MARK Riley took the honours at the Sovereign Snooker Services 2014 Clitheroe small tables final but it was also a day when charity was the winner.

After almost eight months of league and then knockout matches the final was played in front of a packed out crowd at the Clitheroe Royal British Legion between the club and team-mates Dean ‘the destroyer’ Walmsley v Mark ‘the magician’ Riley.

A total of between 24 of the Ribble Valley’s best players had started the competition in which more than 800 frames of snooker were played .

In the opening frame, it an understandably tentative start between the two team-mates, it was nip and tuck all frame until Walmsley missed a difficult final blue to win the frame.

Riley didn’t need a second invitation, sinking both the blue and pink to take the opening frame.

The second frame saw both players open up a bit but it was still pretty nervy stuff.

Riley played a loose safety show allowing Walmsley a sniff on the last yellow and he duly cleared the table with a clearance break to level the match.

There was little between the pair and it was nip and tuck in the third until Riley potted a difficult red and in doing so then showed his class in clearing the table with a faultless 80 clearance to make it 2-1 - taking the highest break of the competition in doing so.

With the fourth frame still young, Walmsley took command with some good safety until Riley got the most outrageous fluke in the whole match in potting the last red, with Walmsley still several points in front. Riley showed no mercy in clearing the table with a cool 32 clearance to take a 3-1 lead.

In to the fifth frame and Walmsley took a good 26 point lead after Riley went in off, and then took a difficult red on to have a good chance of taking the frame and reducing the deficit to 3-2.

But he wobbled the red and Riley took his chance with a break of 26 to level the scores and then went on to sneak it on the pink with his next visit, stretching his lead to 4-1 and leaving himself one frame from the title.

In the sixth, Riley had a solid 40 break but then missed an easy red with the frame at his mercy.

However, Walmsley couldn’t capitalise and he let Riley back in and it was gave over with Riley winning 5-1 and taking his first title becoming the 2014 Sovereign Snooker Services Clitheroe small tables champion.

After the match, there was a raffle to raise funds for Abbies cause, who is Dean’s niece, for cerebral palsy treatment.

And in a totally unexpected gesture, all the players donated their cash prizes to the charity and added to the raffle raised over £550.

n The league thanked sponsors Sovereign Snooker Services, the Clitheroe Royal British Legion, and Susan and Sarah Garner, for hosting the final and providing the free buffet, as well as Ian Rushton for organising the raffle in which he spent months sorting and collecting prizes.