Lacrosse News 5-6 October
CHEADLE, the defending Premier Division champions, showed
all the North of England League clubs how to do it last season
after they walked away with an impressive four trophies. But
a 10-7 defeat against Mellor, their arch-rivals, last weekend
gave the Kingsway Sports Club side an early indication that
this season might not be as they first imagined.
Not that Cheadle take any opponents lightly, but they were
so good last year that they won the league title with nearly
a month to spare. This season promises to be much closer with
a string of clubs strengthening their ranks in a bid to win
silverware.
However, Cheadle were back to winning ways on Saturday, and
they did it in style with a 28-5 win at home to Rochdale,
who are struggling at the foot of the table. Veteran attacker
Phil Lynch, absent last week because he was at a wedding,
led from the front with seven goals, while Daren Baythorpe
(6), Dave Carman (4), Joey Bartram (4), Andrew Beard (3),
Gareth Wilkinson (2), Andy Etherington and Ryan Bevington
were also on the scoresheet. In truth, the champions were
never in trouble and led 9-1, 15-2 and 21-4, to the delight
of Paul Flowers, the team's vice captain. "We needed
a kick up the arse after losing to Mellor," admitted
Flowers, a promising England midfielder. "We played a
lot better and think we have shown the other teams in the
league we are back."
Mellor, last year's runners-up, went top of the table after
a comfortable 22-10 win at home to Timperley. Daniel Hodgson,
this year's leading scorer, and Alisdair Wallace did the bulk
of the damage with six goals each, while Sam Smith (4), Dave
Vickers (3), Andy Etherington (2) and Jon Lowe got the rest.
Andy Brickell and John Hammond replied with hat-tricks for
the south Manchester side, but it was too no avail as they
trailed 3-6, 4-14 and 6-21.
Stockport claimed a prize scalp when they edged Heaton Mersey,
the former Daily Telegraph Senior Flags Trophy winners, 14-10
at Oakley Villas. Matt Beadle and the Gallagher brothers,
James and Thomas, all scored hat-tricks for Mersey, but four
goals from Stockport's co-captain Chris Bland and three from
Thomas Gosnay, the 16-year-old attacker, made sure the visitors
came out on top.
Wilmslow picked up maximum points with a hard-fought 12-11
win away to Boardman & Eccles. John Mountney top-scored
with five goals for the victors and Ashley Tarron-Jones netted
three times.
Results (Saturday 4th October)
North of England Men's League - Premier Division:
Mellor 22, Timperley 10; Cheadle Hulme 0, Brooklands Hulmeians
1; Heaton Mersey 10, Stockport 14; Wilmslow 12, Boardman &
Eccles 11; Cheadle 28, Rochdale 5.
Division 2: Oldham 14, Old Stopfordians
6; Cheadle A 7, Sheffield Steelers 6; Norbury 16, Sheffield
University 8; Rochdale A 3, Poynton 7; Brooklands Hulmeians
A 15, Heaton Mersey A 11; Stockport A 8, Nottingham 7.
Division 3: Timperley A 9, Cheadle B 6;
Ashton-under-Lyne 14, Mellor A 9.
Division 4: Mellor B 2, Oldham A 11; Ashton-under-Lyne
A 9, Rochdale B 0.
Division 5: Stockport C 0, Norbury A 13;
Brooklands Hulmeians B 13, Wilmslow A 7.
South of England Men's League - Premier Division:
Bath 15, Southampton University 5; Gloucester University 0,
Bath University 10; Hampstead 13, Hillcroft 6; Hitchin 21,
Croydon 2; Northampton University 6, Hitchin 'A' 14; Penarth
7, Buckhurst Hill 8; RMAS 4, Walcountian Blues A 7; Spencer
11, Reading Wildcats 11.
Friendlies: Purley 8, Manchester Waconians
15; Walcountian Blues 9, Manchester Waconians A 4.
North of England Women's Premier League:
Liverpool 3, Timperley 19; Heaton Mersey 19, Wirral 3; Harrogate
5, Stockport 4; Mellor 4, Sheffield Steelers 21.
(Sunday 5th October)
South of England Women's Premier League:
Berkshire Wanderers 9, Putney 11; West London 4, Harpenden
5; Blackheath Legends 5, Centaurs 10. Division Two: Rosemedians
6, Putney A 6; Clapham 17, Motspur 5.
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