Winchester & District League

Bidding to become the youngest player to claim the trophy, Castle missed a match-winning chance on the final brown in the decider and Nash cleared for a hard-fought 4-3 victory.

Castle’s coach Dave Mumford said: “Adam’s obviously a seasoned player. He’s been there, seen it, done it and won most things.

“For Shane not only to compete but to push him all the way was a real credit to Shane, and Adam knew that he’s been in a game at the end.

“Shane was disappointed, desperately disappointed, but he’ll be back stronger for it.”

Nash, 29, who was also Southampton’s Town Champion in 2006, said: “He played well. It was close; it could’ve gone either way.

“He’s only ten remember, people forget that.”

The young Marchwood century-breaker won a long safety battle to take the first and, after Nash levelled with a 36, regained the lead with a 75 clearance to the black.

A 31 by Castle in the fourth was cancelled out by a 51 and Nash took a 3-2 lead with a 43.

Castle potted a tough pink and black to force a decider in a frame dominated by missed opportunities.

In a tension-filled final frame, Nash’s experience began to get the better of Castle’s battling qualities and he seized on the missed brown to clinch victory.

Mumford, 39, added: “Adam played hard.”

“Having lost to Adam myself in recent years, he’s proved to me what a top player he is.”

Nash, from Bitterne, who stars for treble-winners Bishopstoke Institute in the Winchester League and Premier runners-up City Transport in the Southampton League, said: “I was quite ill; I was really bunged up. I just wanted the game over and done with.

“I didn’t ever think that I was going to lose, to be honest.”

Captain Sean Smith said: “Eric played brilliant. He was man of the match for us.”

Phillips, 79, remembers playing American servicemen on a three-quarter-sized table in Ovington. He joined Worthies, aged 19. The one-club veteran missed last year’s final defeat.

“At the end of last season I got double vision,” he said. “We played Winchester Conservatives and instead of the 15 reds there were 30.”

Defending a 30-point team aggregate handicap start against Division 2 champions Chandler’s Ford F in the last four at Churchills’, in Eastleigh, Smith gained three points against Daniel Woods.

Phillips beat Mark Hickin by 20.

Stuart Crombie lost by four to Mark Andrews and Kevin Winchcombe lost by 14 to Nick Houghton leaving Barry Scott to successfully defend a 35-point lead against Paul Goddard.

Smith said: “I was really pleased to win the first frame against Daniel Woods because he gave me a good hammering in the league match we played three or four weeks ago.”

Bishopstoke Institute kept their treble hopes alive with victory over five-time league champions Chandler’s Ford A in the second semi.

Adam Nash’s 42 break against left-hander John Smith helped set up Scott McGaw to defend a 62-point start against Mike Finn in the fifth frame

Nash and Kevin Knight beat their Bishopstoke Institute teammates Drew Farminer and Matt Windsor 3-2 in a three-hour doubles semi-final at Chandler’s Ford SC.

With nine straight Winchester League defeats and a first-round exit in the cup behind them, the team who are rooted to the foot of Division 2 travelled to Bishopstoke WMC in the Vase competition.

Deano Baigrie and captain Rob Watson gave the away side a 2-0 lead. Jason Cattle pulled one back against Gary Unsworth but Si Rowlands clinched a 3-1 victory against Bishopstoke skipper Nick Goater.

Fifth player Darren Fagan was spared the pressure of a decider.

Watson, a 36-year-old air-conditioning engineer, said: “We were all driving so we went and had a kebab; we’ll have a beer at the weekend.” 

The team was formed on New Year’s Eve last year and - apart from Rowlands, who holds the Division’s top break of 38 - none of the lads have league experience.

Watson added: “[Si] teaches us how to cue properly, the angles and how to move the white ball round the table. He’s brought the team on leaps and bounds.

“We’ve not had much luck in the league. We were 2-0 up last week and lost 3-2. That quite often happens. We bottle it at the end.”

Girl power helped Twyford B to a 4-1 victory over Winchester SC C.

Sam Paris, who used to compete on the national women’s circuit, beat Geoff Evans on the black.

Results secretary Owen Trimmer reminds teams that Monday is the final date to register new players for the rest of the season.

Vase results: C/Ford SC F 2 ERI A 3, East Winch A 5 C/Ford SC D 0, B/Stoke WMC 1 East Winch B 3, Twyford B 4 Winch SC C 1, C/Ford SC E 3 Winch Cons B 1, Worthies 2 Twyford A 3, Winch Cons C 1 Winch SC A 4, ERI B 5 Winch SC B 0.

earlier news

PETE Newbury is hoping for another home tie in the Winchester League team knockout even though his side are forced to play every match away.

The 25-year-old’s outfit were shunted out of the Locomotive Engineers Club in Eastleigh at short notice when their snooker room was converted into a function room.

“As soon as we found out we had to rush around and find a new place to play,” explained Newbury, an engineer from North Baddesley.

“At the last minute we found Eastleigh Working Men’s Club.”

In their second straight home cup victory, Tom Layton beat Lee Osgood but Graham Gregory, 60, pulled one back for Chandler’s Ford D against Peter Reed.

Newbury, in his second season as captain, beat Nigel Spiers and Mark Redwood won the match on the pink against Jim Everett.

Keith Chalk wrapped up 4-1 victory against Jamie Owens.

“I’m quite glad; we don’t usually do too well in cup games,” added Newbury. “It would be nice to have a good cup run.”

Alan Hamilton’s young guns earned Chandler’s Ford Central a 4-1 victory at Twyford B.

Lee Roling, Jamie Newman and twins Ryan and Brett Patchin all recorded wins.

Cup-holders Churchills’ marched into the quarter-finals after a 5-0 win at Winchester Conservative Club B.

