Mike Grantham's goal 37 seconds from the end earned Castleford a superb 9-8 victory over men's Championship 3 leaders Portobello at Marlborough College today.

That wasn't the final drama of a game that had been on a knife-edge all the way through. With 13 seconds remaining, Castleford called their second time-out, which should have guaranteed safety. But an off-the-ball reversal in favour of Portobello offered the Scots one more opportunity - only the see a shot from Mario Alvarez brilliantly saved by Castleford goalkeeper Shaun Greatorex.

Luke Franks spearheaded the earlier Castleford challenge with four goals as they led 6-3 and then 8-6. Later, Franks helped himself to eleven in a 20-11 win against Hucknall. The result took Castleford to the top of an extremely closely-contest division, level on points with Portobello.

York City held out for a 6-5 victory over Manchester Hawks, who were unable to take advantage of several man-up chances. Both goalkeepers - Manchester's Elliot Makin and Andrew Morris, of York - excelled in this match, Morris saving a Manchester penalty two minutes from the end.

Otter and Cheltenham Spartans shared the spoils - the game was drawn 10-10, Otter rescuing a point with a man-up goal in the last minute from Daniel Shunn.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Boniface-Ashton hammered in eight goals in the first two quarters as Liverpool Water Beatles outplayed Mid Sussex Marlins 16-11 in women's Championship 2.

Liverpool and English Roses were the only teams to win both their games on the opening day. The Roses' 13-7 defeat of Birmingham featured five goals by Andrea Norris.

Day two began with Molly Boniface-Ashton again in form for Water Beatles. Her five goals ensured her team's third win of the weekend - 13-4 against English Roses. Tyldesley were the other team to win all three matches, rounding off with an 11-6 victory over Southampton.

Converting penalties proved something of a problem for men's Championship 3 teams at Marlborough College today.

​Cheltenham Spartans missed two at a vital stage of their clash with Manchester Hawks. From 6-5 down after two periods, the Hawks stormed back to win 14-9, including five goals from Joe Carr and four from James Salt.

​Portobello fluffed FOUR penalty chances against Hucknall. But it didn't prevent the Scots winning 17-10, taking charge in the second quarter when they scored five times without reply. Hadrien Collineau was the leading marksman for Portobello with five.

​Later, Cheltenham Spartans staged a remarkable recovery against York City, scoring six times in three minutes after trailing 8-4 to set up a 15-10 victory.

​Otter beat York 10-9, including two goals each for Daniel Shunn, Chris George, Nikolaos Roussos and Pier Spagna. Late goals by Dennis Bormann and Alex Sanders earned Bridgefield the points against Castleford at 13-12.

​Photo (Trevor Hyde): York's Toby Clarkson (left) challenges Chris George, of Otter, at Marlborough. 

Strong competition is guaranteed for places in the British League next season, with four teams seeking to join.

​City of Coventry, who enjoyed a four-year stint in the top division of the former men's National League in the late 1990s, have applied for a place in men's Division 5, along with Chelmsford, a club that had two brief spells in the old National League in the mid-1970s and then in 1999 and 2000.

​The women's applicants are both from the West Country - familiar rivals City of Bristol (formerly Bristol Central) and Cheltenham.

​All four are due to take part in qualification tournaments on 25/26 March (men) and 8/9 April (women), both at Walsall. Up for grabs at these events will be three places in men's Division 5 and in women's Division 3, with the potential newcomers facing up against the bottom three teams from this season's competitions - Sheffield Dolphins, Watford Saxons and Spalding (men) and Sunderland, Sheffield Stingrays and Polytechnic (women).

​Current teams are reminded that the deadline for withdrawal from the League is 31 January - or the final day of their divisional competition this season. Should a club drop out, the highest-placed team in this season's lowest divisions (Sheffield Dolphins in men's, Sunderland in women's) would automatically rejoin and avoid qualification.

It's anyone's guess who will win the men's Super 5s this year after the most competitive of opening weekends at Luton. Of the five matches, three were won by a single goal - and the others by a two-goal margin.

​After the disappointment of a narrow first day defeat by Caledonia, Lancaster bounced back with a dramatic 12-11 victory over Manchester. Lancaster trailed 4-1 after the first quarter but hit back to lead 9-7 before the third ended all square at 10-10.

