Top of the pots at the age of ten

HE’S the youngest ever winner of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour.

Basingstoke’s ten-year-old potting machine Mickey Joyce (pictured left) claimed the number-one spot as the eight-leg circuit for players with a high break between 40 and 60 came to a thrilling climax at Salisbury Snooker Club.

Joyce, who won last season’s Bronze Tour championship play-off, insisted throughout the eight-month season that he “definitely” could make history by taking the title.

And that inner-belief in his own remarkable ability helped the Winklebury Junior School pupil secure the required points in the last leg, which came 16 days before his 11th birthday.

Three players had realistic chances of claiming the title in Salisbury.

Joyce, with two tournament wins under his belt, led Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport) by six points with Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC) four points further back in third place.

Farmer’s challenge ended in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by his stablemate Matt Gillon.

That meant if the rankings leader lost in the last-four and Petty won the final, the pair would finish on equal points and the title would be shared.

Joyce wrapped up the first frame against Gillon with a 38 clearance but fell victim to the sucker punch of slotting in a long pink into a black corner pocket only for the cue-ball to disappear into a middle pocket when his opponent required a snooker.

“He went to shake my hand but I said ‘no, the white’s gone in’,” said Joyce, who was then extremely lucky to get a second bite of the cherry and prevailed 2-0.

With the title now sewn up, Joyce, who had never lost in his five previous Cuestars finals, went down 2-0 to Petty.

The budding green baize star is sponsored by The Academy – on the Moniton Trading Estate, Basingstoke – where he receives free practice time, and Falcon Pools – Surrey’s leading swimming pool designers and installers

He is coached at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club where last October he set a new record by being crowned the youngest ever champion of both the Eastleigh & District Under-13 and Under-18 Leagues.

This season he made his debut on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South and reached the last-16 of the English Under-14 Championship.

Joyce reckons competing regionally and nationally has helped improve his game.

“I just learn from my losses,” he said. “The EASB is really helping as well because it makes me play better when I play against better players. I know they are so good and I have to play to their ability.”

The top-16 ranked players now head to Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, May 25, for the championship play-off.

BREAKS

Mickey Joyce: 38.
Austen Petty: 32.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Austen Petty (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth); 4th, Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Lewis Parnham (SWSA, Gloucester); 2nd, Mickey Joyce (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Anthony Church (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 2nd, Dan Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Bradley Leishman (Stoke SC, Gosport).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Thomas Holton (Woking SC); 3rd, Canberk Benning (Jesters, Swindon).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Petty beat Holton 2-0, Parnham beat Sykes 2-1, Joyce beat Browne 2-0, Gillon beat Farmer 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Joyce beat Gillon 2-0, Petty beat Parnham 2-0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Petty beat Joyce 2-0.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.