Matthews edges Lloyd in Silver thriller

At 1-0 down in the final to Mark Lloyd and facing a pink-ball battle in the second, the 17-year-old thought he was out.

But his young opponent from Stoke SC, Gosport, attempted a long shot and left the frame ball hanging over the pocket.

Matthews, who did not drop a frame up to the final, snapped up the gift and compiled a 34 break in the decider.

Before the second frame, Matthews told himself to “step up” his game and “stop going for all the long pots and start playing safe”.

Speaking after the final, he said: “I cued quite well today.

“You just want one chance and I took it. It was close until I knocked in the 34 break in the last frame and that killed the game off. I’m just happy to win.”

Matthews, who is coached by ex-pro Dylan Leary, is based at the Ivy Leaf Club, Maidenhead.

He competed in five legs of this season’s Silver Tour and finished runner-up twice and losing semi-finalist twice.

Rankings winner Daniel Winfield (Player’s, Westbury) went out in the quarter-finals 2-1 to Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon).

Oliver Parsons: 38.

Dean Matthews: 34.

James Inglis: 25.

LAST-16: Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon) beat Jamie Perry (Jesters, Swindon) 2-1, Dean Matthews (Ivy Leaf Club, Maidenhead) beat Robert Henley (The Academy, Eastleigh) 2-0, Thomas Lancastle (Keynsham SC) beat Jodie Symes (Jesters, Swindon) 2-0, James Inglis (Rileys, Worcester) beat Paul Ives (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) 2-0. Byes: Daniel Winfield (Westbury), Oliver Parsons (Swindon), Mark Lloyd (Stoke SC, Gosport), Gary Wilkins (Player’s, Westbury).

QUARTER-FINALS: Lee beat Winfield 2-1, Matthews beat Wilkins 2-0, Lancastle beat Parsons 2-0, Lloyd beat Inglis 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Matthews beat Lee 2-0, Lloyd beat Parsons 2-0.

FINAL: Matthews beat Lloyd 2-1.

Picture by Kevin Smithers (thesnookerforum.com): Ryan Day and Dean Matthews.