DARTS: PURE POWER; LADROKES.COM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FROM ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON Taylor's 14th title as Barney blown away by super Phil.

Byline: BY MIKE WALTERS

PHIL 'The Power' Taylor emerged from the Barney rubble of his darkest hour on the oche to claim a staggering 14th world title last night.

In a blitz of shock and awe at Alexandra Palace, Taylor wiped the floor with Raymond van Barneveld 7-1 to avenge the most heartbreaking defeat of his career.

Two years ago at the Circus Tavern, Barney hijacked Taylor's crown in a suddendeath thriller so gripping that all cardiologists' leave in Essex was cancelled.

Taylor was so devastated that it took him until last night to exorcise the memory, and how. His threedart average of 110.94 was the highest-ever in a major final, breaking his own record of 109.47 against James Wade in last year's World Matchplay.

Taking out double 12 in an 81 checkout to clinch the title, Taylor cavorted across the stage as lighting technicians sent simulated bolts of lightning across the arena in homage to the Power.

The bare statistics of Taylor's triumph in the Ladbrokes.com PDC world final scarcely do justice to a showpiece which turned out to be more onesided than a postage stamp. Although Barney, 41, hit 12 maximums to Taylor's nine, and reeled off 225 hundred-plus visits in the tournament to the Power's 168, the Dutchman suffered a withering bout of double trouble.

Where Taylor hit 23 of his 51 shots at doubles - a respectable 45 per cent - Barneveld seized only 12 of the 33 chances Taylor let him. Taylor said: "It was a great final, especially for me. I feel sorry for Ray because we are the best of pals off stage, but one of us had to lose. I'm just glad it wasn't me this time.

"I said I wouldn't be satisfied until I got my title back. For the last two years I've felt naked without my crown. Once I've celebrated this success, I'm going to come back bigger, better and hungrier than ever."

While Taylor collected the pounds 125,000 winner's cheque - that will buy a lot of teacups in the Potteries - Barney can console himself with the nine-darter last Friday which provided the competition's abiding highlight.

Barney, however, misjudged the depth of local affection after his perfect finish in the quarter-finals, walking on stage waving a Dutch flag - it was like an orange rag to a bull.

CAPTION(S):

RECORD BREAKER Phil Taylor's three-dart average was the best in a big final; THRASHED Raymond van Barneveld