WAYNE Cooper capped an outstanding season by winning the Yorkshire Snooker Championship title for a fourth time.

Having already partnered Kevin Firth to the Yorkshire Pairs title, with the duo helping Bradford No 1 to win the Yorkshire Inter-District League Division One crown as well, former professional Cooper also added the Bradford individual title for a ninth time.

Both Cooper and Gyles Behbood (Harrogate) are noted for their attacking play and high scores but the Yorkshire final at the Northern Snooker Centre involved much cagey play as neither wanted to give their opponent a sniff.

Instead of big breaks and free-flowing potting, the packed Leeds arena witnessed two very determined players who produced some fantastic tactical snooker, plus glimpses of brilliance.

As it went the distance, with Behbood having a long black to win the match in the fifth frame before Cooper fought back to take it to a seventh, the match did not finish until the early hours.

Cooper took the first frame 52-21, a 23 break being the best of a scrappy encounter, but Behbood settled in the second and produced a run of 44 to level the match with a 84-11 win.

This soon became 2-1 to the Harrogate player, who made an excellent 41 clearance to steal the frame 46-44, and the North Yorkshireman stretched his advantage to 3-1 at the interval with a 68-38 effort.

Behbood enjoyed a break of 40 in the next and appeared to be heading for the title – but after potting blue, he found himself short on his next red.

This seemed to be a turning point and Cooper fought back with a break of 30 to leave a black-ball decider.

After a lengthy safety exchange, Behbood had a long shot to take the match but, despite missing this pot, was unfortunate to go in-off and gift the frame 61-48 to Cooper.

The Bradford potter now had a spring in his step and a 26 break in the sixth frame helped to level the match at 3-3, taking it 86-48.

The deciding frame was cagey, as you would expect, but a rare mistake from Behbood let Cooper in and he made a telling break of 42 to leave himself comfortably in front and with snookers required from his opponent.

This did not materialise and Cooper secured his fourth county title at one visit, taking the final frame 71-13.