Murphy has one foot in the play-offs - 11/11/2010

Shaun Murphy 4-2 Mark Williams
69 (64) - 36 (32), 101 (97) – 0, 0 – 84 (54), 69 – 58, 61 (32) – 58, 63 - 35

Defending champion Shaun Murphy took a great stride towards making the semi-final stages of the 2010 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker as he defeated Mark Williams 4-2 at a packed Grimsby Auditorium. The win, while improving Murphy’s standing, left Williams now relying on others to secure a play-off berth.

Murphy took the opener with a frame-winning break of 64 and then was on for a 147 in the second. He potted 13 reds and 12 blacks, before missing a difficult black with the rest. However it put the 2009 champion in the driving seat at 2-0.

Williams, playing his last match of his 2010 Premier League campaign and needing at least a point and possibly two, took the third with a quick break of 54. Murphy, though, secured at least a point as he took a close fought fourth.

A fluked final black from Murphy when the frame could have gone either way, was enough to take the two points. That left Williams with a final tally of five points and although that wouldn’t have been good enough to reach the play-offs last year, in some previous years it would have been.

The Welshman took the final frame but he will now be waiting on other peoples’ results to see if he will be going to Potters for the play-offs.

“It was a typical league match; not the prettiest game but a win is a win and I’m pleased with the points,” said Murphy.

“The best player didn’t necessarily win tonight, and maybe they need to take some steps to change rules to ensure that he does.

“The easiest and most straightforward would be ball in hand after a foul. Snookers are too often used for tactical advantage and there is no benefit to the player who made the snooker.

Whatever happens tonight, it is now in my hands and I’ve got to go to Llandudno next week and get a result,” he added.