Mark Allen wins see-saw battle to capture Players Championship

The Northern Irishman set up his victory by winning five successive frames.

Mark Allen came out on top in a see-saw battle to beat Ricky Walden 10-6 in the final of the Players Championship in Manchester and seal his third ranking event title and first in the United Kingdom.

The 30-year-old becomes the first Northern Irishman to win a ranking event in the UK since Dennis Taylor lifted the world crown in 1985.