SCOTLAND TRIUMPH IN BELFAST

Scotland win Team Event ... Burns beats Bennett in Individual Final

Kevin Christopher, Steve Bennett, Greg Dand, Mike Burns, Gareth Christie

Scotland brought an end to England's three-year reign as UK & Ireland Team Champions. The English had to settle for 3rd place this time, as host nation, Northern Ireland just pipped them for 2nd place to earn their best ever finish.Wales were 4th and Republic of Ireland 5th.

The outcome was still in the balance going into the last session. Northern Ireland needed to beat Scotland, whereas a draw would have sufficed for the Scots. A 3-1 Scottish victory secured the title - and was also enough for Northern Ireland to oust England out of 2nd spot on 'games won'. Team Results

Host Nation, Northern Ireland were Runners-up

Mike Burns Individual Champion
It was an all-Scottish final in Belfast's Park Avenue Hotel. Mike Burns beat Steve Bennett 3-2 with a golden goal to become the first non-English Champion since the tournament began. Bennett came from behind twice to take the game into extra-time but Burns scored the vital golden goal when he played the ball through a gap in the Bennett defence and hit it on-the-run into the net. Beaten semi-finalists were Kenny Beggs (N.Ireland) and Steve Hawkins (England). Full Results

Individual Final: Steve Bennett 2 Mike Burns 3 (golden goal)

The tournament was wide open after favourite, Chris Short of England, dropped out and any one of the quarter-finalists would have felt that they had a chance of going all the way.

Mike Burns, UK & Ireland Champion 2007