THREE regulars from a pub in Faversham have tasted glory in a national pool tournament.

William Anderson, Glen Stevens and Dean Cole, representing the popular Market Inn tavern in West Street, battled through to the quarter-finals of the Embassy Gold Cue Tournament at Great Yarmouth.

They entered the tournament of 256 teams believing they might win one or two rounds before but make no real impact on a tournament offering £23,000 prize-money.

But after demolishing the Compasses, Egham 5-0 and the Woolpack, Dewsbury 5-0 in the first two rounds, they began to believe in miracles.

Deans “A”, from Ely were swept aside 5-3 in the third round, the Marquee “A” team went down 5-3 in the fourth and Walsall’s Bradford Arms were defeated 5-2 in the fifth by the all-conquering Faversham trio.

But sadly the Market’s brilliant run came to an abrupt halt in the quarter-finals with a 5-0 whitewashing from the Royal Oak, Sheffield.

But skipper Anderson, 34, a clinical nurse specialist, was not complaining after going so far in a tournament they had left by the end of the second round last year.

After collecting a plaque and a cheque for £650, he said: “We didn’t take any supporters with us this year because we wanted to concentrate on our pool.

“Thankfully, that decision was rewarded by the remarkable progress we made. I must pay tribute to Glen and Deano, who were superb. Deano, playing at the top of his game, had an 80 per cent success rate in his games.”

William and his teammates Glen Stevens, 35, who runs a painting and decorators business, and Dean, 30, a sash window fitter, began playing regular pool together for the first time five years ago.