Henley nets hat-trick for Eastleigh

A TEENAGER from Holbury and a retired Saints player have completed a remarkable hat-trick for The Academy in Eastleigh.

Rob Henley’s first Cuestars tournament win in the Under-15 Open at Stoke SC, Gosport, means young potters from The Academy have broken their ducks in the last three events. And the trio are all coached by former Southampton full back Ken Jones.

Matt Geer, 13, won December’s Under-15 event in Cardiff and Lee Bell, 15, triumphed in Bournemouth last month. Both lads were making their 21st Cuestars outing. Cliff Goodchild, who runs the junior section with Henley’s dad Colin, said: “Things are just clicking now.”

In his 17th Cuestars tournament, Henley (pictured) overcame Nathan Swanton (Eastleigh) 2-0, Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0 and Bell 2-1 in the semi-finals. The 14-year-old shared two black-ball frames with Geer in the final before cutting in a tricky blue in the decider and clearing pink and black. “It was one of those that if you miss it you’re leaving them a chance but if you get it, you win,” said the former Castle Club junior. Henley, whose highest break is 30, climbed to seventh in the rankings.

After his first-round exit, Swanton, on his debut, won the Plate. He beat rankings leader Bradley Chappell (Bournemouth), Nat Day (Reading) and Daniel Booker (Gosport).

Jones, now 64, was part of Ted Bates’ 1965/66 Saints side that won promotion to the old Division 1 for the first time.

The lads head to Salisbury on March 1. Now, if Liam Burnet, Joe Cooper, Ben Hatch, Bradley Hatch or Josh Hickman should win…

RESULTS: LAST 16 (five points): Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) bt Nat Day (Rileys, Reading) 2-1, Rob Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Nathan Swanton (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Jonathan Cooke (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Sam Streames (Yate) bt Connor Probets (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0, Matt Geer (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Daniel Winfield (Trowbridge) 2-0, Bradley Hatch (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Bradley Chappell (Green Baize, Bournemouth) 2-1, Paul Ives (High Wycombe) bt Liam Burnet (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Cameron Russell (Jesters, Swindon) bt Daniel Booker (Mayfair SC, Gosport) 2-0.

QUARTER-FINALS (eight points): Henley bt Symes 2-0, Bell bt Streames 2-1, Geer bt Hatch 2-0, Ives bt Russell 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS (12 points): Henley bt Bell 2-1, Geer bt Ives 2-0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Henley bt Geer 2-1.

PLATE QUARTER-FINALS: Winfield bt Burnet, Booker bt Cooke, Swanton bt Chappell, Day bt Probets.

SEMI-FINALS (one point): Booker bt Winfield, Swanton bt Day.

FINAL (five/three points): Swanton bt Booker.

Lloyd banks first win

MARK Lloyd chalked up a first Cuestars Under-12 Open title on his home tables at Stoke Snooker Club in Gosport. Competing in his 11th Cuestars event, Lloyd, who has been threatening to win a tournament all season, defeated Joshua Brooker, from the Liberal Club, High Wycombe, 2-1 in the final.

Semi-finalist at Swindon and Cardiff, and runner-up at Eastleigh, Lloyd won the Plate trophy in Bournemouth last month. He climbed to second, just two points behind rankings leader Jamie Perry, from Jesters SC, Swindon, who lost 2-1 in the semi-finals to Brooker. In the second semi, Lloyd beat club-mate Nathan Farmer, who was making his Cuestars debut. Lloyd, whose highest break is 28, made his Cuestars debut in December 2006.

Swindon’s Oliver Parsons, a Plate finalist in Bournemouth, went one better in Gosport, defeating Cameron Holt, from Rileys, Reading, in the final. Gosport was the fifth event of eight across the South.

RESULTS: LAST 16 (five points): Thyas Evans (Trowbridge) bt Jordan Booker (Mayfair SC, Gosport) 2-0, Joshua Brooker (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) bt Mason Sawyer (Colours, Reading) 2-1, Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon) bt Oliver Parsons (Jesters, Swindon) 2-1, Jamie Perry (Jesters, Swindon) bt Reece Harcombe (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0.

QUARTER-FINALS (eight points): Brooker bt Evans 2-0, Perry bt Lee 2-0, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport) bt Oliver Clark (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport) bt Cameron Holt (Rileys, Reading) 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS (12 points): Brooker bt Perry 2-1, Lloyd bt Farmer 2-0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Lloyd bt Brooker 2-1.

PLATE QUARTER-FINALS: Parsons bt Clark, Booker bt Harcombe.

SEMI-FINALS (one point): Parsons bt Booker, Holt bt Sawyer.

FINAL (five/three points): Parsons bt Holt.

Rob Henley picture by Kevin Legg

Did you do something notable in the last Cuestars tournament? Or any other tournament? Have you just beaten your highest break? Have you got anything to say? E-mail me details at [email protected] and you could be on the Cuestars website. Picture by Kevin Legg