SCOTLAND have endured many World Cup disappointments on various green fields, but on 72 square feet of green cloth their dream team of Stephen Hendry John Higgins and Alan McManus, all ranked in the world's top six, duly brought home the Castrol Honda World Cup from with a 10-7 victory over the Republic of Ireland.
Having disposed of Thailand 10-5 in Saturday's semi final, James Wattana, winning three of his five frames for the host nation, it seemed as if Scotland might win even more sweepingly when they quickly established a 4-0 lead over the trio of young Dubliners, Ken Doherty, Fergal O'Brien and Stephen Murphy, who have known each other all their snooker lives.
It was Doherty, who had won six of his seven frames in the dramatic 10-9 semi final win over England, who produced magnificent clearances in the fifth and seventh frames in bringing the Irish back into contention. One of 59 gave him a black ball win over McManus; one of 70 enabled him to pip Hendry by a single point.
Separating them, O'Brien, their quiet, methodical world number 36, had had a run of 49 in beating Higgins but at 3-4, he failed to make much of an early chance against McManus and lost the frame to the Scot's 70. Even so, there was only one frame in it at the interval since Murphy, the world number 61, who had cut little ice in his previous two frames, got home on the pink against Higgins.
O'Brien gave his team a chance of 5-5 in the first frame of the evening but having made good all but nine of his 55 point deficit to Hendry, he failed fatally at the cushioned last red. Another Irish disappointment followed. Murphy opened with 53 but missed several clinching chances as McManus, aided by a fluke which yielded 31, narrowed the gap. Eventually, the Dubliner potted a long pink only to leave his awkward cut black in the jaws.
With Higgins prevailing in a poor 43 minute frame against a temporarily demoralised Doherty, Scotland led 8-4. It was O'Brien who rekindled the contest, making an early 66 and hanging on to beat McManus. Murphy, erratic as he continued to be on the most important day of his snooker career, exploited a dreadful safety on the green from Higgins and cleared to pink.
When Doherty rounded off his whitewash of Hendry with a run of 68, Scotland led only 8-7 but Higgins steadily defeated O'Brien and Hendry, though dearly feeling the pressure of delivering a final thrust, duly did so at the expense of Murphy with the aid of a key mid frame 41.
The stop start formula of one frame snooker and the unfamiliar responsibilities of team play brought down the standard of play but not the quality of drama.
"The pressure we were under here was the most intense I've ever been involved in," said the six times world champion.
"We've had two great weeks and there's certainly nothing to be ashamed of in finishing runners up, said Doherty. "We did our country proud and made a lot of people happy, but I suppose it's only natural to think of what might have been."
