STOCKPORT AND CHEADLE TO CONTEST NORTHERN SENIOR FLAGS FINAL - free service
By Neil Goulding (English Lacrosse Press Officer, 07813 859986)
STOCKPORT and Cheadle will clash in next month's Northern Senior Flags final after both clubs won their semi-final matches at the weekend.
Former England international midfielder Paul Fullerton led the way with six goals as Stockport reached their first final since 2006 with victory over Timperley.
The Beech Road club saw seven other scorers on the mark in an impressive 18-6 win at Manchester Waconians Lacrosse Club on Sunday afternoon.
Cheadle, meanwhile, progressed to their first Flags final since 2003 after an 11-7 victory over Wilmslow, the defending champions, at Stockport Lacrosse Club, also on Sunday afternoon.
The last time the two clubs played each other in a Flags final was in 1991, with Cheadle 10-9 winners that day.
Charlie Cox, Joe Singleton, Tom Gosney, Simon McGuigan, Richard Wilson and Owen Jones all netted doubles for Stockport in their win, with Chris Bland also on target.
Stockport raced into an 8-1 lead after the first quarter, led 11-1 at half-time and then 15-2 after the penultimate period of the match.
Timperley rallied to win the final quarter 4-3 but, by then, the damage had already been done.
Another former England international, the attacker Daren Baythorpe, made his experience count with a hat-trick as Cheadle ended Wilmslow's hopes of retaining the title.
Adie Bennett, Mike Holdsworth and Martin Patterson all scored braces, with Gordon Burdis and Paul Flowers on the mark as well.
However, Cheadle found themselves 3-2 down after the opening quarter and trailed 5-4 at half-time, before raising their game to progress.
Cheadle won the third quarter 3-0 and the deciding quarter 4-2 despite two goals from James Perrin for Wilmslow, and further goals from Dan Green, John Mountney, Tommy Foster and Robert Messenger.
Matt Beadle scored five as Heaton Mersey kept their faint title hopes alive with a 10-8 win over Mellor in the Men's North of England League Premier Division.
Mersey are second, four points behind leaders Cheadle, their opponents now well-placed to register a memorable title-double this term.
Both clubs have two games to play, but all Cheadle require is one more win to clinch the domestic crown, although a draw might prove good enough having established a superior goal difference advantage over their rivals.
Results, Saturday 7th March 2009 (and Sunday 8th)
Men’s Northern Senior Flags (semi-final matches), Didsbury: Stockport 18 Timperley 6. Cale Green: Wilmslow 7 Cheadle 11.
Junior Flags, Cale Green: Heaton Mersey A 6 Brooklands Hulmeians 9. Didsbury: Stockport A 10 Rochdale 15.
Stockport Cup: Sheffield University 12 Heaton Mersey B 5, Brooklands Hulmeians A 10 Wilmslow A 8.
David Beesley Cup: Brooklands Hulmeians Extra A 6 Cheadle B 11, Heaton Mersey Guild 7 Boardman and Eccles A 11.
Nigel Wayne Trophy: Heaton Mersey C 3 Newcastle 9, Leeds 13 York University 6.
*Finals weekend to be played 4/5 April @ Rochdale Lacrosse Club
Men's North of England League - Premier Division: Mellor 8 Heaton Mersey 10, Sheffield Steelers 10 Poynton 7.
Division 2: Ashton-under-Lyne 9 Oldham 2.
Division 3: Timperley A 15 Sheffield Steelers A 5.
Division 4: Mellor B 12 Timperley 4.
Division 5: Hull 9 Birmingham 16, Brooklands Hulmeians B 1 Oldham 0.
Men's South of England League - UK Lacrosse Premier Division: Purley 9 Hitchin 7, Welwyn 5 Spencer 14, Reading Wildcats 8 East Grinstead 4, Swansea Hawks 5 Walcountian Blues 15.
East Division One: Croydon 11 Brighton Panthers 12, Cambridge University 16 East Coast Norwich 1, Hitchin A 3 East Grinstead A 10, Buckhurst Hill 9 University of London 15, Walcountian Blues A 16 University of Hertfordshire 5. Sunday: Cambridge University 9 University of London 1.
East Division Two: Spencer A 12 University of Kent 1, Northampton Town Weasels 10 Reading Wildcats A 12.
Zenith West One: Warwick University 2 Cardiff Harlequins 12, Bristol City Bombers 22 Cheltenham Cougars 5, Exeter University 7 Southampton University 3, Bath 17 Southampton City 0.
Zenith West Two: Penarth 16 UWIC 0, Cardiff Harlequins A 10 Aberystwyth University 0, Cheltenham Cougars A 10 Bath A 0.
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