YORK squash sensation Neil Cordell helped guide England Under-15s to the European Team title by dropping just three points in four matches.

However, the 13-year-old Joseph Rowntree School pupil was denied his chance to continue his winning run in the final of the competition after England's French opponents were disqualified for playing their players out of turn.

In the pool stages, Cordell dropped just a solitary point in the matches against Belgium, Israel and Norway, while he was rested for the home nations clash against Scotland.

England and Cordell maintained their run into the knockout stages, with the York youngster taking a 9-0, 9-0 victory against Netherlands and again being rested for the comfortable semi-final win over Scotland.

The competition ended in controversy, though, as England won by default after the French broke the rules by playing their number two player first, and then attempting to have their top player come in at number two against Cordell.

This breach of the rules left the judges with no choice but to hand the English side the title.

It was Wigginton player Cordell's final tournament of the season and next year he has his eyes on the British Under-15 title, having reached the semi-finals this year.

Updated: 11:18 Tuesday, June 03, 2003