BetVictor Northern Ireland Open 2021

[Cue crafty]

Screenshot_20211018-033556_Eurosport.jpg If Higgins were to lose tonight, that difficult but missed black off the spot is going to haunt him for a long time.

That's a hard shot in practice let alone that stage of a match. No shame missing that. I've already heard the witch Hunters saying Higgins fixed it, he's never gonna shed that cheat label with people who don't like him. Sad really as he is a legend of a snooker player.

[fkhan]

That's a hard shot in practice let alone that stage of a match. No shame missing that. I've already heard the witch Hunters saying Higgins fixed it, he's never gonna shed that cheat label with people who don't like him. Sad really as he is a legend of a snooker player.

Nothing against Higgins there. Full marks for taking that on and not the green. If I was playing that shot and missed, that is how I would feel. It would leave a mental scar for sure.

[JimMalone]

We had a lot of great finals last season, now we had another fantastic one to start this season (I refuse to accept this year's British Open as a ranking event), I just hope this means this run of great finals will continue.
Honestly when Higgins got the 8-6 lead and was playing so well I thought the title was his. Especially since this was how I imagined the final would play out. Allen keeping it close for the most time, but in the end not being able to play consistently as well as Higgins. But kudos to him for winning the last three frames and also holding himself up against the Scotsman in the tactical battles. This really was a key aspect.
I'm not the biggest fan of Allen for some of his comments in the past, but for him it's surely a beautiful thing to win in his home country and you could see he really wanted this, being totally focussed for the whole time and I got the feeling he was thinking a bit longer than usual what was the best solution for some special shots. Sometimes if you want a thing too much it can backfire as you might get to tense and nervous. But I think this time this approach might have given Allen the last one or two percent for his coup.

[JimMalone]

That's a hard shot in practice let alone that stage of a match. No shame missing that. I've already heard the witch Hunters saying Higgins fixed it, he's never gonna shed that cheat label with people who don't like him. Sad really as he is a legend of a snooker player.

I really think a safety would have been the better option here, cause as you say this is such a hard shot and the expectation to make it is just too low. But if I remember the situation on the full table correctly a good safety wasn't an easy shot here as well.

[fkhan]

I really think a safety would have been the better option here, cause as you say this is such a hard shot and the expectation to make it is just too low. But if I remember the situation on the full table correctly a good safety wasn't an easy shot here as well.

IIRC, he had an option to nudge the green and get the cue ball safe on the baulk cushion.

[JimMalone]

IIRC, he had an option to nudge the green and get the cue ball safe on the baulk cushion.

Yeah that would have been my choice. But I remember thinking that it would have still left Allen with a small chance.

[Starsky]

I really think a safety would have been the better option here, cause as you say this is such a hard shot and the expectation to make it is just too low. But if I remember the situation on the full table correctly a good safety wasn't an easy shot here as well.

If he had potted that it would have been match over given the table at the time. . It wasn’t a gimme but well within his capabilities hence his reaction after.
I bet if you asked him would he take the shot on again in the same circumstance he wouldn’t hesitate.

[JimMalone]

If he had potted that it would have been match over given the table at the time. . It wasn’t a gimme but well within his capabilities hence his reaction after.
I bet if you asked him would he take the shot on again in the same circumstance he wouldn’t hesitate.

Of course it always goes the way. If he potted it I also would have said: Great shot!
I just remember that at the time of him taking the shot I thought he will likely miss it. But that was just what I thought and I'm not saying that it was a mistake of him, I'm pretty sure he would take it on again and maybe make it if he had a second try. Generally Higgins is anyways one of the top 2 decision makers in the game and who am I to argue his choices?

[Starsky]

Of course it always goes the way. If he potted it I also would have said: Great shot!
I just remember that at the time of him taking the shot I thought he will likely miss it. But that was just what I thought and I'm not saying that it was a mistake of him, I'm pretty sure he would take it on again and maybe make it if he had a second try. Generally Higgins is anyways one of the top 2 decision makers in the game and who am I to argue his choices?

Yeah I must admit he ain’t to shoddy with his decision making as he normally pots those pressure balls.

Tbh I haven’t enjoyed a snooker match like that for a long time and him missing that ball was the catalyst to the comeback that made it such a great match ,

[fkhan]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/58...=facebook_page

Mark Allen may not get any of his prizemoney after Northern Ireland Open win.

[Nifty50]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/58...=facebook_page

Mark Allen may not get any of his prizemoney after Northern Ireland Open win.

If he’s been declared bankrupt then I’m not surprised. His creditors will be queuing up for a bit of the cash. Bit out of Marks control really.

[mikee]

Wow ,I never knew that ,maybe he’s had too many hangers on and a bad management team .