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IT’S not surprising that Bracknell snooker ace Matt Ford admits he’s got “bags” of confidence at the moment.
The 38-year-old has only played two events on the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour and he’s won then both.
He has also booked a place in the last-16 south of the English Amateur Championship and his Reading team is in the final of the inter-league competition run by the Harrow & District Snooker & Billiards League.
“Confidence plays a massive part,” he said. “And I have bags of it at present. Long may it continue.
“When I am in the balls, I am scoring heavily and winning frames in single visits. I need to tighten up on my safety play and maybe not take on so many long balls but sometimes I find them hard to refuse, being such an aggressive player.”
After emerging victorious from his Cuestars debut in Woking last month, Ford repeated the feat in the fifth leg at Salisbury Snooker Club.
Ford, who only dropped one frame all day, missed out on four century breaks after breaking down or running out of position on 94, 92, 90 and 84.
A 2-0 victory over Neil Clayton (Woking SC) in the final gave him an outside chance of catching rankings leader Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL).
However, the Sunninghill Comrades Club cueman insists even winning the remaining two events might not be enough.
“I think if I can win the remaining two legs then it might be very close,” he said.
“With regards to catching Jon Charlton, he reached another semi-final (in Salisbury) and seems to be knocking on the door in every event. But we’ll see.”
Charlton, beaten 2-1 by Clayton, takes a 20-point lead over group-stage casualty Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading) into the final two events. Ford, who ended home player Adam Guyatt’s return to the Cuestars circuit in the last-four, is five points further back in third spot.
Meanwhile, dad-of-two Ford said he travels to Gloucester next month for the next stage of the English Amateur Championship with no more than a “punchers’ chance” of reaching the final.
“The standard is very high and the guys playing full-time will certainly have an edge,” he explained. “I will try and put the hours in before the event but finding the time is not always easy for me with work and family life.
“But if I play like I know I can, then anything’s possible.”
The sixth leg of seven is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, April 13.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, Neil Clayton (Woking SC); 2nd, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club); 3rd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 4th, David Volante (Jesters, Swindon).
GROUP B: 1st, Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL); 2nd, Sonnie O’Sullivan (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 3rd, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading).
GROUP C: 1st, Matt Ford (Sunninghill Comrades Club, Ascot); 2nd, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Peter Chin (Woking SC).
GROUP D: 1st, Adam Guyatt (Salisbury SC); 2nd, James Bolton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Neil Herd (Player’s, Westbury).
KNOCKOUT RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS (£5, 12 points): Clayton beat Bolton 2-1, Ford beat O’Sullivan 2-0, Charlton beat Budd 2-1, Guyatt beat Thorn 2-1.
SEMI-FINALS (£15, 15 points): Ford beat Guyatt 2-1, Clayton beat Charlton 2-1.
FINAL (£50/£30, 25/18 points): Ford beat Clayton 2-0.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
The 38-year-old has only played two events on the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour and he’s won then both.
He has also booked a place in the last-16 south of the English Amateur Championship and his Reading team is in the final of the inter-league competition run by the Harrow & District Snooker & Billiards League.
“Confidence plays a massive part,” he said. “And I have bags of it at present. Long may it continue.
“When I am in the balls, I am scoring heavily and winning frames in single visits. I need to tighten up on my safety play and maybe not take on so many long balls but sometimes I find them hard to refuse, being such an aggressive player.”
After emerging victorious from his Cuestars debut in Woking last month, Ford repeated the feat in the fifth leg at Salisbury Snooker Club.
Ford, who only dropped one frame all day, missed out on four century breaks after breaking down or running out of position on 94, 92, 90 and 84.
A 2-0 victory over Neil Clayton (Woking SC) in the final gave him an outside chance of catching rankings leader Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL).
However, the Sunninghill Comrades Club cueman insists even winning the remaining two events might not be enough.
“I think if I can win the remaining two legs then it might be very close,” he said.
“With regards to catching Jon Charlton, he reached another semi-final (in Salisbury) and seems to be knocking on the door in every event. But we’ll see.”
Charlton, beaten 2-1 by Clayton, takes a 20-point lead over group-stage casualty Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading) into the final two events. Ford, who ended home player Adam Guyatt’s return to the Cuestars circuit in the last-four, is five points further back in third spot.
Meanwhile, dad-of-two Ford said he travels to Gloucester next month for the next stage of the English Amateur Championship with no more than a “punchers’ chance” of reaching the final.
“The standard is very high and the guys playing full-time will certainly have an edge,” he explained. “I will try and put the hours in before the event but finding the time is not always easy for me with work and family life.
“But if I play like I know I can, then anything’s possible.”
The sixth leg of seven is at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, April 13.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, Neil Clayton (Woking SC); 2nd, Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club); 3rd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 4th, David Volante (Jesters, Swindon).
GROUP B: 1st, Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL); 2nd, Sonnie O’Sullivan (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 3rd, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading).
GROUP C: 1st, Matt Ford (Sunninghill Comrades Club, Ascot); 2nd, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Peter Chin (Woking SC).
GROUP D: 1st, Adam Guyatt (Salisbury SC); 2nd, James Bolton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Neil Herd (Player’s, Westbury).
KNOCKOUT RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS (£5, 12 points): Clayton beat Bolton 2-1, Ford beat O’Sullivan 2-0, Charlton beat Budd 2-1, Guyatt beat Thorn 2-1.
SEMI-FINALS (£15, 15 points): Ford beat Guyatt 2-1, Clayton beat Charlton 2-1.
FINAL (£50/£30, 25/18 points): Ford beat Clayton 2-0.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)