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Southern Ireland holds good memories for Eric Verhagen.
Two previous trips to the Irish Republic have yielded two titles in the Dublin Grand Prix last July and the Kildare Open just before Christmas. And the Dutchman completed a hat-trick by retaining his Dublin crown, part of the all-Ireland Grand Prix double-header.
His record in the north of the Emerald Isle is not as commanding, with only a quarter-final exit against Malta's Joseph Mifsud to show in Belfast, as the province hosted its first international event for more than 10 years.
But in returning to the scene of his Dublin Grand Prix victory last summer, Verhagen made sure that he would go home to the Netherlands with a trophy by surviving a Massimo Cremona comeback to beat the Maltese player 3-2 after overtime in the final.
Joseph Mifsud had ensured Maltese representation in the Belfast final - the Perugia player's first of the current campaign - after gaining another noticeable scalp in that of Darren Clark at the semis, and having earlier beaten friend and travelling companion Hansel Mallia 1-0 in the last 16.
It may have been an all-Maltese affair, had Cremona not lost 2-1 to David Ruelle in his semi.
And Ruelle completed a Maltese double when he beat Mifsud in the final. Attacking from the start, two early goals by the Belgian killed the game as a contest, and he controlled proceedings for the goalless remainder.
In a tournament covered extensively by national television, radio and newspapers, Phil Redman failed to live up to his media billing as England's best player as he crashed out 4-0 to Cremona in the quarter-finals.
Trevor Cummings took Redman to overtime in the last 16 - the home nation's other key competitor, Kenny Beggs, had slipped to second round defeat against David Lauder - before the England captain fell to a 4-goal defeat against Cremona, who had eliminated Dave Pawsey in the last 16, as he would do again in Dublin.
Bob Varney knocked out Shorab in the last 16 with a goal very late in a first half in which his opponent had edged possession, though the Milton Keynes veteran was beaten by a single Darren Clark strike in an all-English quarter-final.
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The unusual double-header gave players a unique opportunity to contest a pair of Grand Prix events over the same weekend. And whilst a second tough event in as many days in a different city in a different country would be expected to be demanding, for some the affects weren't showing.
Kasper Bennett made a stronger impression in Dublin, holding Mifsud to a goalless draw in the group stage then beating Olivier Pere in overtime in their barrage round clash. The young England hope had faced an early exit in Belfast following a very difficult draw pairing him with Verhagen and rising Belgian player David Fraikin.
Laurent Goor however proved to be the surprise package on Sunday. After losing 2-0 to Massimo Cremona in Northern Ireland's last 32, the Belgian - ranked a relatively lowly 64 in the world - was a shoot-out away from reaching Dublin's final.
Goor forced a 3-3 draw against Verhagen after 30 minutes of an enthralling semi, and had the best chance of overtime, but the world number 1 just tipped the shot over with his keeper midway through.
The Belgian looked set to win the ensuing shoot-out, leading 2-1 after three shots each. However he transpired to miss his last two efforts, whilst Verhagen scored from both of his.
Goor had accounted for England's best two hopes of success ahead of his semi-final tie with Verhagen.
Against Shorab in the last 16, the Belgian fell behind early on, but was back on level terms five minutes later. With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, the England international was awarded a free kick in sight of his opponent's goal, but he failed to create a shooting opportunity and conceded possession. Goor quickly broke up field and hit a shot that found the net via Shorab's hand.
That proved to be the winner as the world number 10 was unable to convert his chances into goals after the interval.
The quarter-final against Darren Clark appeared to be an easier proposition, with Goor leading 2-0 at half time. But Clark came back strongly, and dominated the second half, scoring the two goals needed to take the game into overtime. The England player had the chances to win game in the extra period, with at least four clear-cut opportunities, but he failed to take them and paid the price when he exited on the lottery of shots.
There were better fortunes for the other English players. Bob Varney eliminated the previous day's finalist Mifsud after overtime in the last 16, and then almost added the scalp of the Belfast winner David Ruelle in the quarters.
Starting the game with somewhat of a negative attitude, Varney played defensively in the first half, allowing Ruelle to attack him and by halftime the Belgian was 2-0 up.
The second half saw a transformation as Varney went at - and outplayed - his opponent.
He pulled one goal back, and then hit a well taken equaliser, to send the tie into overtime. Inside the final minute of the extra period, Varney had the ball in the shooting area, but couldn't quite fashion out the angle for a shot.
