Shane and Jordan defy the years

Shane Castle

But it was nine-year-old wonderkid Castle who dealt the killer blow to clinch a third Chandler’s Ford £1,000 Under-21 Roll-Up final victory of the 20-week series.

Castle (Marchwood) took the first frame but 11-year-old Winbourne (Hedge End) levelled with breaks of 32 and 31. The Pontin’s under-12 finalist replied with 55 AND 33 to take the third.

Castle won the fourth on the black to deny the South of England Cuestars under-12 champion a decider and the chance of a first Roll-Up tournament win.

But coach Dave Mumford, who missed the finale by seconds, had a word of caution for his protégé.

“[Shane] will plateau at some stage,” he said. “His progress has been so rapid. As we all know, when we’ve played there will come a time when we’ll think this game is a bit easy and then all of a sudden you can’t get 50. That’s when you’ve got to continue to practise and continue to graft.”

Castle beat both cousin Billy, 15, and Fair Oak’s Jason Hildyard, 14, 3-0 in the early rounds.

It looked like the rankings leader’s bubble had burst in the quarter-final. Lee Ashbolt, conceding a 30-point start, led 2-0. But Castle levelled and raced to a 50-point lead with three reds left in the decider. Ashbolt (Mansbridge) forced a re-spot but the youngster held his nerve to pot the black.

Former Daily Echo champion Mumford remarked: “Being 2-0 down doesn’t faze him. He does have this ability of taking each frame as it comes and not really looking too far ahead.”

A 3-1 semis victory over Lee Roling took Castle to a seventh final out of 13.

EASB referee Steve Hildyard said: “He expects to get everything he goes for.”

Arron McIntyre added: “You forget he’s only nine when you watch him play.”

Winbourne recorded five breaks of more than 30. As well as the two in the final, he chalked up 33 against McIntyre (Hiltingbury), 32 in a 3-1 win over Peter Maraziotis and 37 in a 3-2 semis victory against John Smith (Otterbourne).

Ashbolt, 20, scored 54 in a first-round win over Totton’s Kevin Impett, Alex Dunkley (Bursledon) added 81 in a last-eight defeat by Smith, 18 and Maraziotis (West End) served up a 64 in his quarter-final loss to Winbourne.

Defending champion Billy Castle beat McIntyre, 18, 3-0 in the Plate final to leapfrog Dan Hildyard, 16, into second but has a 28-point mountain to climb.

In mid-week practice matches, Hildyard (Fair Oak) fired in a new high break of 127 and Jordan Sainsbury, 14, recorded a personal best of 62.

Picture: Kevin Legg