Lloyd stutters to second victory

NATIONAL under-18 snooker champion Mark Lloyd made it two wins out of two on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour.

The 16-year-old from Gosport edged first-time finalist Steven Hughes 2-0 to collect £100 prize money in the Attic Life-sponsored event at Salisbury Snooker Club.

Wearing a fetching purple glove on his bridge hand to combat the sticky conditions, Lloyd took the first frame on the brown and the second on the pink. Earlier, he qualified in second place from his round-robin group – after losing to 13-year-old Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke) – and beat Ronnie Blake (London) 2-1 and Anthony Rice (Fordingbridge) 2-0 in the knockout.

“I started off OK and then it went bad and then it picked up,” said Lloyd, who is based at Stoke Snooker Club in his home town and is studying business at Fareham College. “But I’ve been there many times before. “I’ve been going through a little bit of a bad patch but you’ve just got to battle your way through.”

Hughes, now second in the rankings, notched up his first half-century break in his opening group-stage match against Mike Trigg (East Wellow). The 15-year-old from Chandler’s Ford compiled a 62 and then capped a memorable day by pocketing £42.50 for reaching his first Gold Tour final in his debut season since gaining promotion from Silver. Sponsored by Vankru Cycling, the teenager topped his group, saw off Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-1 on the final black and overcame Londoner Adam Stacey 2-0 in the semi-finals.

Rice recorded the day’s highest break of 66 in the group stages.

The third leg of ten, sponsored by Tamar Independent Financial Advisers, is at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, on Sunday, October 30.

BREAKS

Anthony Rice: 66, 40, 40, 40.

Steven Hughes: 62(PB).

Ronnie Bake: 60, 54, 45, 42.

Mark Lloyd: 58, 53, 50, 47, 47, 43.

Oliver Sykes: 49.

Olly Gibbs: 43.

GOLD RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 5th, Arron Smith (Selsey RBL).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Mike Trigg (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C); 1st, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 2nd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Luke Beebe (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Olly Gibbs (Chandler’s Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Ronnie Blake (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone); 3rd, James Budd (Fareham SC); 4th, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Stacey 2 Joyce 0, Hughes 2 Cowdroy 1, Rice 2 Browne 1, Lloyd 2 Blake 1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Hughes 2 Stacey 0, Lloyd 2 Rice 0.

FINAL (£100/£42.50, 25/18 points): Lloyd 2 Hughes 0.

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)