Arfan Dad came close to winning a major national title but had to settle for the runner-up position in the English Pool Association’s Champion of Champions event in Great Yarmouth.

The Keighley potter missed out on the £1,000 first-place prize money after losing 7-4 to Andy Croasdale in the final.

But his second spot still earned him £600 after an impressive display in a competition that pits local league winners and runners-up from around the country against each other. Dad made the event by winning the Keighley & District Pool League and then a regional qualifier in Blackburn 5-4.

The final was a very quick and high-quality affair, with Croasdale – a former British Association of Pool Table Operators champion – racing into a 3-0 lead.

Dad, who won the Keighley Snooker Championships last month, took the next two frames with excellent clearances.

But an inexplicable miss when well placed to clear in the next handed the initiative back to Croasdale, who won that frame and the next one to go 5-2 up.

The pair shared the next two before Croasdale looked on course to clinch the title when his treble on the black went in, only for the white ball to also go in the middle pocket, handing the frame to Dad for 6-4.

But the Keighley ace missed a long pot in the next and his opponent made no mistake this time.

Dad said: “I had to settle for the runner-up trophy and £600, which is no mean feat, but when you get that close to winning a national title, it is disappointing to lose – even more so with the way I played all weekend.

“I honestly thought I was playing well enough to win it but came up just short in the end.”

Dad had earlier advanced to the last 32 with a 5-0 win over Andrew Redsull before beating Andrew McDonald 5-2 in the next round.

He reached the quarter-finals with some of his best pool of the tournament, beating ex-professional Ben Swinnerton, from the Midlands, 5-2.

The last eight saw another tough draw against men’s English national pool team player Jack Pople. Dad once again hit form to lead 4-0, only for Pople to come back to 4-3, before a good clearance under pressure saw him win 5-3.

The Keighley hot-shot played probably the surprise package of the tournament in the semi-finals – 21-year-old Jamie Ridsdale, who had beaten some experienced players. After going behind early, Dad was a comfortable 6-2 winner.

Meanwhile, the Crossroads Inn also made it down to the Great Yarmouth stages of the team competition but bowed out in the early round-robin format.