Portsmouth snooker starlet Samuel Laxton reaches last 16 of English Under-16 Championship
The 14-year-old from Portsmouth didn’t drop a frame in the group stages of the southern qualifier at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.
He overcame Kent-based Brandon Nguyen 2-0, O’Shay Scott, from Eastleigh, 2-0 and Dorset nine-year-old Harry Wyatt 2-0.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd he then beat Riley Ellis, from north Wiltshire, 2-0 in the last-four and lost 2-0 to home club player Oliver Sykes in the final.
It’s the second year running that Laxton has reached the last-16 of a national junior tournament.
Last season he went down 4-1 in the first knockout round of the English Under-14 Championship in Leeds to eventual winner Stanley Moody.
The following day, Laxton made it a double celebration.
A record 21 players signed in for the Monday Junior Snooker League at Waterlooville Sports Bar, where Laxton beat Harry Wilson in the final of the traditional trophy-day handicapped knockout tournament.
Finn Kirby defeated Elodie Hall in the Plate final.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFollowing the knockout, joint club-owner Steve Wilson presented the trophies and medals for the fifth season.
A new league starts next Monday.
Players from the Portsmouth region who will be aged under-14 at the end of the year are urged to enter the qualifier for the English Under-14 Championship at the club on Sunday, November 17.
Entry via the EPSB website costs just £2.
Keira Jackson and Rhys Pearce both dropped just one frame and won their respective round-robin groups in the Junior Pool League.
Division 1 leader Pearce was denied a perfect session by second-placed Keira Hiscock.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd Jackson’s defeat was at the hands of seven-year-old Division 2 front-runner Jake Daffin.
World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley runs snooker sessions for under-19s from 4.30-6.30pm every Monday and Wednesday and junior pool sessions from 4.30-6.30pm every Thursday.
Have you got a sports story for The News? If so, please email words and pictures to [email protected] or, alternatively, contact head of community sport Simon Carter direct on 02392 622141.