YOUNGCUEMASTERS ONTOPOFTHEWORLD
FIVE young Wexford pool players have returned home from Blackpool with world titles under their belts.
After years of practice, training, and dedication, and several European titles to their names, they finally secured long-coveted victories in the World 8 Ball Pool Championships.
Brandon Murphy from Gorey and Ben Doyle and Adam Maher from Enniscorthy were part of the Under 18 winning Irish team, while Jordan Doyle and Jordan Synnott from Gorey were on the victorious Under 23 team.
Jordan Doyle captained the Under 23 team, and also received a trophy for coming fourth in the world team rankings.
Alongside him on the team was Jordan Synnott, the current Under 23 European Singles Champion, as well as Jamie Gaffney from Leitrim and Sean O’Neill from Dublin. They were coached by Frank Fay from Northern Ireland. They are also the 2017 European Under 23 champions.
In Blackpool, they lost their first three games in the group stage, and had to win with a margin of 8-1 to qualify for the semi final. They beat Scotland 8-1 in the last group game.
They then beat Morocco 5-2 in the semi-final, and went on to meet England in the final. The English team took a lead of 4-1 in the final, but with an uphill battle ahead of them, Ireland persevered and took the title on a 5-4 scoreline.
Alongside Brandon, Ben and Adam on the U18 team, which was coached by Dave McQuillan from Monaghan, were Lee McSherry, Daniel Feehan, Brandon Fleming, and Cormac Kerr.
They topped their group stage, losing just one of nine games. They went on to beat Malta 13-8 in the semi-final, and like their older counterparts, came up against England in the final.
Following a hard fought encounter, they became world champions on a score of 13-10.
They were congratulated on their return by family and friends. The Gorey lads train regularly at Breakers in Gorey. Jordan Doyle and Jordan Synnott thanked Jimmy Fleming of Jimmy’z Riverchapel for holding a fundraiser for them, and Brandon thanked Breen’s Bar, Gorey, for holding a fundraising night towards their expenses for taking part in the championships.