Paddy Kelly won the Harry Diver Cup sponsored by the Tower Bar when he defeated Billy Reid in a tense final played recently in the club. It was a poignant moment for Paddy as he and Harry went back a long way. Indeed, both men's autographs from 1981 were discovered last month on the wooden insert of a table after it had had the slate removed.

Billy had hit a rich vein of form and had taken the scalp of Jack Keeney in the semi-final. The first frame was tight but Paddy prevailed thanks to some excellent potting at crucial moments. Billy responded well in frame two and it took a break of 13 to enable Paddy to forge ahead before he snatched it on the pink. The final frame was a one-sided affair for most of its duration with Billy outgunning Paddy at every opportunity. He built up a healthy 26 point lead going into the colours and most spectators felt a fourth frame was in the offing. But Paddy had other ideas. The club champion of 1956 showed he hadn't lost his competitive streak by gradually clearing the colours to the pink. Billy still had a chance on the black and duly sunk it, only to watch agonisingly as the cueball disappeared into a corner pocket.

It was not the way Paddy wanted to win but sometimes the fates are cruel. Paddy thanked all who contributed to a successful seniors tournament and commiserated with the gallant loser. Chairman Kieran Temple spoke for all present when he expressed his appreciation of all that Barry Mulreany of the Tower Bar has done over the past two years to ensure the success of this annual tournament. He was on board from the start and his sponsorship has been vital and generous.