WILTSHIRE'S Callum Browne was unable to defend his title as Mickey Joyce collected his first winner’s trophy on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Gold Tour.

The 2-1 victory over Browne in the final of the fifth leg came nearly six years after Joyce, from Basingstoke, made his Bronze Tour debut at the age of seven.

Browne, who won the corresponding tournament last year, got off to the perfect start in the defence of his title Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, with a run of 36 to clinch the opening frame.

However, Joyce wrapped up a low-scoring second on the brown and left his Wiltshire opponent needing snookers, with two reds left in the decider.

“It feels good to do it,” said 13-year-old Joyce. “I had the momentum (in the third frame) and I knew I was going to win that.”

Joyce made his Cuestars debut six weeks before his eighth birthday, with the Bell’s Decor-sponsored event in Bournemouth was his 40th ranking tournament.

He won the Bronze Tour championship play-off in 2013 and the Silver Tour rankings title the following year. The furthest he had previously got on the Gold Tour was the semi-finals in Coulsdon last month.

Two years ago this month, at the age of 11, Joyce knocked in his highest Cuestars break of 73 in his third Gold Tour event in Woking.

Anthony Rice recorded the day’s highest break of 73 in the group stages but dropped one place to third in the rankings, with Lloyd leading Joyce by 16 points.

Meanwhile, Browne's final appearance saw him climb to fourth, with Steven Hughes in fifth.

Bradley Cowdroy is sixth after going out 2-0 to Browne in the semi-finals.