Cremona stopped by Verhagen in final

In the Table Football Grand Prix of England, held recently in Oldham, Maltese player Massimo Cremona made it all the way to the final where he lost 2-0 to Dutchman Eric Verhagen.

The final of this prestigious tournament featured the top two players in the world rankings.

A total of 57 participants from 14 different countries took part in this event, superbly organised by Alan Collins and Peter Motley.

In the final, Cremona, who placed third in the Sportsman of the Year award, had the better chances, hitting the post twice but Verhagen moved ahead from a counter attack in the final stages of the first half.

In the second half, Verhagen held more possession initially but Cremona rallied. The Maltese player pushed hard for an equaliser but he was denied by two fantastic saves from Verhagen. Cremona was punished for his attacking approach when he conceded the killer goal three seconds from the end.

To reach the final, Cremona routed German Michael Beifuss 9-0 in the last 32 stage and then eliminated England's Kasper Bennett 4-1 in the following round.

After dismissing Greece's Lazaros Papakonstantinou 3-0 in the quarter-finals, Cremona overcame the stern challenge of Englishman Chris Thomas 2-1 in a balanced semi-final.

This weekend, Cremona will travel to France to take part in the Major of Elbeuf tournament.