REIGNING champion Billy Castle is hot on the heels of cousin Shane thanks to a rollercoaster final victory over Dan Hildyard in the Chandler’s Ford £1,000 Under-21 Roll-Up.

Billy Castle

The 15-year-old, who has three tournaments left to overhaul the rankings leader, produced the shot of the day to take a 2-0 lead before a Hildyard comeback forced a decider.

After taking the first frame on the black, Castle needed the last two colours to win the second. Finishing the wrong side of the pink, the Marchwood youngster swung the cue-ball round four cushions to land perfectly on the black.

But Hildyard, 16, made 59 from a fluked red to pull one back and squared the match on the black. Castle clinched a 3-2 win with a run of 70.

“That was a nice break,” he said. “I had to work hard for it. Lots of long shots and cutbacks. If the bunch [of reds] weren’t like that I might’ve had a century.”

Castle, who is now level with Hildyard (Fair Oak) in second, beat Lee Roling 3-1, Jordan Sainsbury, 14, 3-0 and Totton’s Kevin Impett 3-1. Ollie Tydeman, 17, potted a 56 in a 3-0 win over Jordan Winbourne, 11 who knocked in a 52, his first half-century, in a midweek practice match against Matt Gussin.

Hildyard (Fair Oak) saw off Tydeman (Chandler’s Ford) 3-1 in the semis. Lee Ashbolt reached the Plate final with runs of 44 and 41 in a 3-1 victory over Lee Roling. After a first-round exit, Jason Hildyard, 14, chalked up a 42 to beat left-hander John Smith (Otterbourne) 3-1 in the Plate and missed a tricky black for the match at 2-1 up in the final. Ashbolt (Mansbridge) remained in fourth after a 3-2 win.

Castle has been signed by Southampton & District Social Clubs’ Premier outfit Churchills’ A for the new league season and beat Paul Couch 2-0 in a 7-3 home win over Beaulieu and East Boldre.

Captain Dave Mumford said: “He was faultless. It was the best debut performance I’ve ever seen.”

Picture: Kevin Legg