New Milton 13-year-old Sam Perkins shocks older opponents again with second Cuestars U21 Bronze Tour victory

Back-to-back tournament wins have taken New Milton’s Sam Perkins to the top spot on a junior snooker circuit.

The 13-year-old followed up his success in Salisbury last month – claiming his first winner’s trophy on the Cuestars U21 Bronze Tour – with victory in Swindon.

He now leads the Cuestars U21 Bronze Tour rankings going into the second half of the season.

Revealing the secret to his success, Perkins simply stated: “I practise a lot.”

Despite losing his first round-robin match to Aariz Tariq (Welling) in the fifth leg at Jesters Snooker Club, he won his remaining six games – including a 2-0 victory over Alex Scotney (Sutton) in the final.

“I wasn’t as nervous as the first time I was in a final, and it was the best I’d played all day,” added Perkins. “And Alex was playing really well today.”

Leg-one winner Scotney would have taken pole position if the result had been reversed.

Lymington youngster Archie Light finished as runner-up in his five-man round-robin group before losing 2-0 to former rankings leader Marshal Denieffe (London) in the quarter-finals.

The 12-year-old had increased his highest break to 40 in the Eastleigh & District U19 League at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club the previous day.

The event was sponsored by Don Rogers Sports and Jesters Snooker Club, and the next round, the sixth leg of an eventual 10, will be held at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, on 26th January.

Results – Round-Robin, Group A: 1, Marshall Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2, Milo Taylor (Somerton SC); =3, Isaac Church (Chandlers Ford SC)/Charlie Ings (Salisbury SC)/Lewis Harris (Waterlooville Sports Bar). Round-Robin, Group B: 1, Stanley Sims (Woking SC); 2, Alex Scotney (Surrey Snooker Academy); 3, Toby Waters (Salisbury SC); 4, Jesse Goncalves (Liss RBL); 5, Toby Walker (Castle SC, Brighton). Round-Robin, Group C: 1, Sam Perkins (Chandlers Ford SC); 2, Archie Light (Chandlers Ford SC); 3, Aariz Tariq (Welling SC); 4, Harry Merwood (Salisbury SC); 5, Lewis Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC). Round-Robin, Group D: 1, Ben Taylor-Jenkins (Chandlers Ford SC); 2, Oliver Callow (Chandlers Ford SC); 3, Chester Chan (Chandlers Ford SC); 4, Jack Miller (Crucible, Newbury); 5, Alfie Wyatt (Waterlooville Sports Bar). Quarter-finals: Denieffe 2-0 Light, Scotney 2-1 Taylor-Jenkins, Sims 2-0 Callow, Perkins 2-1 Taylor. Semi-finals: Scotney 2-1 Denieffe, Perkins 2-1 Sims. Final: Perkins 2-0 Scotney.