division 2 News
Hucknall Go Down | Hucknall's Survival Fight | Tyldesley Triumph | Sutton Hat-trick | Inspirational Cowburn | Loughborough Action | Solihull's Battle |
HUCKNALL MISS OUT
City of Leeds won promotion to Division Two when they defeated Hucknall 12-10 in the play-off at Loughborough University (6 December).
The match was closely fought throughout - period scores (Hucknall first) were 3-3, 2-4, 1-1 and 4-4. Hucknall recovered to trail 10-11 in the final quarter before Lewis Young took Leeds through with a goal just over two minutes from the end.
Leeds' Hungarian duo of Balzs Keszthelyi and Piotr Cichy played major roles. They both scored three goals and Andy Marshall also netted three. For Hucknall, Dan Siddons and Adam Ellis claimed hat-tricks.
Success for Leeds means the club regains Division Two status after a one-year absence.
HUCKNALL FACE PLAY-OFF LOTTERY
Apart from the dominance of Tyldesley, competition in Division Two has been so tight this season that any one of four teams could have dropped into the dreaded seventh position at the start of the final weekend at Bath University.
In the end, it was Hucknall who finished with the prospect of fighting for survival next month in a play-off against the Division Three runners-up - probably, City of Leeds.
Hucknall ended level on points with Invicta Marlins. As these sides had beaten each once, the issue was decided on goal difference - with Invicta claiming a narrow advantage.
Hucknall knew they were in trouble after losing 13-7 to Sheffield, whose leading scorers were Rich Rattlidge (3), Rich Hodgson (2) and Tom Girling (2). Their final game was against champions Tyldesley - cue for yet another super show from Mike Cowburn, who scored nine times in his team's 16-10 victory.
Invicta pushed Otter all the way after being 4-1 behind early on. When Conrad Rhodes scored with 90 seconds remaining, the Marlins trailed just 9-8. But Otter's Carl Ainley netted shortly afterwards to clinch a 10-8 win - a key step, as far as the Londoners were concerned, towards ensuring runners-up spot. Ex-New Zealand international Tom Grace scored five of the Otter goals.
Birkenhead were under pressure after losing 11-8 to relegated Solihull, who completed a double. Simon Pemberton scored four of the Solihull goals and Phil Jenkins and Matt Wardle two apiece. However, Birkenhead then settled their nerves with a 13-9 defeat of Invicta Marlins, Andy Fowler netting five and Stuart Parry three.
As proud founder members of the National League, Birkenhead have never dropped below the top two divisions.
Otter made sure of second spot with a 14-9 victory over Solihull, featuring four goals each for Ainley and Grace.
Sutton & Cheam deservedly took third place after holding Tyldesley to an 8-8 draw. Tyldesley were 5-1 up midway through the second period but Sutton hit back strongly and a Stephen Bayles goal put them ahead for the first time at 7-6 with less than three minutes to play.
Chris Gilberton equalised before a frantic last minute began with Neil Coles making it 8-7 to Sutton. However, with 37 seconds left, Mike Cowburn notched his fifth goal to square the match - Sutton's third draw of the season.
DESERVED TITLE FOR TYLDESLEY
The final fixture of the Division Two weekend at Salt Ayre Pool, Lancaster, began with City of Sheffield players offering 'three cheers' to their opponents, Tyldesley - who, by then, were confirmed as champions.
Sheffield's generosity was then matched by their remarkable discipline. In a game won 7-5 by Tyldesley, Sheffield managed to go from start to finish without conceding a single major foul. In fact, neither side suffered an exclusion until the final period - some sort of league record?
The teams were all square at 3-3 going into the last period, but then goals by Chris Gilbertson (2), Nick Spratt and Alex Jessop clinched victory.
Tyldesley's title-winning team are pictured during the final Division Two weekend at Bath University, when skipper Martin Barrett received the trophy from international referee Tad Detko. Back row, left to right: Alan Cowburn (team manager), Fraser Foulds, Michael Cowburn, Alex Spratt, Martin Rimmer, Alex Jessup, Lee Cooke (coach). Front: Paul Cowburn, Dominic Derbyshire, Martin Barrett, Chris Gilbertson, Rob Dickinson.
The Tyldesley success is thoroughly deserved. This is a proud local club with a long history who last won the Division Two title exactly ten years ago.
