-dart leg, but another two to Mardle either side of the break took him 4-3 up.

He missed two darts at double 18 in the next leg, allowing Scholten to level, but then moved 6-4 up.

The Dutchman responded, hitting two maximums on his way to winning the 11th leg before landing a fifth 180 of the game in the next as he levelled.

Mardle opened the 13th leg with his fifth maximum, and took out double top with his first dart to secure a point.

But Scholten landed a 180 to give him the breathing space to set up a double 18 finish to take the draw.

"I never felt I should be behind but I missed too many doubles," said Scholten.

"Wayne kept plugging away but I feel I should have won and I'm not happy with a draw if I'm honest."

Mardle remains at the foot of the table following the draw, but said: "If I play well in the remaining five games I will qualify.

"I'm playing slightly better than I have done recently, but I was mediocre for parts of this game and I know I can't afford to draw."

PETER MANLEY 3-8 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD continued his unbeaten start to the 2006 Holsten Premier League by completing the double over Peter Manley in Carlisle.

The Dutch star defeated Manley 8-3 in Bournemouth last week, and repeated that scoreline to keep up the pressure on leader Phil Taylor.

Manley took the opening leg, but van Barneveld won the next three without reply to punish his opponent, the highlight being a cool 96 finish to put him ahead at 2-1.

A 104 finish ensured that he entered the break 4-2 up, and he further extended his lead before Manley won the eighth leg.

Van Barneveld responded with a 12-dart leg to restore a three-leg lead, and then took the next two to wrap up the victory.

"I'm happy I won again, but it wasn't my best display," said van Barneveld, who travelled from Holland on the day of the game.

"I was a little tired up there tonight and I never got comfortable. If there was a night I was beatable, maybe this was it.

"I missed a few darts at doubles but to get the win is pleasing."