2007 Season	PLD	W	D	L	F	A	PTS	GD
Invicta	12	11	0	1	158	90	22	68
Solihull	12	8	1	3	129	115	17	14
Tyldesley	12	6	2	4	149	112	14	37
Sheffield	12	6	0	6	91	103	12	-12
Sutton & Cheam	12	5	0	7	107	105	10	2
Birkenhead	12	4	2	6	110	135	10	-25
Hucknall	12	3	1	8	105	131	7	-26
Leeds	12	1	2	9	88	146	4	-58

Invicta readily admitted that their form in matches at Bath University with Tyldesley and Sheffield was disappointing. But when it came to clinching the Division Two title against nearest challengers Solihull, it was very different – the Midlanders were outplayed 17-6.

The game was effectively settled in the third period, which Invicta won 5-2 to build an 11-4 lead. As usual, their goals were spread around the team, led by Alex Murphy, with six, Callum Bailey (3), White (3), Alan Chambers, Sea King, Marc Stephenson, skipper Paul Phillpott and Will Liddie. (click on the News page for a background to Invicta’s success).

Invicta’s 100 per cent record had been wrecked in their first match of the Bath weekend when they went down 14-11 to Tyldesley.

Hucknall goalkeeper Farrow had little chance of preventing one of Hungarian Balazs Kesthelyi's seven goals for Leeds at Bath University! But Hucknall won the game - 11-10. Picture: Mike Coles

Tyldesley are always a difficult side to play when Mike Cowburn is in form. He collected a routine haul of eight goals. Yet it was one of the youngest members of the team, 17-year-old goalkeeper Fraser Foulds, who provided real inspiration when the game was close in the early stages with a brilliant penalty save followed shortly afterwards by a brave stop from an Invicta one-on-one chance.

At the start of the last quarter, Tyldesley led 7-6. Within three minutes, however, a couple of sparkling Cowburn goals helped stretch the advantage to 12-8 – a situation from which Invicta were unable to recover.

In their other match, Invicta beat Sheffield 7-5.

At the other end of the table, Leeds, third in Division Two last season, are in danger of automatic relegation after picking up just a point at Bath. They are now three points adrift of seventh-placed Hucknall – but with games remaining at Loughborough University on 24/25 November against the top two, Invicta and Solihull.

Leeds went down 14-6 to Sutton & Cheam and were then involved in two cliffhanging finishes.

They lost 11-10 to Hucknall, having held a 6-3 half-time advantage. Hucknall hit back

to lead 8-7 at the start of the third. But it was 10-9 to Leeds with three minutes to go – only for Tom Archer to equalise and then Andy Johns claim the winner with 36 seconds left. Seven of the Leeds goals were scored by Hungarian forward Balazs Keszthelyi.

It was just as tense for Leeds in a 13-13 draw with Birkenhead. Apart from the very early stages when Leeds led 2-0, there was never more than a goal between the sides. Piotr Cichy (5) and Keszthelyi (4) were the main Leeds scorers; Crespo (5) and Andy Fowler (3) were on target for Birkenhead.

A Hungarian-Swiss alliance helped boost Sutton & Cheam to three victories, taking them comfortably clear of the relegation or play-off zone. Georgely Fulop, from Hungary, and his Swiss pal Marr Zumbuhl scored five and four respectively in the defeat of Leeds and six and five against Birkenhead, who went down 17-9. Finally, the two players claimed four apiece in a 13-7 defeat of Hucknall.

Solihull notched two wins – 12-7 against Sheffield (four goals each for Greg Knapp and Simon Pemberton) and 11-9 against Tyldesley. Knapp and Phil Powell grabbed the late goals that ensured success against Tyldesley after the game reached 9-9 in the final period.