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IN-FORM BRISTOL MAKE NO MISTAKES
2007 Season : Phase 2 PLD W D L F A PTS GD
Bristol 17 14 0 3 210 150 28 60
Lancaster 17 12 2 3 266 155 26 111
Cheltenham 17 11 2 4 247 181 24 66
Manchester 17 8 0 9 195 175 16 20
Rotherham 17 8 0 9 211 204 16 7
               
2007 Season : Phase 2 PLD W D L F A PTS GD
Penguin 17 8 3 6 149 172 19 -23
Welsh Wanderers 17 9 1 7 201 189 19 12
Polytechnic 17 4 1 12 117 183 9 -66
Portobello 17 2 0 15 158 251 4 -93
Otter 17 4 1 12 161 255 3 -94
               
2007 Season : with GB PLD W D L F A PTS GD
Lancaster 10 7 1 2 136 86 15 50
Bristol 10 7 0 3 112 104 14 8
Cheltenham 10 5 1 4 119 113 11 6
Rotherham 10 5 0 5 114 119 10 -5
GB Juniors 10 3 0 7 85 111 6 -26
Manchester 10 2 0 8 97 130 4 -33

Bristol saved one of their slickest performances of the season for the clash with Manchester at Loughborough University. They were 4-0 up after the first period and 7-1 ahead at half-time before eventually running out winners 15-7.


Left to right : John Sissons, Brad Poole, Rich Manion, Matt Thresher, Craig Figes, Greg Harper, Jon Hutchings (Capt), Paul Morris, Mike Chadwick, Sean Coles, Andy Crawford, Dan Williams, Rhys Tamlyn.

The Bristol players weren’t to know it then, but those two points proved sufficient to clinch the club’s first NWPL title since 2001 (click on the News page for more coverage). That was because, in the very next match, Cheltenham, who still had an outside chance of stealing the title, went down 16-15 to Rotherham.

The other main drama at Loughborough concerned the play-off, in which Solihull, runners-up in Division Two, challenged the ninth-placed Division One side, Portobello. The Scots won 9-8 – but must have feared they were dead and buried at the end of the third period.

At that point, Solihull had stormed back from 4-3 down at half-time to lead 8-5. Portobello’s greater experience then told in the last period as Giles Gilhooly, Neilson Rutherford, Fraser Rutherford and finally Matt Bayliss scored to steal victory. Fraser Rutherford finished with four goals while Greg Knapp netted five for gallant Solihull.

Craig Figes and Sean Coles scored three apiece in Bristol’s win over Manchester. Figes (4) and Coles (3) were again on target when Bristol rounded off their season with a 16-13 defeat of Rotherham on the second day.

Rotherham’s victory over Cheltenham came after they had trailed 13-11 early in the final period of a thrilling match. Adam Scholefield capped a superb season with seven goals while Alex Parsonage (5) and Rob Parker (4) were the main Cheltenham marksmen.

Scott Carpenter bagged nine goals in Lancaster’s final match – a 19-12 victory over Manchester.

Lancaster finished runners-up, with Cheltenham in third place.