Chris Small shared the opening eight-frame session to his LG Cup final with Alan McManus at Preston's Guild Hall this afternoon. And for the second day running spectators are in for a late night with the conclusion to the first ranking final of the season looking set for a nail-biting finish.
First-time finalist Small and fellow Scot McManus resume this evening locked at 4-4 after a determined fightback from 29-year-old Small, who twice trailed by two frames. But he refused to panic when 3-1 and 4-2 down and battled back to stay in contention for the trophy and £82,500 first prize. It was certainly a closer match than when the pair met in the 1992 Benson and Hedges Championship final when Small won 9-1.
Small, a 6-2 winner over Jimmy Michie in the opening semi-final, looked to have blown his chance of parity in the last frame when he missed a routine black. However, McManus, attempting to win his first ranking title on British soil, gave Small a second chance and he made no mistake from distance. Earlier, world number 15 McManus knocked in successive breaks of 62 and 73 to take charge at the mid-session interval.
Small then produced a half century to trim his deficit to 3-2 before McManus made 62 to lead 4-2. Small hit back with a run of 69 and then scrapped his way to a vital win in frame eight.
Latest (At end of transmission):Alan McManus 5-8 Chris Small
Filed by Shane Murray
