Desperate Rice secures first win for two years

ANTHONY Rice admitted he’d been “desperate for a win” after collecting his first winner’s trophy for nearly two years on a regional snooker circuit.

The 19-year-old from Fordingbridge (pictured right) defeated Aidan Murphy (left) 2-1 in the final of the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour.

It ended a drought stretching back to his first tournament win on the same table at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, on November 2, 2014.

Rice said: “Over the last year I have been getting desperate for a win. My game on the practice table has been better than ever but I just haven’t been taking it onto the match table.”

The trainee tax accountant at Fawcetts in Salisbury added: “I’ve told myself going into the last few events that I no longer expect to play to any sort of standard and that I should just enjoy it.

“This took all the pressure I have put on myself away. I didn’t play that well all day but I did keep my composure – until the final at least.”

Rice, who collected £70 prize money and climbed to second place in the rankings, topped his group in the event sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers. He then defeated Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-0 and Callum Browne (Trowbridge) 2-1 before edging 12-year-old Murphy (Bristol) 2-1.

Reflecting on the final, Rice said: “I went 1-0 fairly quickly and, if I’m honest, expected to win at that point.

“(But) Aidan came back at me fantastically. He is an excellent young player, certainly one for the future. All credit to him.

“In the decider, all of the aforementioned about just enjoying it flew out the window. I got extremely nervous and bottled a few chances to take the match.

“Finally, I managed to pot a good long brown to leave me in a position where even I couldn’t fail! I’m delighted to get another Cuestars win under my belt.”

Murphy had earlier knocked out English Under-18 Champion Mark Lloyd, the winner of the first two legs, 2-0 in the quarter-finals and Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) 2-1in the last-four.

The fourth leg of ten is at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on Sunday, December 4.

For more information about Tamar IFA, go to www.tamarifa.co.uk.

BREAKS

Mickey Joyce: 60, 49, 41.
Mark Lloyd: 52, 52, 50.
Anthony Rice: 47, 44.
Dan Sykes: 47.
Joshua Lee: 36.

GOLD RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 4th, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Fishponds Cons, Bristol); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C); 1st, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, James Budd (Fareham SC); 4th, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Rice 2 Cowdroy 0, Browne 2 Joyce 1, Murphy 2 Lloyd 0, D Sykes 2 Hughes 0.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Rice 2 Browne 1, Murphy 2 D Sykes 1.

FINAL (£70/£15 25/18 points): Rice 2 Murphy 1.

Have you got any snooker news?

Send me your snooker news now. It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament. E-mail me details or contact me via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper. E-mail: [email protected]