Lancaster produced a stunning end to day one of the weekend's men's Division 1 matches as they demolished Solihull 24-6. 

The win should see Lancaster in the Super 5s in the second half of the season. But that result really puts the cat among the pigeons as far as the other places are concerned. Champions City of Manchester and Solihull are already secure. But the final day will be tense for Sheffield, Invicta and Sutton & Cheam. Even Cheltenham are not totally clear of trouble.

Invicta grabbed a Super 5s lifeline at Newport today when Callum Bailey (Picture: Trevor Hyde) converted a penalty 25 seconds from the end to snatch a 13-12 victory over Cheltenham.

Defeat would have left Invicta, runners-up to Manchester in last season’s Super 5s, struggling to make the cut this time. Even now, there’s still no guarantee they will manage it. But this result is a huge boost before tomorrow’s final Division 1 game against Polytechnic.

The lead changed hands several times and Cheltenham, who had 42-year-old goalkeeper Mike Cowdell making a comeback in the absence of Sam Legge and Jack Simcox, levelled at 12-12 a minute and a half from the end when Adam Legge netted from a man-up chance. Sean King (4) and Jack Waller (3) led the Invicta scoring.

Lancaster and Sheffield, who meet tomorrow, both need points to clinch their Super 5s places.
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Manchester waited until the third period to lead Lancaster for the first time but, with Andrea de Caro and Kai Dowling both notching hat-tricks, the champions went on to win 10-8. Later, Mancehster maintained a 100 per cent record from six matches by defeating Sheffield 14-11, including another four goals for de Caro.

Earlier, Joel Abbott scored five for Sheffield but his team lost 10-9 to Solihull, for whom Arthur Davies and Matt Madden both scored a couple of goals. Sutton & Cheam registered their first win - 11-8 against Polytechnic. Four goals without reply in the third quarter by Dicken McLean, Stephen Bayles, Ryan Symington and Kieran Rutter made the difference.
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City of Bristol girls boosted their chances of qualification for women's Championship 1 with two narrow wins in Division 2 at Newport today - 8-7 against Welsh Wanderers, then 11-9 against Mid Sussex Marlins.

It wasn’t until the start of the third period that an Emily Watkins goal gave Bristol the lead for the first time against Wanderers at 6-5. A penalty converted by Faye Warren brought Wanderers back to 7-7; Hanna Leeson then claimed what proved to be the winner, no one managing to score in the last five minutes, despite half a dozen exclusions and two time-outs. Heather Tomlinson scored four of the Bristol goals.

Bristol were 5-2 up at one stage against the Marlins before losing their way and allowing their opponents to lead 8-5. Four goals without reply in the final period - by Emily Watkins (2), Diana Teggi and Heather Tomlinson - took Bristol home.
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Liv Henderson hit seven for Mid Sussex Marlins but couldn’t prevent opponents Otter Lutra winning 13-10. Leading scorers for Lutra were 15-year-old Sarah Ellis-Keeler (4) and Lindsey Williams (3). Anna Motley was on target again with four for Sheffield Stingrays, who beat English Roses 8-6.

Day one ended with Welsh Wanderers securing Championship 1 status with a 7-6 victory over Otter Lutra. Lowri Skyrme scored three in the last quarter as Wanderers hit back from 5-3 down.
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Otter confirmed their place in the women's Super 5s in the second half of the season with an easy 15-5 victory over Birmingham at Haberdashers today. Isabelle Dean scored three and there were two goals each for Rebecca Mulcahy, Katy Cutler, Brooke Tafazzoli and Imogen Smith.

Champions City of Manchester completed an impressive Division 1 programme with a 100 per cent record. Annie Clapperton was on target again with five as they beat Liverpool Lizards 9-5. Izzy Howe (Photo: Trevor Hyde) scored twice.

It was a good weekend for Coventry - and their goal ace Ruby Versfeld. She scored seven in a 22-7 win against Hucknall, then added another seven as Coventry finished off by defeating Otter 15-6.

In men's Division 2 at Tollcross, Glasgow, Durham Palatinates won for the first time - 11-6 against Portobello. The goals were shared by Travis Bouscaren (6) and Lovro Miocevic (5). City of Bristol were outplayed by top-of-the-table Caledonia 26-11. Dominique Zahra scored nine and Finlay Nesbitt seven. Later, Caledonia won the big Scottish derby against Portobello - 12-10. 

Exeter went 4-0 up early on against Worthing at Haberdashers but had to work hard in the end for a 12-10 win. Worthing recovered to 5-5 but goals in the third quarter by Jack Cutting (2), Oriol Matas and Kameron Powell saw the Devon side clear. 

Welsh Wanderers completed a memorable weekend with their third victory - 12-11 against Watford. Wanderers were never ahead until they went 10-9 up 2.37 from the end.

​Welsh Wanderers claimed two victories in men's Division 2 at Haberdashers today  to ensure their place in Championship 1 in the second half of the season. At the same time, it guaranteed that Worthing would drop to Championship 2 along with City of Bristol and Durham Palatinates.

A great day for Wanderers began with a 13-9 defeat of Worthing. It was close at the start; Wanderers were only 4-3 ahead early in the second period but they then took charge, goals by Joe Jenkins-Delf (2), Tom Greenfield and Balint Benke earning an 8-3 lead at the halfway stage.  

