Lloyd: I haven’t done too bad
THERE were three reasons to be cheerful for Gosport teenager Mark Lloyd as the curtain came down on his last full season on a regional snooker circuit.
The English Under-16 Champion (pictured with world number 50 Kurt Maflin) clinched the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour double and chalked up a first century break in tournament play.
Lloyd – who secured the rankings title two weeks previously despite missing one leg because of the European Under-17 Open in Malta, which he won – beat Bradley Cowdroy 2-0 in the championship play-off final at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
The 16-year-old set out his stall by knocking in a 100, his first ever competitive ton, in his opening frame of the day in the group stages against Arron Smith (Selsey) on the match table.
“The balls just went in,” he simply said. “I was unlucky not to get more. But it only wins one frame at the end of the day.
“I’ve got over the century barrier so hopefully now more breaks fly in.”
Lloyd, who is also looking forward to the English Under-18 Championship final next month, said his priorities now lie with the EASB Premier Junior Tour and the Cuestars Championship Tour, which next season carries a Q School place for the rankings winner.
But he added he may enter a few Gold tournaments.
“I’ll probably do enough next year to get in the top-16,” he revealed. “I’m going to concentrate on the nationals now.
“This has ended it how I wanted to. I’ve ended with a century and won them both. I haven’t done too bad.”
Cowdroy also recorded his highest break in competition in the group stages. The 14-year-old left-hander from Bournemouth fired in a 74 against Greenbaize clubmate Brad Chappell.
Chappell, meanwhile, bowed out of Cuestars under-21 events following a 2-0 semi-final defeat by Lloyd.
As part of his prize, Lloyd took on guest professional Kurt Maflin in an exhibition frame and lost 69-29.
BREAKS
Mark Lloyd: 100, 62.
Bradley Cowdroy: 74, 47, 44.
James Budd: 64, 52.
Dan Sykes: 44.
Mickey Joyce: 44.
Anthony Rice: 42.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC). Time restraints meant the group was closed with two matches still to play so the other four players – Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC), Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC), James Budd (Fareham SC), Arron Smith (Selsey RBL) – were not placed.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Brad Chappell (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury).
SEMI-FINALS: Lloyd 2 Chappell 0, Cowdroy 2 Rice 0.
FINAL: Lloyd 2 Cowdroy 0.
Pictures by Tim Dunkley