SWINDON potter Connor Flanagan went one better than last month’s runner-up spot by recording his first tournament win on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

The Jesters Snooker Hall youngster is now top of the rankings after beating Canberk Benning 2-1 in the second leg final at Woking Snooker Centre. Flanagan avenged his defeat by Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) in the final at Salisbury in October, by seeing off his title rival 2-0 in the semi-finals. In fact, he did not drop a frame all day.

Three group-stage wins were followed by a 2-0 victory over the home club’s Edward James in the last eight. A titanic safety battle in the second semi ended with victory for Cuestars debutant Benning over Bradley Lane (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

The 13-year-old, who started playing at Swindon’s 147 Club 18 months ago, edged through 2-1. Meanwhile, Cameron Holt may have collected the Plate trophy but it was Swindon’s Josh Lee who deserves a medal. Cuestars director John Hunter praised Lee’s ‘good sportsmanship’ in his quarter-final defeat by Joe Kitchen.

Kitchen, aged 12 and competing in only his second Cuestars tournament, thought he had lost the match but Gold Tour player Lee pointed out that the youngster could still win - which he did. Stoke Snooker Club’s Kitchen was then on the receiving end of a 42 break in the last four by Holt (Liberal Club, High Wycombe), who went on to beat the 2012 Silver Tour rankings winner Troy Bodman in the final.

In the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour, Jesters’ Oliver Parsons went all the way to the semi-final before losing 3-2 to Eastleigh’s Ben Tanner.

Lee and Bodman were knocked out at the group stages. Daniel Hall made the quarters on the Silver Tour, losing 2-0 to Stoke Snooker Club’s Mark Lloyd.