ISLAND champion Martyn Desperques has chalked up his 17th league victory in a row, but the run very nearly ended against Adrian Lihou.

The drama occurred in the second Image Group Premier League meeting between Gremlin Galacticos and La Villette, which ended in a draw.

At the top of the card, Desperques was facing his first defeat of the season when, after sharing the first two frames, Lihou potted the penultimate red in the third to go 36 ahead and sit plumb on the black.

That should have been that, but Lihou’s surprise miss saw Desperques step in to lay a snooker at the first attempt and draw the foul using Adam Shorto’s cue because his own had a split tip.

The island champion immediately followed it up with a long red and cleared the remaining colours to snatch the victory.