Q World Article - Re UK Champs Final - Jan 78
Irish Star is first U.K. Championship Winner
A lovely Ladbrokes Lady with Patsy Fagan (Left) and Doug Mountjoy.
Final
Patsy Fagan - 12
Doug Mountjoy - 9
It was hardly surprising, since both players were making their first appearence in a major final, that the early exchanges should be tentative, producing plenty of tactical stalemates.
Yet another rumpus blew up with Mountjoy leading 3 - 2, when referee John Williams pulled up the welshman for a deliberate miss.
It seemed a harsh decision possibly caused by over reaction to the Williams/Thorne clash. It did however unsettle the Benson & Hedges champion for he then proceeded to lose that frame and the next 3 to go 6 - 3 behind.
Congratulations for Patsy Fagan from Dennis Taylor (Left) and John Virgo
The eight frame saw the ice-cool Fagan strike a psychological blow. Trailing by 43 after Mountjoy had rattled in a 40, he cleared the table to tie the frame. After several shots from both, the irishman sunk the respotted black and a 57 in the next opened up his three frame advantage.
It was then Mountjoy's turn to take command as he reeled off the next four, including a break of 51 after Fagan had opened with a 52 in the eleventh frame, which edged him ahead 7 - 6.
Two visits, 30 and 68, for a 98 - 0 frame, put Fagan back on level terms and an attempt at an extremely fine cut on the brown by Mountjoy, saw Fagan take the last four balls to lead after the first day 8 - 7.
With the ordeals of television to contend with, Fagan dropped the first two frames to trail 9 - 8 but consecutive breaks of 53 and 52 in the next two frames put him back in the lead 10 - 9.
Tension was now evident as both players failed to take advantage of some good positions and in a low scoring game 47 - 39, Fagan was now in sight of his first major win.
Mountjoy started the final frame with a break of 21and in the process of potting the last red in the break, splattered the pack wide open, leaving him a real character-builder blue into the middle. He missed and Fagan stepped in with 63 to put him 42 in front with only one red left.
The welshman laid a snooker behind the black and the red tightly placed behind the brown. Fagan after much deliberation, elected to go off two cushions, missed the red by a wisker and hit the black leaving a free ball. Mountjoy was now only 35 behind with 43 on the table. He opted for a far from easy blue which failed to go in. Fagan, relieved at the let-off went on to win the frame and become the first UK Professional Snooker Champion.
It was a triumph for the impassive irishman and although the final was by no means a classic, it produced enough drama to have even the great Joe Davis, a guest at the event, on the edge of his seat.
The £2,000 first prize was Fagan's biggest pay day and with Mountjoy adding another £1,400 to the already rich pickings he's had since turning pro just over 12 months ago, it was some consolation to his defeat.
"I am disgusted at the amount of frames i threw away. I didnt deserve to win. Patsy played well and this win has made him. He's a real nice lad and i wish him the best" said a dejected Mountjoy.
Frame scores (Fagan First) 57-21; 34-81(48); 48-47; 48-57; 40-68; 45-13; 68(53)-31; 64(43)-57(40); 64(57)-43; 48-73; 52(52)-79(51); 38-73(40); 41-70; 98(60)-0; 58-57; 37-87; 34-72; 75(53)-16; 73(52)-55; 47-39; 80(63)-28;