A YOUNG snooker player has stunned his coach by producing a superb final comeback to win a £1,000 tournament.

Twenty-one-year-old Ben Finch swept aside his opponents in the Top Players competition in Ware last weekend.

But he was put to the test in the final of the competition.

Leading 2-1 and requiring one more frame to take the title, Finch trailed by 46 points.

But he produced a remarkable 49-point clearance to spare him a final-frame shootout and allowed him to go on and claim his 14th competitive title, having only taken up the game three years ago.

Finch’s coach Josh Raja gushed afterwards: “He produced a dazzling 49 clearance under extreme tournament-pressurised conditions to win the final.

“This is stuff of champions,” he added, in comparing his student’s clearance to one of those made by game great Stephen Hendry.

Finch is now set to hand part of his winnings to his parents, who have funded his training at Raja’s Rileys Academy, at the Hurricane Rooms in Walthamstow.

“This is my fourteenth tournament win, after I was told by some other players at the Riley’s academy that I would not win a thing,” said Finch, who had to fight his way past seven opponents to reach the final of the competition.

“The thing that is most pleasing is that I am starting to stand up under extreme pressure and deliver the goods.

“Josh’s advice is standing me in good stead for my snooker career and life.”

The young player still has a long way to go to match the famous players of the game, who started playing the sport when they could barely stand higher than a snooker table.

But that is no impediment, according to Raja.

“It’s not about age,” he said. “If you can play, then you can make it. People have been saying that Ben is a late developer, but his recent performances have started to turn heads.”