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MICKEY Joyce has partially satisfied his new-found hunger for snooker by winning his first tournament for 20 months.
The 15-year-old from Basingstoke pocketed £100 prize money after edging a close-run final on the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour in south London.
Joyce beat fellow England international Jamie Wilson 2-1 on the final black after trailing by 27 points with one red left in the decider at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
He insisted that being one shot away from defeat didn’t bother him.
“I see it as a challenge,” he said. “And I like a challenge.”
Joyce, who is based at The Academy in his home town, has still been competing on the national junior circuit but had lost the craving to practise.
“I really want to get back into it now,” he explained.
“I’ve been practising with (professional) Billy Castle and that’s really, really helped me. My shot choices have improved a bit.”
And he thanked his mum and dad - Mel and Eamon - for taking him to all the tournaments.
It was a landmark day for Wilson that ended an eight-year wait. The 15-year-old talent from Havant had reached the final of a Cuestars event for the first time in 66 attempts.
Joyce knocked out rankings leader Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-1 in the last-four.
In the second semi, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) went down 2-1 to Wilson.
Only four breaks of more than 40 were recorded by the 13 players on the club’s professional standard Star tables in the fourth leg sponsored by Frames Sports Bar and Mr Gold.
Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) compiled the highest of 83 in his first group-stage match against home player Ronnie Sullivan.
“It was tough,” admitted Joyce. “The tables are just completely different. You have to play a different game and not go for too many shots.”
Cowdroy leads Wilson by 23 points at the top of the rankings. Oliver Sykes is three points further back in third and two ahead of his Chandlers Ford clubmate Benzey.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Connor Benzey: 83.
Steven Hughes: 57.
Mickey Joyce: 54.
Bradley Cowdroy: 46.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Marcos Dayao (London); 2nd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 4th, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Academy, Basingstoke); 2nd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): S Hughes 2-1 Dayao, Cowdroy 2-0 Benzey, Wilson 2-1 Sykes, Joyce 2-0 Weston.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 2-1 S Hughes, Joyce 2-1 Cowdroy.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Joyce 2-1 Wilson.
Riley leads Silver rankings after Coulsdon success
WILTSHIRE potter Riley Ellis has taken over top spot on the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour after collecting his second winner’s trophy of the season in London.
The 14-year-old from Clyffe Pypard overcame first-time finalist Richard Hillgrove (Southend) 2-0 in the fourth leg at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
Ellis, who also won the second leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar, has a slender one-point advantage over Louie Leighton (Basildon).
Reflecting on a weekend beset by car and train problems, the tired teenager said: “It’s been long.”
But Ellis battled hard all day, no more so than in his 2-1 semi-final victory over Will Forster (Gosport).
He won the first frame on the black, lost the next on a re-spotted black after needing snookers and stepped up a gear to cruise through the decider.
Leighton dropped to second after finishing bottom of his four-man round-robin group, in the event sponsored by Frames Sports Bar and Mr Gold, thanks to defeats by Harry Wilson (Havant) and Will Forster (Gosport).
Keegan Reed (Salisbury) was denied a first appearance in a final. A 2-1 defeat by Hillgrove was his sixth semi-final exit.
Ellis - the 2016/17 Bronze Tour rankings champion, who is sponsored by the 147 Snooker Club in Swindon and Save On Tyres - leads Leighton by one point at the top of the rankings.
Leg-three winner Shane Kearns (Swindon), who was beaten 2-1 by Ellis in the last-eight, is third. Hillgrove moves up to fourth.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 37, 31.
Will Forster: 31.
Zak Truscott: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 2nd, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters SC, Swindon); 3rd, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 2nd, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 3rd, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Forster 2-0 M Wilson, Ellis 2-1 Kearns, Reed 2-1 Petty, Hillgrove 2-0 H Wilson.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2-1 Forster, Hillgrove 2-1 Reed.
FINAL (25/18 points): Ellis 2-0 Hillgrove.
Donovan on song on Cuestars debut
A YOUNG potter from Somers Town in London ended a remarkable three weeks by collecting the winner’s trophy on his Cuestars debut.
John Donovan beat Jack Mullen 2-0 in the final of the fourth leg of the Under-21 Bronze Tour at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
The 12-year-old revealed he only entered the event because his World Snooker coach John Woods persuaded him to.
Donovan, who described the day as “fun”, said: “My snooker coach said I’d do well.”
And reflecting on the final in which he recorded runs of 24, 23 and 21, he added: “It was tough but I made a couple of breaks.”
