SNOOKER star John Parrott was back home on Merseyside today still trying to come to terms with the 'frightening' way he was knocked out of the PowerHouse UK Championship in York.

The 1991 World and UK champion was beaten 9-5 by world No 70 Adrian Gunnell, from Telford.

"My head is completely done in," he said of the manner of his defeat last night. "To go from 3-2 up to 5-3 down it was unbelievable. Every time he missed he left me nothing. Every time I missed I stuck one over the pocket. I had a loaded gun and nothing to aim for.

"I have never had so many 'kicks' on shots.

"I had the screams. It was frightening. My head was cabbaged.

"What happened out there shouldn't happen to a dog. It was as bad as any match I have played. I got fed up with the number of times he said sorry."

A 125 break in the fifth frame put Parrott 3-2 ahead but it all went wrong for him after that as Gunnell won five frames in a row. Parrott won the 11th frame but missed a pink off its spot in the next. He won the 13th but then Gunnell made a 60 break to clinch victory.

And the Telford player's view of the match was not the same as Parrott's.

"John seems to have a very selective memory," he said. "He never stopped moaning and was shaking his head so often I thought it would come off.

"I would not call it gamesmanship but when it goes against him he lets you know. He does try to intimidate you.

"I think it was a flattering score but it was a massive win for me and I have got to the BBC televised stages of a tournament for the first time after eight years of trying."

Gunnell, who won four qualifying matches in September to get to York, now has a huge task against UK defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Barbican Centre on Saturday.

"It depends how he is - genius or self-destruct, though he seems to have sorted himself out in the last 18 months and is more professional. If I play well there is no reason I cannot win thought I don't expect to."

Parrott will be back in York at the weekend to work for BBC Television during the second week of the championship.


Updated: 12:11 Wednesday, December 04, 2002