KIRBY fencer Myles Ashforth has struck gold in his first competition of the year.

The 14-year-old Colchester and District Fencing Club member competed in the Eastern Region Youth Championships for Foil, in Grays.

And in winning his category, Ashforth has now booked his place at the British Youth Championships, in May.

Fencing in the under-14 boys’ event, the Tendring Technology College student was seeded first at the start of the competition.

After a successful set of poule fights, winning all five, he was then seeded joint-second.

In his last-32 direct elinimation match, Ashforth breezily dispatched the 30th seed 15-0.

In the last 16, his opponent, the 14th seed, only managed one hit against him, unable to react to the acceleration of Ashforth’s attacks. In the last eight, Ashforth was up against the sixth seed.

A series of swiftly-dealt thrusts and flicks soon advanced the score and Ashforth was victorious again, 15-1.

In the semi-final, against the other joint-second seed, Ashforth took an early lead.

At one point he was given a yellow card as his arm went forward to aid his balance while leaping forward on a huge lunge.

His opponent rallied to level the match and then took the lead by two hits.

A further hit was given against Ashforth as a penalty, after receiving a red card for his arm momentarily being forward again, covering the target area.

Now 9-7 behind, Ashforth threw himself into the fight and scored a succession of eight hits, storming his way to a 15-9 victory.

In the final, Ashforth was up against the fourth seed – his club-mate and fellow Colchester foil team member Alexander Brincklow.

Ashforth’s first attacks were skillfully countered as Brincklow took an early lead.

The Kirby fencer eventually levelled the fight, but Brincklow pulled forward again and this situation was repeated up to the first break, where Brincklow had just edged to a 7-6 lead.

Ashforth changed his gameplay to just pull ahead and he kept up the pace in the third period, propelling him to a 15-11 victory to become the gold medallist and under-14 boys’ champion, which also earned his place at the British Youth Championships.

Ashforth has been selected for both the under-15 England foil squads this year and will be competing in France and Poland.