Joe Cullen clinches title at Players Championship 27 in dramatic last-leg decider against Gerwyn Price

Joe Cullen completes a hectic day in Hildesheim to win Players Championship 27 title after defeating previous winner Gerwyn Price 8-7 in an intense final.

He had a tough run to the final, as he took down Brendan Dolan (6-3), Adam Hunt (6-4), Cameron Menzies (6-4), Robert Grundy (6-4), James Hurrell (6-4), and Scott Williams (7-1) to set up an intriguing showdown.

It was a lot more routine for the Iceman, disposing of Tavis Dudeney (6-1), Stephen Burton (6-1), Jeffrey de Graaf (6-2), Sebastian Bialecki (6-2), Michael Unterbuchner (6-4), and Danny Noppert in the semi-finals (7-3) where he averaged over 104 and hit 100% of his doubles.

The Rockstar started the final the brighter, utilising the bull to set up double eight for a 12 darter, before breaking the throw of Price, who had a slow start. He woke up soon after, taking out 108 on tops before finding an 11 darter to level the tie.

The Englishman had another two leg burst where he pubished Price for missing his favourite double, but was instantly broken back. He reinstated his two-leg lead by traversing to the bottom of the board to find two double 19's to put him 5-3 up.

The trend continued, with Price again coming within one leg after yet again finding tops, but Cullen kept the former world champion at arms length. It would be the next two legs which would prove to be decisive for Price, taking out 98 in two before finding the first hold of throw in six legs with a clutch 104 checkout to make it 6-6.

Cullen, who had crucially won the chance to throw first, went one away after taking out 72, but the Welshman was once again on his heels, pinning tops to force a last leg decider. Moments before Cullen had missed the bull for not only a 132 checkout, but for the title.

The pressure had seemed to get to both players, but a perfectly-timed 180 from Cullen brought him within touching distance. He brilliantly set himself up on double four, but missed two more match darts. Price then had a chance of his own from 100, but never got it started. The former Masters winner would step up and with his fifth match dart find the green segment to confirm his second Players Championship title of the year.

It was a classy performance from Cullen. Despite averaging coming out to just below a ton, it was consistently above 100 throughout. Adding to all of that, the £15,000 he won in Hildesheim today is enough to provisionally move him into the Grand Prix qualifying spots, jumping up to 11th despite not being in the places earlier today.