Peach is the cream of 9 Ball!

Blackpool's Daryl Peach has pocketed the 2007 World Pool Championship after a nail-biting 17-15 win over Roberto Gomez.

2007 WPC

No UK player has previously reached beyond the Last 16

It could have been an all Blackpool final. Karl Boyes lost in the semi-finals

The Araneta Coliseum - where the tournament was staged - hosted the 'Thriller in Manila' between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier.

Daryl Peach on winning World Pool Championship!

The 35 year old was crowned World Champion after an epic battle with Gomez which was 9 Ball's answer to the 1985 World Snooker final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis.

Peach - who has never got beyond the Last 64 previously - said: "It was just the most amazing match I've ever been involved in. In the end all I could think about was keeping my head still and making one shot at a time.

"It's unbelievable! It's just starting to sink in what I've achieved."

The final attracted the biggest crowd in the sport's history with over 5000 spectators and was billed as 'Superman v Lex Luther' - as local favourite Gomez's nickname is Superman.

Almost all of the crowd were behind the Filipino and Peach showed nerves of steel to come back from 15-12 and run the last five racks especially as some of his supporters were clapping Peach's mistakes.

Peach said: "It was hostile at times but I tried to just block it out and play my own game."

Neither player managed to hit the type of form they produced on their route to the final but the drama more than made up for it.

After blowing an early 8-3 lead, Peach stayed close to Gomez, with neither ever being more than two racks ahead.

"You never really think you are going to win the World Championship."

Daryl Peach

Gomez, 29, opened up a three rack lead though when he ran out the 27th rack and was just two racks from the World crown. The Filipino seemed to have got over his nerves and finally looked like the player that had bulldozed his way into the final.

However, Peach refused to be beaten and he finished the victor of a tremendous safety battle in the 28th rack which proved the turning point of the match.

Peach - who practices in Rileys Blackpool - ran out from the break in the next to level the scores.

Both players missed at 15-15 before Peach had his chance to close out the rack. He was always out of position but left himself a horrible shot on the 9 ball which failed to drop after a table length bank.

It was a relatively straight forward 9 for Gomez but he looked terrified as he reluctantly walked to the table to take his shot. The pressure of the expectant crowd was too much and he threw his cue at it. The pure pressure miss will no doubt haunt Gomez for the rest of his life - but Peach sprung out of his seat grateful of getting back to the table. He sank the 9 to reach the hill.

Peach closed out the match with a banked 1 ball into the centre pocket to set up his match-winning run-out.

He said: "I haven't got the most ability and there are lots of players with more talent than me but I just used my head and tried to focus on what I've got.

"It was probably the worst match I've played since the start of the tournament and the pressure for both of us was immense.

"I always knew I had a strong mind and the will to win.

"You never really think you are going to win the World Championship. I dreamt it but when it comes around you have to grab it with both hands and luckily I did exactly that."

Peach who picks up $100, 000 for the win dedicated his win to fiancee Lesley, baby daughter Ellie and his mum and dad who were all on tenterhooks back in the UK.