COACHES at Chandler's Ford SC are always impressing upon young players that a high break only wins one frame.
As new club personal bests were being set all round, Nick Jennings proved them right with a string of 30s and 40s that took him to back-to-back victories in weeks eight and nine of the £900 Under-21 Roll Up.
The 13-year-old from Otterbourne moved into top spot in the chase for the £200 first prize - five points clear of Dan Hildyard and 16 points ahead of Mark McLean in third.
Lee O'Brien, 20, was first with a new best of 78 in the first round but lost the match to Will Baird.
Next up was Dan Hildyard, 14, slotting in an 80 in his quarter-final win over Billy Castle. He lost in the semi-finals to Arran Newman.
Newman, 14, reached his first final this series and is on a high after winning £30 in the two-week Christmas junior club championship.
Billy Castle became the youngest player in the series to have a 50. The 12-year-old Marchwood lad knocked in a remarkable 52 but then lost to McLean.
Alex Dunkley, 16, started work with new coach Derek Clark on New Year's Eve and, on his first visit to the table in 2005, knocked in 114 - the first century in the history of the competition.
But he still lost to Arran Newman!
The Bursledon lad did go on to win consecutive Plates, though, with breaks of 60, 68 and a 76 in the finals, both against Arron McIntyre.
Week eight saw Ollie Tydeman lose 3-2 to Jennings in the semi-finals.
Dan Hildyard beat Mark McLean in week nine's semis and Lee Roling climbs to seventh after a good run was halted by Jennings.
Mclean stays in third, followed by Billy Castle, with Dunkley fifth. Aldershot's Ryan Mears is sixth.
l Pot Black's Steve Boterhoek must be sick of the sight of Alex Dunkley.
The last time the pair met in the £2,500 senior Roll Up, Dunkley knocked in a century and this week there was a repeat performance.
Good Samaritan Boterhoek had given the stranded youngster a lift to the club but was thanked for his trouble in the semi-final when another 103 was slotted in against him.
With the final money split, Dunkley picked up £30, as did Carlo Cavagnetto. Nick Allen won the £10 Plate to keep the pressure up in third spot.
l Chandler's Ford's Mark McLean has won this season's Cuestars Senior Rankings tournament at Salisbury.
The 20-year-old is £150 better off after his success. He had no breaks over 40, but consistent scoring and good safety saw him through.
Fellow Chandler's Ford player and England Under-21 international Mike Finn knocked in a 106 break on his way to the semi-final.
Finn would have met McLean in the final had Swindon's Matt Wilson not beaten him 3-2 in the last four.
McLean's victims on the way to the final: Scott Haines (Basingstoke) 3-0, Daniel Martin (Woking) 3-0, Andy Savage (Swindon) 3-0, Phil Wildman (Reading) 3-1 and Matt Wilson (Swindon) 3-2.
The ranking points from Sunday push Finn to first place in the South of England Cuestars list.
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