IT'S not every day that you can say you beat a former world champion in a game of pool.
But that's exactly what Sperrin maestro Billy Moore did when he came up against the 2005 Embassy World Snooker champion, Shaun Murphy, in the Invitational 8Ball Pro-Am Pool Classic at the Lough Erne Hotel in Kesh, Co. Fermanagh.
Billy defeated Mur
phy 8-6 in the last 32 of the competition - a fantastic achievement against the World No4.
Billy said: "I was well chuffed. Afterwards Shaun and his manager told me that they admired the way I played the game.
"Shaun might have been a wee bit slow on the rules of pool but when he was among the balls he didn't miss. He could pot them off the lampshades.
"The first 12 frames of the match went frame about until 6-6 and then I took the last two frames to win. I had three eight ball finishes from the break and Shaun had two or three himself so there wasn't much tactics involved.
"It was a really enjoyable match."
As our picture shows Billy and Shaun look very alike - something that became the source of some good-natured banter before the match.
Billy explained: "I've had a bit of stick over the years that I look like Shaun Murphy so when it was confirmed we were playing each other these Scottish lads were shouting over to him that he was playing his big brother!
"After the match Shaun was very chatty. He's a very, very nice fella. We talked about his prepartions for the World Championships and he was telling me that he was heading off to the China Open next."
The annual event once again attracted a long list of professional pool players including 2008 Men's World 8Ball champion and current holder of the event, Gareth Potts, World 8Ball ladies champion Lynette Horsburgh and another former snooker world champion, Ken Doherty.
Unfortunately Billy was knocked out in the next round by England's World 9 Ball champion Karl Boyes.
"I was still on a high from beating Shaun and lost 8-2 to Kevin," admitted Billy.
Another Coleraine Bass League player, Willie Eakin, who turns out for McNulty's A, also performed very well at the prestigious tournament.
Willie made it to the last 32, going down in a titanic battle with Scottish professional Andy Crosdale by eight frames to six. The competition was won by Welsh wizard Ben Davis who defeated defending champion Gareth Potts 10-8 in a superb final.
Billy recently made the last 32 in the European Championships in Dundalk and was runner-up, along with Sperrin team-mates, Raymond Stockman and Paul O'Connor in the Mr Chips Three Person Team event at the Coleraine Festival of Pool.
FESTIVAL OF POOL - p45
