CLIVE Whyte won the York Conservative Clubs' Scruton Cup snooker competition for the third time when he defeated his Heworth team colleague Jason Milner 3-1 in the final at Heworth club.

Milner began confidently in the first frame, with positive potting, but went in-off while playing a safety shot. Whyte scored 17 from the mistake before he also went in-off trying to open up the pack.

Milner took the lead 38-34 and looked like being the frame winner but Whyte fluked the last red, followed with an easy black and cleared the colours to pink for a 22 break to lead 56-38.

Unfortunately Milner potted the pink while trying for the necessary snooker and Whyte stole the frame 56-44 despite Milner having potted nine reds.

In the second frame Milner attacked from the start and took a 29-0 lead.

He went 46-7 ahead before Whyte made a 14 break only for Milner to respond with his tenth red and a pink then laid a snooker.

Whyte took the last red with a black but failed on the yellow, which Milner sank and laid another snooker.

Whyte went in-off and Milner took the frame 71-29 by clearing green, brown and blue to level the match.

In the third frame Milner made breaks of 12 and 16 to lead 28-15. Whyte hit back to go 36-28 ahead and then the scores were level at 36 and 43.

Whyte took the last red, his ninth of the frame, plus a blue to regain the lead.

Milner sank yellow and gained four points from a snooker to level at 49.

He was then left a frame-winning chance but wobbled the green and Whyte potted green, brown and blue to win the frame 67-49 for a 2-1 lead.

Both players made mistakes and missed straightforward pots on colours in the fourth frame as tension mounted. Milner twice failed on cuts on the blue off its spot and Whyte on black and pink.

Whyte sank the last red and took blue and then yellow to lead 28-25 but left an opening.

Milner potted green to level the frame scores but left a sitting brown after attempting an ambitious pot along the baulk cushion.

Whyte accepted the gift and then doubled blue to lie on the black near the right black pocket to give Milner a major problem.

After Milner's shot, Whyte was left with an easy blue and pink to win the frame 45-28 and take the match 3-1.

The match referee was Bob Ventress and the cup and awards were presented by Keith Taylor of Tayrol Ltd.

Updated: 11:51 Friday, April 19, 2002