Lloyd completes the one-and-a-half
IT WAS third time lucky for Gosport teenager Mark Lloyd at the Cuestars South of England Under-21 finals day.
After falling just one ball short of the Silver Tour championship title in two of the last three years, Lloyd (pictured left with Ben Harrison) finally crossed the winning line at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.
The 14-year-old, who was promoted this season and finished the eight-leg Gold Tour circuit as joint rankings winner, accounted for Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 3-0 in the play-off final.
“Stewart had his chances but that’s the way it goes,” he said. “It’s snooker.
In the early rounds, he defeated Jake Keen (YMCA Red Triangle Club, Walton-on-the-Naze) 3-2 and Ollie Parsons (Jesters, Swindon) 3-0.
Lloyd, who is based at and sponsored by Stoke Snooker Club, lost in last year’s Silver final to Daniel Knox (Ascot) and in 2011 to Dean Matthews (Reading).
Although he admits that national competitions are now his main focus, Lloyd reckons the strength of the opposition on the Gold Tour makes it the perfect preparation for events run by the English Association of Snooker & Billiards (EASB).
An English Under-16 Championship semi-finalist this year, he currently lies second on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South with one leg to play at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club on Sunday.
“I’ll use this (Gold Tour) as practice next season because you get people like Jake Keen, who can play the game to a very high standard,” he explained.
“He did well in Q School. It was a shame he lost to Michael Leslie who actually went pro in the end. You also get a very good game against Brad (Chappell) and the people from Jesters.”
But he added: “The Premier Tour is the focus. If I play like I can play, I can get through. Fingers crossed.”
Joint rankings winner Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth), a notorious slow starter, kicked off with a 72 break in the first frame of his 3-0 quarter-final victory over Sam Storey (Crucible, Newbury).
He then lost 3-0 to clubmate Ball, who finished ninth in the rankings.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
QUARTER-FINALS: Bradley Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Sam Storey (Crucible, Newbury) 3-0, Stewart Ball (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) beat Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon) 3-2, Ollie Parsons (Jesters, Swindon) beat James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport) 3-0, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Jake Keen (YMCA Red Triangle Club, Walton-on-the-Naze) 3-2.
SEMI-FINALS: Ball beat Chappell 3-0, Lloyd beat Parsons 3-0.
FINAL: Lloyd beat Ball 3-0.
Picture by Tim Dunkley. Ben Harrison (left) and Mark Lloyd.