Harry Goddard: 530-mile round trip was worth it

A 12-YEAR-OLD Yorkshire lad made a 530-mile round trip to compete in his first junior snooker tournament – and returned home with the winner’s trophy.

Harry Goddard, who hails from Pocklington, near York, lost only one frame all day in the first leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour at Waterlooville Sports Bar.

The youngster was urged to enter the event by Kai Michael, who runs a junior section at the Castle Snooker Club, Brighton.

Goddard topped his four-man round-robin group and then beat Freddie Turner (Andover) 2-0 in the last-eight and Asten Sahota (Southampton) 2-0 in the semi-finals.

The final against Caden Read (Chandler’s Ford) went to the last pink. Taking up the story, Goddard said: “It was fine until we got to the second frame. Then it went to 1-1. Then I won the last frame.”

Goddard, who is sponsored by Market Weighton & Arras War Memorial Institute and Pocklington-based X9-K9 security dog specialists, has a highest competitive break of 30 and is coached in Hull by Hassan Miah.

More used to competing against adults, he beat national treasure Jimmy White last year in an exhibition and plays world championship finalist Shaun Murphy in October.

Three other debutants made the knockout. Alex Evans (Brighton) won a play-off to qualify but went out 2-0 to Read. Dylan Beer (Eastleigh) was runner-up in his group and progressed to the semis. And Sahota chalked up his highest break of 34 in his very first frame on the Bronze Tour and won his group.

The trophies were presented by tournament sponsor Marc Lockley, who runs www.snookercrazy.com – a cues and snooker accessories website based in Waterlooville.

Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the second leg of six on Sunday, August 15.

BREAKS

Asten Sahota: 34, 27.
Caden Read: 22, 21.
Harry Goddard: 21, 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Caden Read (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Aaron Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Louie Ayling (Castle SC, Brighton); 5th, Casey Turner (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Asten Sahota (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Dylan Beer (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Kneller (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Arthur McCahill (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Harry Goddard (Pocklington United Services Club); 2nd, Tyler Mack (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Alex Evans (Castle SC, Brighton); 4th, George Knowles (Northfleet Traders Club, Gravesend).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Read 2-0 Evans, Beer 2-1 Mack, Sahota 2-1 Wilson, Goddard 2-0 Turner.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Read 2-1 Beer, Goddard 2-0 Sahota.

FINAL (25/18 points): Goddard 2-1 Read.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

From left: Harry Goddard, Marc Lockley (from snookercrazy.com) Caden Read