Allen Retains Memorial Trophy the Hard Way

MARK Allen retained the title with a hard-earned 6-5 win over Dubliner Joe Delaney in the final of the third annual Starplan Barry McNamee Memorial Trophy at St Patricks Hall in Dungannon.

The lead see-sawed throughout a pulsating final, the Antrim 19 year old securing victory with breaks of 58 and 51 in the deciding frame.

Allen won the opener with breaks of 34 and 42, Delaney levelled with a 54, Allen responded with a 45, only for Delaney to hit breaks of 66, 50 and 62 to establish a 4-2 advantage.

But then it was Allen's turn to win three on the spin with visits of 102, 51 and 74.

But the Glasnevin man was not going to give up with a fight to the finish and won frame ten 60-24 to force the match into a one frame shoot-out, which saw the reigning world amateur champion show his cool nerve as he scored those two half-centuries to win the pounds 1000 top prize. …