UK Snooker Championship: Mood swings semi-final in Mark’s favour (From York Press)

UK Snooker Championship: Mood swings semi-final in Mark’s favour

10:12am Monday 12th December 2011 in Snooker By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

DETERMINATION and a bad mood helped Mark Allen produce a stirring fight back to beat Ricky Walden 9-7.

The Ulsterman trailed 5-3 going into the evening session of the UK Championship semi-final, having led 3-1 at one point, after Walden had produced some inspired snooker to win four frames in a row.

But Allen, winning through to his first major ranking final, said he was absolutely focused to blitz Chester-based Walden once the match resumed – and he fired off his own quadruple to take charge of the match at 7-5.

“It didn’t matter who I played in those first four frames – I was not losing that mini-session,” Allen said. “I had it in my head that I was getting three at least and getting back level or winning all four and getting in front.

“The break (following the afternoon session) probably came at a good time for me. Ricky was very confident at that time and I was thinking what did I have to do to get back. But you would not have wanted to see me at the break. I didn’t want to speak to anyone and I was falling out with everyone.

“Even on the practice table before I went out, I missed a ball and I said to Terry Griffiths ‘I am in a bad mood here. Someone’s going to get it’. That’s the way I felt and I was just so determined not to lose.”

Walden produced breaks of 124, 66, 98 and 127 to stun Allen in the opening eight frames but, after the Northern Irish player sneaked the first of the evening, he made efforts of 79, 64 and 70 on his way to winning the match. The game effectively hinged on the 11th frame when Walden, on a break of 60, missed a frame ball brown and Allen ruthlessly cleared up.

Walden admitted: “I’m absolutely gutted. I didn’t really play my best in the second session and Mark came out flying – potted a few good balls to get settled in – and it was all his session.

“He played great and I didn’t really turn up.

“When he got back to 5-5 I felt a little bit flat and just needed to get my hand on the table. I missed a brown to go 6-5 up and that sort of set the tone for the rest of the match.”