THREE pool players from Wisbech narrowly missed out on winning the European Blackball Association title for England last month.

Darren McCarthy, Eric Mohammed and Andy Lucas starred for the England A team at the EBA European Masters in Bridlington, North Yorkshire. It was McCarthy’s first tournament for the national side’s elite side after 12 years of representing the country’s B-team.

England lost 17-16 to Scotland in the group stages but beat Northern Ireland (18-15), Gibraltar (31-2), Shetland (22-11), Southern Ireland (24-9) and Wales (18-15) to progress to the semi-final stage.

At 16-16, and with just one ball left on the table for Wales, McCarthy needed nerves of steel to complete an eight-ball clearance to put his country into the final.

However, Scotland outclassed England to clinch the title after notching six out of the last seven frames to win 17-12.