DARREN Dornan is the Northern Ireland amateur snooker champion for 2024.
Loughinisland man Dornan, who plays out of nearby Drumaness Snooker Club, went one better than in 2019, when he lost to Declan Lavery, by beating Ryan McQuillan 10-5 at the Antrim Sports Club on Saturday.
It’s the 37-year-old’s first-ever career win in a NIBSA ranking event and moves him up to number two on the ranking list for the start of next season.
‘’To win this as my first ranking tournament, the biggest one of the season, is amazing,’’ said Dornan.
‘‘I’m delighted because I’ve had so many near-misses down through the years in finals and semi-finals.
‘‘I felt so focused all day really and didn’t lose that even when it went from 5-2 to 5-5.’’
Dornan settled the quicker of the two players and breaks of 70 and 50 gave him a 2-0 lead.
A 50 break helped McQuillan on the board in frame three but Dornan took the frame before the mid-session interval and then won the fifth with a run of 63.
The next two were shared before McQuillan staged a fightback to draw level at 5-5, winning the last two frames of the first session and the first of the second session helped by breaks of 103 and 51.
However, that was to be the Antrim man’s last frame as Dornan re-asserted his superiority. He took blacks with the first 10 reds in frame 11 and although there was to be no maximum, his run of 80 was good enough for a 6-5 lead.
Soon that lead was 9-5 and he then wrapped up the victory in fine style with his highest break of the match, 81, in frame 15.
NIBSA wishes to thanks tournament sponsors That Prize Guy and McKinney Competitions and the Antrim Sports Club for hosting the event.
