Leeds 6-5 Manchester United: Humphries downs Littler in Premier League darts

The location favourite Luke Humphries continued the feelgood origin successful Leeds by winning nighttime 14 of the Premier League, beating Luke Littler successful the final. Littler, a Manchester United fan, had earlier mocked Leeds fans successful his opening match

The metropolis has been celebrating the football club’s promotion from the Championship this week and the buoyant supporters got to ticker their adopted favourite publication his spot successful the playoffs aboriginal this month.

Their celebrations astatine the First Direct Arena were made adjacent sweeter due to the fact that of Littler’s 6-5 decision successful the final, with the teen roundly booed throughout.

Humphries, who is from Berkshire but supports Leeds, made it back-to-back wins successful Yorkshire aft his occurrence successful 2024 and ensured helium volition articulation Littler astatine London’s O₂ Arena for the decisive nighttime of enactment successful 3 weeks.

Littler had earlier goaded the hostile fans, mocking them with unreal crying during his quarter-final triumph implicit Nathan Aspinall earlier beating Gerwyn Price successful the semi-final. However, Humphries got the amended of him successful a gripping final, clinching a final-leg decider aft Littler missed a changeable astatine bullseye to triumph the match. The 27-year-old deed 5 180s and averaged 100.96 to extremity his 10-week hold for a nightly win.

“I truly wanted to win. I’m really, truly pleased to triumph successful Leeds. It’s been a large mates of weeks for Leeds,” helium said. “It is other peculiar to triumph successful Leeds. I consciousness astatine location here, I cognize it isn’t my location municipality but it does consciousness other special.

“I won present past twelvemonth and it gave maine other assurance for the finals nighttime and hopefully it does again and I tin get that elusive Premier League crown that I’ve ever dreamt of.

Luke Littler reacts to baying Leeds fans but shrugged the hostility speech to carnivore Nathan Aspinall 6-4. Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images

“When you cognize you’re playing against Luke Littler you cognize you’re not going to get distant with mid-game performances, you request to beryllium astatine your champion to bushed him.”

Humphries kicked disconnected the evening with a 6-4 triumph implicit Michael van Gerwen, who is inactive waiting for a archetypal nightly triumph of this year’s tournament. The seven-time champion’s beingness astatine the playoffs is acold from secure, with Aspinall and Rob Cross inactive breathing down his neck.

Stephen Bunting helped his ain chances with a tally to the semi-final, wherever helium was beaten by Humphries. Bunting bushed Chris Dobey successful their quarter-final portion Price’s triumph implicit Cross guaranteed his spot successful the playoffs.