Raymond van Barneveld finally ended Gary Anderson's defence of his McCoy's Premier League Darts title in Birmingham.
The pair drew 7-7 to ensure last year's champion would not make the play-offs in London in a fortnight.
Anderson needed to take victory from the clash to retain his slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals at The O2, and produced one of his best performances of the season.
He battled back from 5-3 down to lead 6-5 and secured a point at 7-6 with a 12-darter, only for van Barneveld to win the decider.
Andy Hamilton kept alive his play-off hopes with an 8-4 win over Simon Whitlock.
Hamilton had to avoid defeat in the contest to retain any hope of a top-four finish in his maiden league campaign, and duly obliged after taking the first leg on double eight.
Whitlock replied with a 70 finish before hitting a 180 in leg three, only for Hamilton to break with a 13-darter ahead of the Australian levelling by finishing 89.
Hamilton broke again in the fifth with a sensational 10-darter only to see Whitlock hit back in the sixth but the Wizard spurned two darts for the seventh leg as his opponent finished 72.
The Stoke professional then finally broke throw by defying another maximum from Whitlock to finish tops for a 14-dart finish to move 5-3 up and the Australian missed five darts to hit back in the next.
Hamilton took out tops before he finished double 16 for a 7-3 cushion ahead of Whitlock stopping the rot in an 84 finish to stay in the contest but the world championship runner-up fired in a timely 177 and tops for a key victory.
The Australian though remains well-placed for a semi-final spot, with Hamilton waiting on others.
Kevin Painter ensured that his fight for a play-off place will go into the final week of the season with a brilliant 8-3 win over double world champion Adrian Lewis while Phil Taylor stormed to an 8-1 win over James Wade.
Defeat left the 2009 champion Wade facing a shoot-out next week in Newcastle with van Barneveld for a play-off place.
