Liverpool Lizards retained the women's Super 5s title today when they beat Otter 10-5 at Ponds Forge. So dominant have they been that this was their 14th consecutive victory this season. With one game still to play, not a single point has been dropped.

Otter held Liverpool to 1-1 after the  first period but the champions went clear after scoring three goals without reply in the second. Their scorers were Hazel Musgrove (2), Laura Hesketh (2), Rachel Drabble, Fiona McCann, Lauren Tasker, Kathryn Fowler, Katie Hesketh and Meritxell Escoda Manzani.

City of Leeds were guaranteed the Championship 1 title today after Hucknall lost 10-7 to Mid Sussex Marlins. For Hucknall and Marlins, there's still much to play for - they go into their final games tomorrow chasing promotion to Division 1 for the first time. Also in contention are City of Sheffield.

City of Leeds took a big step towards claiming the women's Championship 1 crown with a 12-7 victory over near-rivals City of Sheffield at Ponds Forge today.

Cheltenham eased through the first leg of their men's Super 5s title challenge at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, today, hammering old rivals Bristol Central 23-7.

After building a 5-1 lead in the first period, consistent Cheltenham scored six in each of the remaining quarters. There were four goals each for Nick Armitage-Bond, Jake Vincent, Rob Parker and Adam Legge, plus three in his final senior competition (see below) for David Taylor.

Cheltenham will now keenly monitor the progress this weekend of rivals City of Manchester and Lancaster - with the possibility of their final game against Manchester tomorrow turning into a title decider.

The Super 5s finale at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, this weekend is to mark the retirement of Cheltenham's David Taylor (pictured), one of the British League's longest-serving and most consistent players. He's finally been beaten by long-term damage to a hip joint.

David is one of many fine products of the Cheltenham junior production line and has spent the whole of his career with the club, featuring in two ASA title wins, two British League and two British Championship victories.

He played for England and Great Britain, including the 2006 Commonwealth tournament, and for Cheltenham in LEN Trophy ventures to Croatia, Greece and Spain.

South Derby have decided to withdraw from the British League after a number of successful years of national competition. Also pulling out from the men's competition are Basildon, who didn't compete in the second phase of this season.

The departure of South Derby, runners-up in Championship 4, provides an unexpected present for Grantham, who finished fourth in Championship 4. They will now join Portobello and Invicta Marlins in gaining promotion to Division 4 - a nice retirement gift for Grantham's Jim Caulfield, who is stepping down after 48 years' outstanding service as a coach. 

Good news is that the League has received a number of strong applications from men's teams eager to join BWPL, ensuring that Division 5 will be really competitive next season. 

Six teams - including new applicants Sheffield Stingrays and Croydon Amphibians - will contest the women's end-of-season play-offs at Northampton School for Boys on 20/21 February.

Up for grabs will be just three places in Division 3 at the beginning of next season, when the League's women's competition is to be limited to a total of 24 teams in three divisions.

Also involved at Northampton will be Iceni, Liverpool Water Beatles, Penguin Rockhoppers and Sunderland. 

Phew - what a finish! In a quite extraordinary last session, Sutton & Cheam won men's Championship 2 at Watford today. So unexpected was the success that all their players had departed long before League President Pippa Jones was ready to present the trophy and medals!

The day began with four teams - Exeter, Penguin, Sutton and Watford - equal at the top with eight points. The drama unfolded like this:

Sutton recovered from four goals down to beat Manchester Hawks 10-9 - enough to guarantee them one of three promotion places.

Exeter then took on next-to-bottom Birmingham knowing that victory would give them the title. The pressure was too much for the Devon side - they lost 16-14.

And so to Watford's match with Penguin. This time, it was Watford who knew that victory would earn them first place. They lost 15-10.

It all meant that Sutton and London rivals Penguin finished equal top on points but, crucially, with advantage to Sutton - by virtue of a 7-6 win against Penguin at Gloucester last month after trailing 6-2 into the last period. It was that close . . . !

Sutton, now due to collect their trophy at Ponds Forge next weekend, will be joined by Penguin and Exeter in Division 2 next season. Watford, so close to success, miss out.

A man-up goal 40 seconds from the by Nick Caulfield earned Grantham an 8-8 draw with South Derbyshire in men's championship 4 at Northampton.

Sutton & Cheam today grabbed one of the three promotion spots in super-competitive men's Championship 2 - but it was a mighty close-run thing.

Their 10-9 victory over Manchester Hawks - whose own promotion ambitions were dashed by this defeat - was a real topsy-turvy affair. Hawks went from 3-1 down in the first period to lead 7-4 early in the third before being hit by a spectacular Sutton surge in which goals by Chris Evans (2), Alasdair Wakeling (2), David Craven and Stephen Bayles (pictured - by Trevor Hyde) reclaimed a 10-7 advantage.

The match then entered a nerve-racking finale, a man-up strike from Ben Riding and another goal by Robert Gourlay bringing the Hawks right back into contention. Both sides strived desperately for another score in the remaining four minutes, but without success. ​

It couldn't be closer! Men's Championship 1 moves to its final day at Watford tomorrow (7 February) with four teams - Exeter, Watford, Sutton & Cheam and Penguin - tied at the top on eight points! Even the fifth side, Manchester Hawks, could yet steal one of the three promotion places.

Penguin secured their position with a 12-7 defeat of the Hawks, featuring four goals each for Claudio Bagnoli and Dragos Ungureanu.

It was less straightforward for Exeter, who trailed Hucknall 8-5 at the end of the second period before clawing their way back to 11-11. Only then did the Devon side take control, late goals by Sam Alberici, Jack Cutting, Cody Plumridge and Kameron Powell clinching a 15-11 win.