​Lancaster struck early in the fourth - Glen Robinson's fourth goal of the game and another by Ed Grundy earning a 12-10 advantage before Eleftherios Chelioudalis replied. In a nerve-racking finale, both sides fluffed man-up chances and so Lancaster held out for a magnificent win.

​Cheltenham ended up as the only team to win both their games, but they left it very late to end a spirited challenge by Solihull. The Midlanders edged into a 9-8 lead early in the last period through Matt Madden but Marc Tarres soon equalised. A terrific struggle followed before Cheltenham finally claimed the points at 11-9 with goals by Rudi Poster (59 seconds remaining) and Marc Tarres (nine seconds from the end).

Manchester were the only team to emerge from the first weekend of women's Super 5s action at Luton to retain a 100 per cent record from two matches.

​Isobel Howe led the way with a hat-trick in their 11-6 defeat of Leeds Sharks. Otter raced into a 6-1 first period lead against Coventry and eventually triumphed 17-4, including three goals each for Claudia Ferrone, Mhairi Nurthen and Katherine Rogers.

Seventeen-year-old Joe Jenkins-Delf inspired Welsh Wanderers' 15-6 defeat of Croydon Amphibians in men's Championship 2 at Gloucester today with a superb seven-goal haul. Dan Laxton contributed four.

​Watford finished the weekend as the division's only 100 per cent team after beating Cambridge 14-5. The game was close until Watford took charge in the third quarter, scoring six times through Drazen Kuracic (2), Jack Warman, Iliya Mustur, Nandor Cseh and Jack Pickford.

​Southampton, 7-3 down at the start of third period, hit back to defeat Birmingham 11-8. They scored five in a dominant final quarter through Panagiotis Logothetis (2), Goulrelmos Logothetis, Josh MacLean and Jackson Mullins.

Cheltenham launched the defence of their British League Super 5s title with an 8-6 victory over Caledonia at Luton today.

​The win was perhaps more comfortable than the scoreline suggests. Although Caledonia took a 2-1 advantage in the opening period, Cheltenham steadily eased clear, leading 4-2 after two quarters, 7-4 after three and then 8-4 before the Scots responded with two goals. Cheltenham goals: Marc Tarres (3), Rob Parker (2), Albert Tarres, Joel Thomas, Will Middleton. Caledonia: Darren Campbell (3), Logan Shepherd, James Scobie, Alasdair Campbell.

Caledonia and Solihull had no problems adjusting to their first taste of Super 5s action at Gloucester. The Scots pulled off a great win - 10-9 against Lancaster - while Solihull pushed Manchester all the way before losing 7-6.

​Two goals by Tom Curwen at the start of the final period gave Lancaster a 9-8 lead against Caledonia. But a man-up opportunity led to Logan Shepherd's third goal for Caledonia with four minutes left; and it was Alasdair Campbell who notched the winner with 1.44 to go. Lancaster earned a man-up chance after that, but failed to convert.

​Solihull raced into a 3-1 lead early on against Manchester. It was 4-4 midway through the second period and there were no more goals until Manchester scored three goals in three minutes at the start of the last through Eleftherios Chelioudalis, Rob Rae and Jack Wilczynski. Solihull rallied again and goals in the space of 21 seconds by Jordan Elliot and Morgan Hirsch brought them so close to stealing a point.  

After running away with the women's Super 5s title for the past two years boasting a perfect record of 16 wins, Liverpool were relieved to settle for a point against Otter in a thrilling first match of the new campaign at Luton today.

​Otter led 3-0 in the second quarter and, although Liverpool pulled up to 4-4 towards the end of the third, Otter went into the last minute of the game with a 7-5 lead.

​It wasn't enough. An Otter exclusion gave Laura Hesketh the chance to cut the advantage to a single goal with 51 seconds remaining. And there were just seven seconds left when Beth Bolton levelled a terrific match at 7-7. Liverpool goals: Kathryn Fowler (2), Katie Hesketh, Laura Hesketh, Beth Bolton, Alice Byrne, Lauren Tasker. Otter: Emma Hamilton-Foster (2), Katherine Rogers (2), Alexis Higlett (2), Cecily Turner.

​Manchester beat Coventry 11-8, powering clear in the final period when goals by Stephanie Whittaker (2), Anya Clapperton, Ella Chadderton and Emmie-Rose Eastwood tipped the balance after the sides were level at 6-6 after three quarters. 

​Later, Liverpool easily accounted for Leeds Sharks, 14-5, including four goals by Katie Hesketh.