National duty dents Lloyd’s title hopes
NATIONAL duty may scupper Mark Lloyd’s chance of clinching the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour rankings title.
The 15-year-old, based at Stoke Snooker Club, Gosport, regained the lead after accounting for his number-one rival Brad Chappell 2-0 in the final of the fifth leg at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
But Lloyd misses the next event because he will be in Leeds for the last-16 of the English Under-16 Championship.
“Best of luck to everyone,” he said. “(But) I need to concentrate on the EASB events.”
Lloyd, who has a seven-point lead over Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), admitted he “struggled through the day”.
Chappell doubled the match-ball black in the deciding frame of his semi-final to deny Jonny Mutch (Cambridge SC) a first appearance in a final.
Eleven-year-old Mickey Joyce, one of only two (the other was Cameron Holt) to take a frame off Lloyd throughout the entire day, missed out on qualifying for the knockout as one of the two best third-placed players by one frame.
The sixth leg of eight is at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club on Sunday, March 1.
BREAKS
Mark Lloyd: 66, 42.
Brad Chappell: 57, 54, 54, 47.
Oliver Parsons: 56, 49.
Josh Lee: 47.
Bradley Cowdroy: 44.
Stewart Ball: 43.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Ollie Parsons (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Josh Lee (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 4th, Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 5th, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Jonny Mutch (Cambridge SC); 3rd, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport); 5th, Cameron Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Chappell 2 Petty 0, Mutch 2 Cowdroy 1, Lloyd 2 Lee 0, Ball 2 Rice 1.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Lloyd 2 Ball 0, Chappell 2 Mutch 1.
FINAL (£50/£25 25/18 points): Lloyd 2 Chappell 0.
Picture: Mark Lloyd (left) and Brad Chappell.
Report by Tim Dunkley