Record-breaking win for Guernsey's snooker team
SNOOKER’S inter-insular title is back in Guernsey hands after the hosts won with a record-breaking scoreline at the weekend.
Captain Adam Shorto hailed a dominant display from the Guernsey team, who thumped Jersey 22-3 for their biggest victory in the competition’s history.
Challenged with winning back a Lt-Col R W Randall Challenge Cup they last lifted five years ago, the Sarnians came out guns blazing at the Ex Service Men’s Club.
The home team, which also included Martyn Desperques, Paul Le Sauvage, John Skillett and Seb Priaulx, already led 8-0 before Jersey pinched their first frame.
The visitors were struggling to compete, with star player Aaron Canavan, who has proved Shorto’s foil in the last two Channel Islands finals, unavailable,
By the end of the opening afternoon session, Guernsey had a 12-2 lead and needed just one more to secure the overall victory.
Sure enough, 12-time Guernsey champion Desperques secured the clincher by winning the first frame of the evening session.
The Sarnians rattled off the remaining frames for the loss of just one to achieve this heavy scoreline.
‘We just played very solidly through the day,’ Shorto said.
‘It’s great for Guernsey snooker.
‘We are aware they were missing Aaron and one or two other fairly key players, but you’ve still got to go out and do a job against what’s put in front of you.
‘What was really impressive is that the guys did not let up.’
He praised the professionalism of his team for, even when the win was already in the bag, keeping going and playing good snooker.
‘To get a scoreline like that is unbelievable.’
Shorto, Skillett and Desperques all achieved a perfect five victories for the hosts.
Jersey’s Brett Campbell and Karl Le Fevre managed to beat Priaulx, while Matt Cox defeated Le Sauvage, to prevent a ‘greenwash’.
Le Sauvage produced the biggest break of the competition, at 51, to edge Shorto and Campbell’s efforts by one.