In Mike Cowburn, they possess an outstanding forward who helped himself to another nine goals at Lancaster against luckless Solihull, whose 15-11 defeat condemned them to relegation. Tyldesley also beat Invicta Marlins 16-9, featuring seven goals from Mike Cowburn and five from his brother, Paul.
Apart from the first and last places, Division Two has been very closely fought all season. Realistically, any one of four teams - Sheffield, Invicta, Birkenhead, Hucknall - could yet finish in seventh place, which would mean a play-off with the Division Three runners-up.
Hucknall won their first three matches of the season but are now in trouble after a poor run of results. Admittedly, they were ahead against Birkenhead until Andy Fowler's goal just five seconds from the end forced a 7-7 draw.
Later, Hucknall again drew 7-7 - with Sutton & Cheam. Early on, Hucknall led 3-0. They were 7-6 up in the final quarter until the last 49 seconds when a Stephen Bayles strike tied the match.
After beating Sutton 10-6 and Hucknall 14-11, Otter perhaps surprisingly went down 10-7 to Birkenhead in another very close encounter. The period scores were 4-4, 6-6 and 7-7. Then two goals by Julian Bewley and another from Ben Cartwright put Birkenhead in the clear.
It was typical of Solihull's fortunes this season that their goalkeeper Mark Lovington should suffer accidental injury against Tyldesley. Solihull coach Bob Jays deputised against Invicta Marlins - an even match until the Marlins' eight-goal burst in the final period secured a 16-7 victory.
Sheffield picked up two vital wins - 8-3 against Solihull and 5-2 against the Marlins.
SUTTON RISE FROM THE DEPTHS
Division Two is such a closely-fought competition this season that Sutton & Cheam's hat-trick of victories at Loughborough University instantly swept them from last but one to second place in the table.
It was in fairness a much stronger Sutton side than in the early weeks of the season, with overseas stars Mark Zubuehl and Gergely Fulop both turning out - and ex-international Chris Evans back in the fray, too.
Sutton beat Sheffield 11-5. Then Fulop scored nine in a 16-6 defeat of bottom club Solihull, who were actually 3-0 ahead in the early stages. The final Sutton success was against Invicta Marlins - 12-6.
Tyldesley stay top, despite suffering their first defeat of the season against Otter. Carl Ainley and Tim Grace - a former captain of New Zealand who until recently was playing for Montpelier in the French League - scored hat-tricks in Otter's 10-6 success.
Later, Mike Cowburn netted eight in Tyldesley's 17-7 victory over Hucknall.
Last period goals by Mike Cartmill, Grace and Ainley clinched Otter's 15-13 win over Solihull, who until then had been very much in the game at 12-12. Otter also had to battle hard before overcoming Sheffield 10-9.
Late goals by Chris Howard and Andy Fowler salvaged a 9-9 draw for Birkenhead against Invicta Marlins.
The Marlins edged out Hucknall 13-11 with late goals by Brodie Bol and Steve Leathwood. Dan Siddons scored seven for Hucknall - and repeated the feat in his side 13-8 victory over Solihull.
COWBURN INSPIRES TYLDESLEY (september 2008)
Division Two defences are once again finding it impossible to contain Tyldesley’s former international Mike Cowburn.
Tyldesley’s three victories at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, featured no less than 21 goals from the forward. With other clubs in the division effectively beating each other, Cowburn’s team – six wins from six matches so far – already have a six-point lead at the top of the table with only two weekends completed.
The Ponds Forge programme opened with a 14-7 victory for Tyldesley over Sutton & Cheam. Cowburn scored five and Alex Jessop – a former Sutton player – four.
Cowburn added seven in the 12-6 defeat of Invicta Marlins. Against Solihull, Tyldesley played much of the final period with six players – four of the 10 team members had suffered three exclusions – but it didn’t prevent them winning 16-11. Cowburn’s contribution was nine goals.
Solihull will still be delighted with their weekend’s work. The club that has suffered a great deal this year through the non-availability of a home pool, achieved a first victory – 11-8 against Birkenhead – and then beat Sheffield 7-3. Ed Freeman made a welcome return against Birkenhead and bagged four goals.
In one of the closest matches of the weekend, Sutton beat Otter 13-11. Kieran Bayles notched five of the Sutton goals.
