A TRIO of Hampshire students were two frames away from being crowned UK university 9-ball pool champions.

Captain Micky Olding, Simon Alderton and Kurtis Haberstraw finished as runners-up in the three-day event at Park Inn by Radisson Telford.

The cuemen from the University of Southampton topped their round-robin group, accounted for Nottingham 2-1 in the quarter finals, beat highly-fancied Exeter 2-0 but lost 2-1 in the final to Ulster.

Alderton lost 5-3 in the deciding match against the Northern Ireland team, who were last season’s BUCS 8-Ball champions.

Olding, 24, who grew up in Peterborough and is doing a PhD in biomedical research, said: “It’s always disappointing to lose a final but I can’t fault my team.

“We showed our talent throughout and fully deserved to make the final.”

The Universities Pool Council 9-Ball Championships attracted 47 teams from 25 universities.

Ashley Rogers, president of the Southampton University Snooker & Pool Club, said: “The final wasn’t meant to be but it was a fantastic achievement by the guys.”