Championship 1 was still not a certainty for Wanderers when they took on Exeter in their second match. But after taking a 6-1 lead in the first period, they were able to cruise to a 12-6 victory, with Jenkins-Delf (Photo above: Trevor Hyde) notching another four goals.

Earlier, a point apiece for Exeter and Watford from an exciting 11-11 draw ensured that both clubs would be in Championship 1 in the New Year. There were two minutes remaining when a Hamish Crichton penalty edged Watford into an 11-10 lead; then Jack Cutting equalised from a man-up chance 1.40 from the end. Tom Hutchens (4) and Cutting (3) were the chief Exeter scorers while Watford marksmen included Crichton (3), Tom Kelly (2) and Akos Sahin-Toth (2).
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At Tollcross, Glasgow, Caledonia stayed top after a runaway 18-7 win against Durham Palatinates, including a seven-goal haul by Finlay Nesbitt (Photo: Trevor Hyde). Portobello defeated City of Bristol 15-7.

Otter were forced to work hard for a 10-7 victory over Hucknall in women’s Division 1 at Haberdashers today. The result improved their chances of qualifying for the Super 5s after a shaky start to the campaign.

After two periods, Hucknall were very much in it at 3-3. But Otter’s experience showed in the third as goals by Rebecca Mulcahy (2) - (picture, above, Trevor Hyde) - Brooke Tafazolli (2) and Imogen Smith put the Londoners in charge.

At Tollcross, Glasgow, the meeting of the two top teams saw champions City of Manchester notch a comfortable 10-4 victory over Sheffield Sharks. Annie Clapperton (Photo: Trevor Hyde) led the way for Manchester with six goals. Liverpool Lizards outplayed Caledonia 17-5, including five goals from Beth Bolton.

Later, Clapperton collected another five goals as Manchester hammered Caledonia 19-3. Steph Whittaker scored seven. It was also straightforward for Coventry - they beat Birmingham 19-1.

Manchester Comets waited for the final day of the women's Division 3 programme at Manchester Aquatics Centre to record their first win - 12-11 against Southampton.

Southampton were 6-5 up in the third period but then fell apart as Manchester hit back to build a 12-7 advantage, including two goals each for Harriet Dickens (Photo: Trevor Hyde), Fran Collings and Victoria Hawkins. Rachael Mell scored three for Southampton.
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It was easy for Cheltenham in their final match. Youngsters led the way as they hammered Liverpool Water Beatles 21-2, with 16-year-old Priya Kennedy scoring eight and Charlotte Martin, aged 15, five. Exeter finished top of the table but had to battle to resist a Rotherham Metro rally before winning 10-9. At one point, Exeter led 7-1.

In the final match of the Division 3 programme, Liverpool Water Beatles claimed their first win - 9-4 against Manchester Comets. Hannah Pyper, who has only just celebrated her 13th birthday, scored twice. Penguin Emperors finished in third place thanks to a 9-7 victory over Watford.

Watford’s girls will need to requalify for next season via the play-off tournament, despite putting up a brave performance in women’s Division 3 at Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Their day began well enough as Farida Elsayed’s hat-trick helped earn an 8-4 victory over Liverpool Water Beatles. It meant Watford had to win their second game of the day, against Rotherham Metro, to retain a chance of making the top five – meaning a step-up to Championship 2.

But Rotherham were just too strong, leading all the way and reaching 14-9 before a Watford rally occurred too late, making the final score 14-12. Emily Crossley (7), Vicky Bowen (4) and Lucy Hobman (3) scored the goals for Rotherham, while 16-year-old Catalina Granger contributed five for Watford, including four in the final period. In their first game, Rotherham beat Manchester Comets 16-9.

Cheltenham’s 100 per cent record was demolished by Exeter, whose 10-5 win put the Devon side – newcomers to BWPL this season – on top of the table. Both teams were already guaranteed progress to Championship 2. Exeter were in control after racing into a 5-0 first quarter lead, including three goals from Jai Powell.
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Penguin Emperors made sure of their Championship 2 spot, Alice Woods scoring four in a 10-6 victory over Southampton. Watford will be joined by Liverpool Water Beatles and Manchester Comets in the qualification tournament.

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Audrey Tata, of Penguin Emperors.

It’s not unique for a player to score 12 goals in a match – but to end up on the losing side?

The unfortunate hot-shot was none other than GB 2012 Olympic star Rob Parker, whose heroics on behalf of Cheltenham Spartans couldn’t prevent his team losing 17-16 to City of Birmingham in men’s Division 3 at Manchester Aquatics Centre.

For Birmingham, it was a vital result, raising them into the top five in the table, which is the qualification target for teams moving to Championship 2 in the second half of the season. Birmingham held an early lead but found themselves trailing 12-9 to Parker-power Spartans midway through the third period.

Birmingham battled their way back to 13-13, then into a 17-15 lead – which was just enough to make the difference in the end. Birmingham’s chief marksmen were Nathan Wilkes (6), Drazen Videc (5) and Ben Cartwright (4). 

Castleford also improved their hopes of a top five slot as Matt Lawtey netted four in a 7-5 defeat of Manchester Hawks. The division’s leading scorer, Penguin’s Giampaolo de Rosa, collected six more in an 18-12 victory over Croydon; then Otter made it six wins from six by defeating Southampton 13-9.

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Drazen Videc.