Henley nets hat trick for Eastleigh

A HAMPSHIRE teenager and a retired professional footballer have completed a remarkable hat-trick for The Academy in Eastleigh.

Rob Henley’s first Cuestars tournament win in the Under-15 Open at Stoke SC, Gosport, means young potters from The Academy have broken their ducks in the last three events.

Rob Henley – first Cuestars victory

And the trio are all coached by former Southampton full back Ken Jones.

Former Saints star Ken Jones (far right) in the Southampton dressing room

Matt Geer, 13, won December’s Under-15 event in Cardiff and Lee Bell, 15, triumphed in Bournemouth last month. Both lads were making their 21st Cuestars outing.

Cliff Goodchild, who runs the junior section with Henley’s dad Colin, said: “Things are just clicking now.”

In his 17th Cuestars tournament, Henley overcame Nathan Swanton (Eastleigh) 2-0, Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0 and Bell 2-1 in the semi-finals.

The 14-year-old shared two black-ball frames with Geer in the final before cutting in a tricky blue in the decider and clearing pink and black.

“It was one of those that if you miss it you’re leaving them a chance but if you get it, you win,” said the former Castle Club junior.

Henley, whose highest break is 30, climbed to seventh in the rankings.

After his first-round exit, Swanton, on his debut, won the Plate.

He beat rankings leader Bradley Chappell (Bournemouth), Nat Day (Reading) and Daniel Booker (Gosport).

Jones, now 64, was part of Ted Bates’ 1965/66 Saints side that won promotion to the old Division 1 for the first time.

The lads head to Salisbury on March 1. Now, if Liam Burnet, Joe Cooper, Ben Hatch, Bradley Hatch or Josh Hickman should win...

RESULTS:

LAST 16 (five points): Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) bt Nat Day (Rileys, Reading) 2-1, Rob Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Nathan Swanton (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Jonathan Cooke (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2-0, Sam Streames (Yate) bt Connor Probets (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0, Matt Geer (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Daniel Winfield (Trowbridge) 2-0, Bradley Hatch (The Academy, Eastleigh) bt Bradley Chappell (Green Baize, Bournemouth) 2-1, Paul Ives (High Wycombe) bt Liam Burnet (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Cameron Russell (Jesters, Swindon) bt Daniel Booker (Mayfair SC, Gosport) 2-0. 

QUARTER-FINALS (eight points): Henley bt Symes 2-0, Bell bt Streames 2-1, Geer bt Hatch 2-0, Ives bt Russell 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS (12 points): Henley bt Bell 2-1, Geer bt Ives 2-0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Henley bt Geer 2-1.

PLATE

QUARTER-FINALS: Winfield bt Burnet, Booker bt Cooke, Swanton bt Chappell, Day bt Probets.

SEMI-FINALS (one point): Booker bt Winfield, Swanton bt Day.

FINAL (five/three points): Swanton bt Booker.

Picture of Rob Henley by Kevin Legg

To find out more about Cuestars, see cuestars.uk.com