The Guernsey Pool Association were thrilled to get 35 entries for their two-day event, with four tables in constant action throughout Saturday before the semi-finals and final took centre stage the following day.
It all boiled down to a clash between Skillett and last year’s equivalent tournament winner Miles Plumley for the trophy and their showdown did not disappoint.
In a race to 11, it was nip-and-tuck for the first half of the contest, with no more than a frame separating the pair for the first nine frames before Plumley took the 10th to move 6-4 ahead.
Skillett responded by taking the frame before the interval to get back to within one, which was the start of a run of five successive frames for him as he returned from the break rejuvenated.
Plumley, who did little wrong, got one back to make it 9-7, but Skillett was full of confidence by then and back-to-back frames saw him clinch the title.
‘To be honest with you, for a lot of it Miles was better than me. I just hung in there in that first session, and to go in 6-5 down [at the interval] I was actually really pleased with that because I really struggled and he just looked so good. It was actually quite intimidating. I was like, “jeez, he’s never going to miss”,’ said Skillett.
‘Had a bit of a break for 10 minutes, managed to get myself together and then came out after that and played some really, really good pool. So I was really pleased in the end.
‘It’s 21 years since I last won this tournament – I’ve lost in four other finals – and so to get over the line is unbelievable.
‘Really gutted for Miles because, to be quite honest with you, he was probably the best player this weekend. But I’ve just managed to have a really good session there and just pipped him to it,’ added the new champion.
Skillett was one of several top snooker players who entered the event, with the likes of Adam Shorto, Adrian Holley and Kate Le Gallez all reaching the last eight.
The champion’s run to the final started with a win over Ian Le Page before a hard-fought victory over Miles Davies, who had had to come through the prelims, in the last 16.
Skillett then defeated Tony Cracknell to reach Sunday’s semi-finals in which he met Danny Marquand, the conqueror of Le Gallez in the quarter-finals having previously ended the run of former Muratti footballer Craig Young, who had claimed a couple of impressive scalps in Brad Ogier and Tommy Simon in deciding-frame thrillers. Skillett came through that last-four clash 9-4.
By a quirk of fate, Plumley’s route to the final had begun with wins over his fellow GPA committee members James De La Rue and James Le Cras before he edged out Shorto 7-6 in the quarter-finals.
On Sunday he came through a highly anticipated semi-final with Ali Gilliland 9-6 before Skillett proved too tough an obstacle in the final.
‘I was very close to not even entering because I haven’t played competitive pool in probably three years,’ said the 46-year-old winner, who had his son Callum supporting him throughout the weekend.
‘I’d say the last time I played, I got to the final and lost to Adam Shorto 10-4. So I was kind of like, “do I, don’t I?”, but I’d heard about how well the guys, the committee, everyone here has worked so hard on rebuilding Guernsey pool, so I just wanted to come down and support it.
‘In my head I just wanted to play and I didn’t even know the rules really, so I’ve kind of picked it up over the over the week. I had no designs on winning it really, but yeah, as it happens, I have.
‘Those guys have done so well, the actual set-up here is unbelievable – the tables are quality – those guys deserve all the credit.
‘For me, it’s not even about me. I think it’s about the resurgence of Guernsey pool, because the place was buzzing all weekend, so it actually felt like a real, real tournament. That made it for me.
‘I don’t really get nervous for pool matches, but I was nervous and it was actually quite nice.’
Island Pool Championship 2026
Preliminary round
Craig Young 5, Brad Ogier 4; Miles Davies beat Danny Fleming.
First round
Tony Cracknell 5, Michael Le Noury 2; Roscoe Cloarec 5, Sam Roberts 4; Liam Lanyon 3, Miles Davies 5; John Skillett 5, Ian Le Page 2; Darren Hughes 5, Charles Carre 3; Ross Martel 3, Kate Le Gallez 5; Danny Marquand 5, Steve Hammer 3; Tommy Simon 4, Craig Young 5; Ben Lanyon 1, Jarod Carrington 5; Brad Morton 1, Adam Shorto 5; James De La Rue 3, Miles Plumley 5; Annie Wilkins 0, James Le Cras 5; Zak Dragun 3, Ryan Le Page 5; Vinny Page 4, Ali Gilliland 5; Adrian Holley 5, Chris Wood 2; Charlton Gauvain 5, Denise Cull 1.
Second round
Tony Cracknell 6, Roscoe Cloarec 3; Miles Davies 4, John Skillett 6; Darren Hughes 5, Kate Le Gallez 6; Danny Marquand 6, Craig Young 5; Jarod Carrington 3, Adam Shorto 6; Miles Plumley 6, James Le Cras 1; Ryan Le Page 2, Ali Gilliland 6; Adrian Holley 6, Charlton Gauvain 5.
Quarter-finals
Tony Cracknell 3, John Skillett 7; Kate Le Gallez 6, Danny Marquand 7; Adam Shorto 6, Miles Plumley 7; Ali Gilliland 7, Adrian Holley 3.
Semi-finals
John Skillett 9, Danny Marquand 4; Miles Plumley 9, Ali Gilliland 6.
Final
John Skillett 11, Miles Plumley 7.