Otter newcomer Tim Grace scored four and added six in the 14-7 victory over Hucknall and seven against Invicta Marlins, who still managed an impressive 15-10 win.
The weekend proved particularly difficult for NWPL administrators due to the late withdrawal of several referees and table officials. Our thanks to those who volunteered to help out on the table and ensure the weekend was completed satisfactorily!
HUCKNALL AND TYLDESLEY SET THE PACE (September 2008)
Hucknall and Tyldesley were the only teams to survive the start of the Division Two programme at Loughborough University with 100 per cent records from their three matches.
Ironically, Hucknall's toughest game was against the only team not to gain at least a point from the Loughborough weekend. Struggling Solihull (see News page for more details) led 5-3 at the start of the third period with goals by Simon Pemberton (2), Ben Richardson, Ian Jolly and Phil Powell.
That stirred Hucknall into action and, after recovering to grab an 8-5 advantage at the end of the third, they eased through to win 12-8. Lee Denham and Dan Siddons both scored four.
Hucknall also defeated Sutton & Cheam 14-8 and Invicta Marlins 10-6.
Tyldesley began with a 12-5 defeat of Sheffield - including seven goals by Mike Cowburn - but were then involved in nail-biting finishes against Otter and Birkenhead.
Tyldesley dominated the early exchanges against Otter to lead 6-2 after the first period. With Carl Ainley and Mike Cartmill both grabbing hat-tricks, the Londoners recovered superbly, briefly snatching the lead at 9-8 in the third period. However, it was Cowburn who took charge in the final minutes, netting all three as Tyldesley took the points at 11-10.
Cowburn contributed another seven-goal haul, although it was his teammates Chris Gilbertson (2), Martin Rimmer (2), Dominic Derbyshire and Martin Barrett who claimed vital goals in a 7-6 victory over Birkenhead. Gilbertson notched the winner two minutes from the end of a game that was close all the way through.
After their brave display against Hucknall, Solihull also made Sutton & Cheam work hard for a 9-7 win. The Midlanders were 5-3 up in the third but then faded to a Sutton rally inspired by four-goal Kieran Bayles.
Bayles also played a key role in Sutton's recovery from 9-5 down to draw 9-9 with Invicta Marlins. He scored his third of the match to bring his side up to 9-8 with just over a minute remaining and then slotted a penalty 37 seconds from the end. Richard Hooper (4) and Steve Leathwood (3) were the leading Invicta scorers.
Birkenhead's Andy Fowler scored five in his team's 10-6 defeat of Sheffield.
Sheffield salvaged a point from a dramatic10-10 draw with Otter, who led for much of the match thanks to Mike Cartmill's four goals. Cartmill made it 10-9 to Otter with little more than two minutes remaining. But there were just 19 seconds left when Mick Whitely's fifth goal levelled it for Sheffield.
SOLIHULL BATTLE ON (september 2008)
Solihull's three defeats on the opening weekend of the National League Division Two programme will not have come as a complete surprise to those who know of the troubled times affecting the club this year.
Only last December, Solihull missed out on promotion to Division One by the narrowest of margins, losing a play-off against Portobello - after the Midlanders had held a three-goal lead at the start of the final period.
Things began to go wrong for Solihull in January of this year when the old town pool - with its good, all-deep polo pitch - closed and a new facility opened its doors. Unfortunately, for various reasons, the club were not allowed to play water polo in the early weeks. And that situation has dragged on throughout this year, completely disrupting training.
As if that wasn't bad enough, key players from the 2007 campaign decided to leave. Polish star Greg Knapp was an early departure. Solihull also lost GB junior Jake Vincent to Rotherham. To cap it all, regulars Phil Jenkins, Ed Freeman and Pete Feilden were unanavailable for the first league weekend of 2008 while promising juniors Simon Gateley and Dan King were ruled out by injuries on the rugby field.
Fortunately, the surviving members of the Solihull squad are a durable lot. The firm intention is to keep going. And that resolve has been greatly boosted by experienced Simon Pemberton delaying his retirement for one more year; his brother Nick making a temporary return after retiring from National League involvement; and the arrival on loan from Lancaster of goalkeeper Marc Robinson.
Solihull won't be challenging for honours this season. But they take a great deal of credit for battling on in a situation that would have sounded the death knell for lesser clubs.
