Lacrosse Update 20-21 December
MELLOR's best chance of staying in the hunt for the North
of England premier division title lay in their ability to
defeat the leaders, Heaton Mersey, at Longhurst Lane.
However, after the opening quarter Mellor, the league champions
in 2000-2001, knew their fate was sealed and they can now
resign themselves to battling for the minor placings.
Mersey were immediately out of the traps scoring six times
without reply in the first quarter.
They added a seventh goal as the deluge continued when the
ever increasingly one-sided contest resumed.
At that stage Mellor faced a comprehensive trouncing but it
was to their credit they eventually made a game of it and
'only' finished up losing 12-9.
"If we were to win the league we knew we had to do well
in this match," said Ben McAllister, the Mellor captain.
"We also knew we had to start well defensively, both
individually and as a team.
"But we didn't and at 7-0 the game was over. We played
better as the game went on but by then it was too late."
Mersey have now beaten the former winners twice this season
following their earlier 11-9 triumph. And this latest success
didn't include a customary ruck of goals from James Gallagher
and Matt Beadle, the scourge of the premier division this
season.
Collectively, the pair had plundered 70 goals in 12 matches
before this top of the table confrontation. As it was only
Beadle added to his total as Steve Morley took the limelight
with six.
Thomas Gallagher (2), Andrew Bain, Steve Grace and Daniel
Heighway were Mersey's other scorers.
For Mellor, Daniel Hodgson and Alistair Wallace contributed
four each with Pat Cunningham making up the total.
Mersey led 8-3 at the interval and 9-5 after the third period.
Mellor doggedly pulled back the score to 10-8 and 11-9 before
the champions elect added their final goal.
"This was a really good win because if we had lost Mellor
would have been right back in it," acknowledged Mersey's
Richard Smith.
"It was an excellent team performance in difficult conditions
though the pitch didn't cut up as much as we thought."
Cheadle, the defending champions and treble winners last season,
kept up the pressure on Mellor with a 14-9 win at Rochdale.
Gareth Wilkinson notched four of the goals.
Stockport are also in contention for second place but their
game against Boardman & Eccles was postponed.
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