Europe Win Mosconi Cup For First Time Since 1995

Matchroom Sport Press Release

Final Score: Europe 12 - 9 USA

Team Europe have won the Mosconi Cup for the first time in seven years on an emotional night of high drama at Bethnal Green's York Hall. It was Steve Davis who sunk the winning 9 ball after his arch pool nemesis Earl Strickland missed critical ball in the 21st game of the tournament.

That was a cue for mass bedlam as the six hundred or so pool fans at the atmospheric venue raised the roof.

In what was a battle of cuesports giants, Steve Davis opened the proceedings in what was the final game and played a nice snooker with no pot available after the break. Strickland though, escaped from it and then Steve crazily missed the 1 ball trying to edge it into the pack and with ball in hand Strickland cleared.

Earl broke and ran in the next to put the USA 2 - 0 ahead and things were looking ominous for Davis.

He broke well, however, in the next and with the layout looking good, Davis ran out to get off the mark and within a rack of Earl.

A horror scratch by Strickland in the fourth put Davis back at the table. He took the 1 and 2 but left himself a tough one on the pink 5. Steve used the rest and although he made the shot he had no chance to pot the 5 and played safe.

Earl had a chance to pocket the five via the rail but missed too leaving the five on. Davis took it and cleared a tough layout to go 2 - 2.

In the next Davis got the crowd going as he stroked home his break shot and cleared the table to out the Europeans 3 - 2 to the good.

Strickland made a ball on the break but missed a long cut on the 2 ball into a blind pocket. Davis leapt out of his chair.

Steve miscued though, on a straight orange 5 to give it back to Strickland and he ran out to make it 3 - 3.

Davis broke off in the seventh and two balls dropped and left him a nice shot on the 2-ball. From there he took the rack with a calm, methodical clearance.

With Europe on the hill, Strickland stepped up to the plate to break. Two balls disappeared but the problem ball was the orange 5 which was locked up on the rail with the 8 ball. He took it though after gaining perfect position. From there Strickland cleared to go 4 - 4.

With Davis breaking for the Mosconi Cup, he had no shot on the 2 ball after the 1 went down. He pushed out and Strickland trapped him in a snooker. Davis scratched making a table length bank shot to give Earl ball in hand. Earl dished but ran out of position on the green 6.

There was a hush as he cued up on a tight cut into the top right hand pocket and a roar went up as Strickland missed.

With three balls separating Europe from a historic Mosconi Cup victory Steve Davis steered them home as he nudged in the 6, put the black 8 into the same pocket and then came down the table for that historic 9 ball.