DARREN Morgan returned home from Albania yesterday with two additions to his trophy cabinet after completing another magnificent double on the green baize.

Newbridge cueman Morgan beat fellow Welshman Elfed Evans 6-2 to clinch the European Masters title, having already defeated Ireland’s Michael Judge in the European Open final a week earlier.

For the 51-year-old former Crucible semi-finalist it was a repeat of what he achieved at the same European Billiards and Snooker Association tournaments last year, when both were held in Lithuania.

His victory over Evans, who he reached the last four of the masters team competition with, also saw Morgan win the European Masters for a third successive year.

In all, Morgan has now won 21 of the 33 international amateur events he has entered over the past decade, and he is hoping for more before he hangs up his cue.

“The standard at European level is probably the best it has been, certainly in the masters event,” he said.

“There are lots more players coming into masters events soon after turning 40 and I’m giving away years to most of the guys out there.

“My days might be numbered but if I can keep being competitive then I’ll probably have three or four years left in me.

“As long as I can compete and do myself justice then I’ll keep going, I’m not someone who would go to tournaments just for the craic.

“I’m still very passionate when I have the chance to play for my country, and every time I do represent Wales I treat it like it’s the first time.”

Both events in Albania followed a similar pattern for Morgan, who came on strong in the latter stages of each.

He won all three pool matches in the European Masters, before ousting Finland’s Mika Hummelin and Ireland’s Stephen Walsh to set up a quarter-final with Judge.

The Irishman was dispatched 5-2, England’s Wayne Brown fell 5-0 to the Welshman in the semis, after which Morgan got the better of teammate Evans to lift the trophy.

“I nearly did the treble last year but missed out in the team event, and it was the same this year,” added Morgan.

“You always want more but if someone had offered me the double before I went out there I would have taken it.

“The Masters went the same way as the Open.

“I started off a bit slow in the group but from the quarter-finals on I played very well.

“It was hard against Elfed in the final because he is a good friend, we played together in the team competition and we roomed together.

“If I hadn’t reached the final I’d have wanted him to win it.”

But while Morgan couldn’t make it a treble in the masters team championship, Blackwood’s Andrew Pagett and Halkyn’s Alex Taubman did go on to win the men’s final.

The duo finished top of their group, knocked out Poland and Israel in the quarters and semis respectively, and then defeated Ireland’s John Farrell and Mark Tuite to take the spoils.