ACE OF BAIZE

Home town hero Allen lands Alex Higgins trophy at the Waterfront as Antrim man shows his mettle in a come from behind victory

HOME hero Mark Allen hailed winning the Northern Ireland Open as a moment he will “never forget”

The Ulster potter punched the air in delighted after he produced a courageous comeback from 8-6 down to beat John Higgins 9-8 in a dramatic final at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

Allen’s dreams of winning his home tournament came true as he clinched a sixth career ranking title.

And the former Masters champion Allen pocketed £75,000 for his memorable victory on home soil and most importantly the famous Alex Higgins’ trophy in front of his army of home supporters.

“To do it here is a dream come true for me,” beamed an emotional Allen, after his first ranking title for almost three years. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. It’s very special.

“It’s a great buzz for me. I’ve tried to play it down all week but I know how much this tournament means to me.

“I know how much snooker means to the Northern Ireland fans so to keep the trophy in Northern Ireland means everything to me.

“I was trying to just take one ball at a time in the decider.

“But I started to really panic because I knew the balls were there. All you could do there was fall apart.

“I wanted to play one of the all-time greats in front of my home fans in Belfast and John is right up there.”

Antrim ace Allen has had a tough relationship with the tournament in recent years as he’s struggled to get to grips with the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders.

The world No.11 has faced tough off-table troubles over the past couple of years with depression, divorce proceedings, bankruptcy and maintenance disputes all taking his focus away from the green-baize game.

And it’s testament to his mental toughness that Allen pocketed his home title in fine fashion.

The first session was shared 4-4 with the Pistol firing in a top break of 83 as runs of 123, 68 and 55 kept Higgins in touch.

In the evening, Allen made visits of 70 and 85 to lead 6-5.

But Higgins moved one step away from the title as 59, 63, 64 and 136 gave him a very healthy 8-6 advantage.

Allen kept himself alive by sending the match into a worthy decider by winning a scrappy 15th frame and a classy 58 break under immense pressure after Higgins missed a tough black when in to win the match.

And he got over the line to the delight of his friends and family in attendance.

Higgins was bidding for a 32nd ranking title with only Ronnie O’sullivan (37) and Scottish compatriot Stephen Hendry (36) ahead of him.

And gutted Higgins said: “Right now it’s pretty disappointing.

“This game’s all about making memories and Mark will have one of the most amazing memories of his life winning it here.”

This means so much to the Northern Ireland fans and I am so happy to keep the trophy in

Northern Ireland