Last month, Donovan, who is based at the Kings Cross Hurricane Room, qualified for the last-16 of the English Under-14 Championship at his first attempt.
“I was surprised because I didn’t think I could do it,” he said.
He now faces a trip to Leeds next May for the knockout stage.
And the following week, he increased his highest break to 33.
Beaten finalist Mullen, 15, from South Croydon, was also making his first Cuestars outing.
Meanwhile, ten-year-old Owen Jenkins (Havant) remains top of the rankings but his lead over Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) has been cut to five points.
Smith beat Jenkins 2-0 in the last-eight but was defeated 2-1 to Mullen in the semi-finals.
Third-placed Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth) lost in the semis for the fourth time this season. He went down 2-0 to Donovan, who topped his round-robin group despite losing to Taylor Elliott (Swindon).
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Thomas Sharp: 27.
John Donovan: 24, 24, 23, 21, 21.
Harry Wyatt: 20.
Jack Mullen: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); tied for 3rd, Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport), Will Kempson (Salisbury SC), Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, John Donovan (Hurricane Rooms, Kings Cross); 2nd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 4th, Taylor Elliott (147 SC, Swindon); 5th, Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jack Mullen (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Sharp 2-0 Wyatt, Donovan 2-0 Griffin, Smith 2-0 Jenkins, Mullen 2-0 D Walter.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Mullen 2-1 Smith, Donovan 2-0 Sharp.
FINAL (25/18 points): Donovan 2-0 Mullen.
O’Shay claims another trophy as Will collects his first
TWO nine-year-olds contested the Plate final during the fourth legs of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
Silver Tour player O’Shay ‘The Angry Wasp’ Scott (Eastleigh) defeated Will Kempson (Salisbury) to claim the winner’s trophy.
Kempson, who collected his first Cuestars trophy, had finished joint third in his Bronze group in his fifth tournament but missed out on qualifying for the knockout on frames difference.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Louie Leighton (Basildon SC) beat Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon), Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport), O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Taylor Elliott (147 SC, Swindon), Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC) beat Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS: Chloe White beat Leighton, Scott beat S Laxton, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Mason, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC) beat George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS: Scott beat Chloe White, Kempson beat Callum White.
FINAL: Scott beat Kempson.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
The 15-year-old from Basingstoke pocketed £100 prize money after edging a close-run final on the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour in south London.
Joyce beat fellow England international Jamie Wilson 2-1 on the final black after trailing by 27 points with one red left in the decider at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
He insisted that being one shot away from defeat didn’t bother him.
“I see it as a challenge,” he said. “And I like a challenge.”
Joyce, who is based at The Academy in his home town, has still been competing on the national junior circuit but had lost the craving to practise.
“I really want to get back into it now,” he explained.
“I’ve been practising with (professional) Billy Castle and that’s really, really helped me. My shot choices have improved a bit.”
And he thanked his mum and dad - Mel and Eamon - for taking him to all the tournaments.
It was a landmark day for Wilson that ended an eight-year wait. The 15-year-old talent from Havant had reached the final of a Cuestars event for the first time in 66 attempts.
Joyce knocked out rankings leader Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-1 in the last-four.
In the second semi, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) went down 2-1 to Wilson.
Only four breaks of more than 40 were recorded by the 13 players on the club’s professional standard Star tables in the fourth leg sponsored by Frames Sports Bar and Mr Gold.
Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) compiled the highest of 83 in his first group-stage match against home player Ronnie Sullivan.
“It was tough,” admitted Joyce. “The tables are just completely different. You have to play a different game and not go for too many shots.”
Cowdroy leads Wilson by 23 points at the top of the rankings. Oliver Sykes is three points further back in third and two ahead of his Chandlers Ford clubmate Benzey.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Connor Benzey: 83.
Steven Hughes: 57.
Mickey Joyce: 54.
Bradley Cowdroy: 46.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Marcos Dayao (London); 2nd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 4th, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Academy, Basingstoke); 2nd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): S Hughes 2-1 Dayao, Cowdroy 2-0 Benzey, Wilson 2-1 Sykes, Joyce 2-0 Weston.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 2-1 S Hughes, Joyce 2-1 Cowdroy.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Joyce 2-1 Wilson.
Riley leads Silver rankings after Coulsdon success
WILTSHIRE potter Riley Ellis has taken over top spot on the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour after collecting his second winner’s trophy of the season in London.
The 14-year-old from Clyffe Pypard overcame first-time finalist Richard Hillgrove (Southend) 2-0 in the fourth leg at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
Ellis, who also won the second leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar, has a slender one-point advantage over Louie Leighton (Basildon).