Bishopstoke Institute captain Drew Farminer beat Dave Nunn 2-0 in the scratch singles.

Results: Eastleigh WMC 4 C/Ford SC D 1, C/Ford SC C 3 Twyford A 2, ERI A 1 C/Ford SC B 3, B/Stoke Inst 3 C/Ford SC E 2, ERI B 1 C/Ford SC A 3, Twyford B 1 C/Ford Central 4, Winch Cons B 0 Churchills’ 5, Winch Cons A 3 Winch SC B 0.

CUP-holders Churchills’ face a second-round away trip on Tuesday in a bid to defend the Winchester City and District Snooker League team title.

Sid Reid leads the Eastleigh side against Winchester Cons B.

Tuesday’s second-round cup ties: Twyford B v C/Ford Central, Winch Cons B v Churchills’, Winch Cons A v Winch SC B, C/Ford SC C v Twyford A, B/Stoke Inst v C/Ford SC E, ERI B v C/Ford SC A, ERI A v C/Ford SC B, Eastleigh WMC v C/Ford SC D.

Matt Windsor beat Drew Farminer 2-0 in the handicap singles and the Bishopstoke Institute pair joined forces to see off youngsters Doug Chalk and Ben Lawrence 2-0 in the doubles.   

SKIPPER James Pacey kept Eastleigh Railway Institute B on track in the Winchester City and District Snooker League team knockout despite playing with a broken right hand.

And the 22-year-old could face his dad’s team in the last 16.

Wearing a plaster cast, right-handed Pacey led his side to a 5-0 victory at Worthies.

“I did it at football,” he explained. “I landed awkwardly and broke it, and I’ve just had an operation.”

Dad Richard missed Railway A’s 3-2 home win over Winchester SC A.

“Unfortunately, I was working,” he said. “It was a good win.”

Malcolm Tomlin made good use of his handicap start to beat John Mullane and Ray Long won the decider.

And if the two sides are drawn out together?

“We’ll probably beat them,” said James.

Julian Williams and Jason Hildyard pulled back a 2-0 deficit for Winchester Cons C against Eastleigh WMC, but lost the decider.

Shane Castle, nine, beat Lawrence Cormacey to set up victory for Chandler’s Ford SC B against Winchester SC C.

Cup results: C/Ford SC B 3 Winch SC C 2, C/Ford SC F 0 C/Ford SC C 5, Twyford A 3 B/Stoke WMC 2, East Winch Soc A 2 C/Ford SC A 3, ERI A 3 Winch SC A 2, B/Stoke Inst w/o v East Winch Soc B, Worthies 0 ERI B 5, Eastleigh WMC 3 Winch Cons C 2.

..... and last season......

Nash knocked in a 58 to take a 2-0 lead over the reigning champion who took the next with a 72. A colours clearance in the last frame gave Nash his second title in two weeks and against the same opposition.

Last week, Nash and Bishopstoke Institute partner Kevin Knight beat defending champions Finn and Mark McLean by the same score to clinch the doubles trophy.

Nash, who plays for Southampton Premier champions City Transport, beat Billy Castle, 14, in the semis while Finn disposed of Dan Hildyard.

FORMER Daily Echo champion Andy Kane has won a first singles title for seven years.

Churchills’ star Kane beat Billy Castle 4-2 in the Winchester City and District handicap singles final at the Eastleigh Railway Institute.

Receiving a seven-point start, Castle, 14, potted a 40 to level at 2-2 but the more experienced Kane took the next, and a 42 break in the final frame left the youngster needing snookers.

Bishopstoke Institute pair Adam Nash and Kevin Knight won a three-hour war of attrition at Winchester Snooker Centre to lift the doubles title.

A scrappy 4-2 win stopped Chandler’s Ford pair Mike Finn and Mark McLean from clinching a hat-trick of titles.

(earlier news)

Churchills cruised to a 3-0 win over Richard Pacey’s Railway Institiute A to become the 2006 team K/O champions on Tuesday. Churchills Andy Kane made a 73 in his win against Ray Long, Chris Reynolds made it 2-0 after success over Malc Tomlin and Alan Taylor got the match frame by beating Richard Pacey.

In the Vase final, Rail Institute B went down 3-1 against C/Ford Snk E. Matt Allen put Rail B in front by beating Jack Hyom (15) on the black, Lee Roling levelled the match when beating Capt. James Pacey. Billy Castle put Ford ahead after defeating Stuart Haines and John Smith won the match frame against Mike Venn. Ford Capt.

The new Ken Caldwell cup winners will be decided this Tuesday at C/ford Central Club when Churchills take on C/Ford E, the Cup and Vase champions. Churchills defeated Snooker Centre B at Winchester while Ford E made light work of C/ford Central (357-156) in their Semi-final.

In the Ken Caldwell cup C/ford Snk D reached the 2^nd round as a result of beating Loco 317-219, they now meet Churchills. Snooker Centre D won 326-302 against their own C team. The victors now travel to Bishopstoke Institute on Tuesday. Winchester Cons B beat C/ford Snk B to earn a tie against Twyford and Rail Istitute A will meet their own B team in the next round after success over Worthies B, who were forced to play with one player short when Geoff Rowlands put his back out before the game. Finally Worthies A had a walkover against Win Cons D who could not raise a team, Worthies meet favourites Snooker Centre A on Tuesday.

In the league’s Singles Scratch semi-final, Mike Finn narrowly missed out on a maximum 147 break in his 3-1 win against Winchester’s Mark Vost. Finn was on a break of 88 (eleven blacks) with only four reds remaining in the final frame when he jawed the black in the pocket. In the other match Nick Jennings (14) triumphed over fellow club player Daniel Hildyard (15) 3-1 with breaks of 32 and 47.