John Higgins defeated Mark Allen 9-5 in Telford on Friday night to book his place in the UK Championship final and close in on a dream return to major championship.

The Scottish player, playing his first tournament in England since serving a six-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute, proved too strong for his opponent in a one-sided evening session.

The three-time world champion won it 5-1, sealing victory with runs of 100 and 73, to keep his hopes of a first UK Championship title in a decade alive.

Higgins will face Shaun Murphy or Mark Williams in today’s final.

Having gone into the evening session all square at 4-4, Higgins immediately took charge by winning the opening two frames, the first with a run of 59.

It was the first time either player had been more than a frame in front in the match, and Allen responded immediately by closing the gap, a superb cut into the right middle on the final red followed by a snooker helping him move back to within one.

Higgins, though, produced a fine run of 68 to restore his two-frame advantage.

And there was no let-up after the mid-session interval as a break of 100 moved him to within one frame of victory.

The Scottish player duly clinched the victory thanks to a break of 73.

Higgins admitted his run in Telford had been a fairytale.

“I am feeling good about my game and it’s great to be back,” the Scot said.

“I suppose it is a fairytale when you think about it, winning the first PTC event back (in Hamm, Germany, last month) and then my performance in this championship.”

Higgins will become world number one if he wins the final.