Reflecting on a weekend beset by car and train problems, the tired teenager said: “It’s been long.”
But Ellis battled hard all day, no more so than in his 2-1 semi-final victory over Will Forster (Gosport).
He won the first frame on the black, lost the next on a re-spotted black after needing snookers and stepped up a gear to cruise through the decider.
Leighton dropped to second after finishing bottom of his four-man round-robin group, in the event sponsored by Frames Sports Bar and Mr Gold, thanks to defeats by Harry Wilson (Havant) and Will Forster (Gosport).
Keegan Reed (Salisbury) was denied a first appearance in a final. A 2-1 defeat by Hillgrove was his sixth semi-final exit.
Ellis - the 2016/17 Bronze Tour rankings champion, who is sponsored by the 147 Snooker Club in Swindon and Save On Tyres - leads Leighton by one point at the top of the rankings.
Leg-three winner Shane Kearns (Swindon), who was beaten 2-1 by Ellis in the last-eight, is third. Hillgrove moves up to fourth.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 37, 31.
Will Forster: 31.
Zak Truscott: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 2nd, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters SC, Swindon); 3rd, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 2nd, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 3rd, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Riley Ellis (147 SC, Swindon); 2nd, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Forster 2-0 M Wilson, Ellis 2-1 Kearns, Reed 2-1 Petty, Hillgrove 2-0 H Wilson.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2-1 Forster, Hillgrove 2-1 Reed.
FINAL (25/18 points): Ellis 2-0 Hillgrove.
Donovan on song on Cuestars debut
A YOUNG potter from Somers Town in London ended a remarkable three weeks by collecting the winner’s trophy on his Cuestars debut.
John Donovan beat Jack Mullen 2-0 in the final of the fourth leg of the Under-21 Bronze Tour at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
The 12-year-old revealed he only entered the event because his World Snooker coach John Woods persuaded him to.
Donovan, who described the day as “fun”, said: “My snooker coach said I’d do well.”
And reflecting on the final in which he recorded runs of 24, 23 and 21, he added: “It was tough but I made a couple of breaks.”
Last month, Donovan, who is based at the Kings Cross Hurricane Room, qualified for the last-16 of the English Under-14 Championship at his first attempt.
“I was surprised because I didn’t think I could do it,” he said.
He now faces a trip to Leeds next May for the knockout stage.
And the following week, he increased his highest break to 33.
Beaten finalist Mullen, 15, from South Croydon, was also making his first Cuestars outing.
Meanwhile, ten-year-old Owen Jenkins (Havant) remains top of the rankings but his lead over Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) has been cut to five points.
Smith beat Jenkins 2-0 in the last-eight but was defeated 2-1 to Mullen in the semi-finals.
Third-placed Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth) lost in the semis for the fourth time this season. He went down 2-0 to Donovan, who topped his round-robin group despite losing to Taylor Elliott (Swindon).
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
BREAKS
Thomas Sharp: 27.
John Donovan: 24, 24, 23, 21, 21.
Harry Wyatt: 20.
Jack Mullen: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); tied for 3rd, Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport), Will Kempson (Salisbury SC), Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, John Donovan (Hurricane Rooms, Kings Cross); 2nd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 4th, Taylor Elliott (147 SC, Swindon); 5th, Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Jack Mullen (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Sharp 2-0 Wyatt, Donovan 2-0 Griffin, Smith 2-0 Jenkins, Mullen 2-0 D Walter.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Mullen 2-1 Smith, Donovan 2-0 Sharp.
FINAL (25/18 points): Donovan 2-0 Mullen.
O’Shay claims another trophy as Will collects his first
TWO nine-year-olds contested the Plate final during the fourth legs of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon.
Silver Tour player O’Shay ‘The Angry Wasp’ Scott (Eastleigh) defeated Will Kempson (Salisbury) to claim the winner’s trophy.
Kempson, who collected his first Cuestars trophy, had finished joint third in his Bronze group in his fifth tournament but missed out on qualifying for the knockout on frames difference.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 6.
For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.framessportsbar.co.uk and contact Mr Gold via js.gold@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930 355677.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Louie Leighton (Basildon SC) beat Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon), Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport), O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Taylor Elliott (147 SC, Swindon), Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC) beat Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS: Chloe White beat Leighton, Scott beat S Laxton, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Mason, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC) beat George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
SEMI-FINALS: Scott beat Chloe White, Kempson beat Callum White.
FINAL: Scott beat Kempson.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)