DARREN Thompson made a triumphant return to Gateshead when he won the North-East snooker rankings tournament on Sunday.

Thompson, former North-East under-12, 14, 16 and 18-year-old champion, used to work at the snooker centre, but has been out of the game for about five years, and lived in Leeds until returning to Wallsend recently.

He beat Coxhoe professional Michael Rhodes 3-2 in the final, a match between two good potters and break-builders which went right to the wire. In the final frame Rhodes, going for his second successive victory in the event, was leading 45-11, but a clearance of 40 gave Thompson victory.

Thompson had a 62 break in the fourth frame, but Rhodes had been in good form all day. He had a 69 and 43 in the final, but in the semi-final, in beating Gary Wilson 3-1, he hit a 94 to take the prize for the day's highest break from the Wallsend player, who had had a 92. Rhodes also had a 77 when beating Redcar's Mike Dunn and a 75 in the previous round against Gary Parkin of Wallsend.

Thompson beat Richie Stanners of Gateshead 3-0 in his semi-final.

Final frame scores (Thompson first): 54-49, 28-76, 18-64, 68-34, 51-45.

The plate final was won by Alan Scott, of Middlesbrough, the former British under-19 billiards champion, who beat Newcastle's Chris Gill 2-0.

Wilson, 15, had a tough day. He played 15 frames at Gateshead, then went to Redcar, where he played a further nine, losing 5-4 to Phil Hartley, of South Bank St Peter's, in the Newcastle Breweries Invitation event at Redcar WMC. Wilson was 40-0 up in the deciding frame, but a 60 break from Hartley swung things.

Frame scores (Hartley first, breaks in brackets): 47-37, 106(66)-5, 15-98(76), 30-81(33), 68-45, 37-81, 64-40(32), 37-66, 75(60)-50(40).

Paul S Davison, of Pickering, beat Alan Budd, also of South Bank St Peter's, 5-2.

Frame scores (Davison first): 79(34)-21, 81-36, 83(83)-14, 65(33)-42, 16-84(31, 36), 31-83(36), 75(30)-49.

Sunday's games are: Michael Rhodes (Coxhoe) v David Beckett (Redcar) and David Craggs (Tow Law) v Chris Jones (Hemlington).

The first regional qualifying round of the English Amateur billiards championship takes place at Gateshead on Sunday, where 14 entrants will play down to six, who will qualify for the national last 32.

It should provide some rare battles, as the entrants include England international Tony James, of Tyneside, and former or current national champions Darren Kell, Alf Nolan, Lee Lagan, Robin Wilson and Alan Scott, plus Teesside under15 champion Michael Donnelly. Four group winners and the two best runners-up will go through.

Groupings are: Group A: James, Gary Kell (Middlesbrough BL), Steve Best (Billingham), Billy Bousfield (Stockton).

Group B: Darren Kell (Ironopolis, Middlesbrough), Martin Shutt (Norton), Mark Hatton (Hemlington), Nolan (Newcastle)

Group C: Lagan (Hemlington), Donnelly (Middlesbrough), Gareth Evans (Thornaby).

Group D: Wilson (Ormesby Institute), John Hartley (Acklam Steelworks), Scott (Hemlington).