He conceded possession and Ruelle quickly put a move together, working the ball up the pitch, before striking a low shot into the net for the winning goal just seconds shy of a shoot-out.
England's last representative, Chris Thomas - who had pushed Ruelle close in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat in Saturday - bowed out on shots against Massimo Cremona. The Maltese player had had the better of the overtime period, though Thomas may have won the tie with the final flick of regular play, but his long-range shot was superbly tipped away by Cremona's keeper.
A repeat of a Belfast semi-final saw Cremona beat Ruelle 3-2 in overtime to avenge the previous day's defeat and set up another final against Verhagen. Ironically all four international finals that the Maltese star has reached this season have been against the Dutchman.
In a surreal match, interrupted by several bathroom breaks for the referee and played to the accompaniment of a session musician performing in the upstairs bar, Verhagen had established a two goal lead by the 10 minute mark.
Cremona responded immediately, and having just gone close with one effort, he pulled one goal back, before hitting the bar ahead of the interval.
The Maltese world number 8 created further chances at the start of the second half. However despite having a goal disallowed later on, Verhagen - who played the final, perhaps tellingly, in a Bologna Tigers team shirt - appeared set to hold on for the victory in normal time.
But Cremona's calmness and experience paid off as he struck the equaliser with less than two minutes to play.
However in this tale of two cities, after being the worst of times on the pitch in Belfast, Verhagen ensured that it would be the best of times for him in Dublin. He created an opening in the centre, lined up the shot, composed himself, and then placed the ball into the top corner of the goal for the sudden death winner.
As the Dutchman would say: Siiii!
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England made a clean sweep of the four categories in Belfast, in each case at the expense of celtic opposition. Most significant was Sam Curtis' victory in the U15, which should be enough for him to move to number one in the world junior rankings at the next monthly update. Curtis also won the following day's U15 tournament in Dublin.
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Last 16
Eric Verhagen (NED) 5 David Lauder (WAL) 1
Joseph Mifsud (MAL) 1 Hansel Mallia (MAL) 0
Darren Clark (ENG) 3 Olivier Pere (BEL) 1
Bob Varney (ENG) 1 Shorab (ENG) 0
Massimo Cremona (MAL) 3 David Pawsey (ENG) 1
Phil Redman (ENG) 2 Trevor Cummings (NIR) 1 (OT)
Chris Thomas (ENG) 2 Wolfgang Haas (AUT) 1
David Ruelle (BEL) 3 David Fraikin (BEL) 2
Joseph Mifsud 2 Eric Verhagen 1
Darren Clark 1 Bob Varney 0
Massimo Cremona 4 Phil Redman 0
David Ruelle 2 Chris Thomas 1
Joseph Mifsud 1 Darren Clark 0
David Ruelle 2 Massimo Cremona 1
David Ruelle 2 Joseph Mifsud 0
Veterans: Alan Collins 1 John Lauder 0
Under-19: Anthony Collins 2 Stevie Manson 0
Under-15: Sam Curtis 2 Fraser Boyd 0
Females: Louise Lawrenson 2 Georgia Lee 1
Plate: Kaspar Bennett 3 Paul Lawrenson 1
Eric Verhagen (NED) 3 David Fraikin (BEL) 0
Hansel Mallia(MAL) 4 Wolfgang Haas (AUT) 2
Darren Clark (ENG) 2 Philippe Hipfinger (BEL) 0
Laurent Goor (BEL) 2 Shorab (ENG) 1
Massimo Cremona (MAL) 1 David Pawsey (ENG) 0
Chris Thomas (ENG) 2 Kasper Bennett (ENG) 0
Bob Varney (ENG) 2 Joseph Mifsud (MAL) 1 (OT)
David Ruelle (BEL) 1 Kenny Beggs (NIR) 0
Eric Verhagen 2 Hansel Mallia 0
Laurent Goor 2 Darren Clark 2 (OT, shots: 2-0)
Massimo Cremona 2 Chris Thomas 2 (OT, shots: 3-2)
David Ruelle 3 Bob Varney 2 (OT)
Eric Verhagen 0 Laurent Goor 0 (OT, shots: 3-2)
Massimo Cremona 3 David Ruelle 2 (OT)
Eric Verhagen 3 Massimo Cremona 2 (OT)
Under-15: 1st Sam Curtis
Plate: Adrian Curtis 3 John Moore 0
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