Senior Flags Final Review
By Neil Goulding
WILMSLOW have been crowned this season's Northern Daily Telegraph Senior Flags champions.
The on-song Styal Road thumped Mellor 19-10 yesterday to claim their first-ever Senior Flags crown.
And having already won the Men's North of England League Premier Division title this term, it was understandably the Cheshire club had plenty to celebrate.
"It's been a great season, unbelievable really. I don't think anyone could have seen us winning the double," admitted Wilmslow skipper Mark Reynolds.
"We've always had a really good bunch of players, but at last we've managed to string together some consistent performances when they've really mattered.
"It's been a real team effort, I'm so proud of all the players."
England international Reynolds top-scored with six goals and an assist in an impressive win, albeit Mellor, last season's runners-up, wasted little time in powering into a 2-0 lead.
And ahead 8-7 midway through the third quarter, the former Premier Divison champs could have been forgiven for thinking they would make up for last season's disappointing final defeat to Manchester Waconians.
But inspired by Reynolds, who had an "awesome" second half according to club chairman Clive Perrin, Wilmslow raised their game.
Continued pressure finally told and this year's Premier Division champs ran way with the last quarter, winning it 8-2 to write their names in the history books.
Chris Mountney weighed in with five goals and three assists, while Ashley Tarran-Jones scored four and provided two assists.
John Mountney bagged a brace and an a assist, with Tommy Foster also on the scoresheet with two goals.
John Kenny provided an assist, while Mike Jordan received deserved special praise for an outstanding game at face-off.
Pitted against his England coach Alistair Wallace, the Under-19 international won an impressive 23 out of a possible 28 faces.
"Mike Jordan was outstanding for us, he has been all season," praised Perrin. "But this season the whole team have pulled together.
"It's been a great season for the club. I'm absolutely delighted for the team. We've just blown other teams off the pitch in the second half of the season.
"We've been strong in all areas. We've been known to play a run-and-gun style, but I think we've shown that there's a lot more to us this season.
"We played some fast, flowing attacking lacrosse in the final. It was very, very pleasing to watch."
Mark Greaney top scored with a hat-trick for Mellor, while Wallace scored two and chipped in with two assists.
Ollie Hall scored twice and added an assist, with Andy Etherington on target twice and Will Sugden also on the mark.
But there was no joy for captain Ben McAllister as his side as they suffered Senior Flags heartache for a second successive season.
Wilmslow led 5-4 after the first quarter and, despite a fightback from their opponents, were 7-4 down at half-time, before the eventual champs edged 11-8 ahead by the end of the quarter.
Mellor were still in the contest but Wilmslow outscored them four goals to one in the deciding quarter.
"We're very disappointed, we really felt we had a chance to win the Flags this year," reflected McAllister.
Lacrosse Results (Saturday 25/26th April)
Flags Festival Finals Weekend (Bridgefold Road, Rochdale) - SATURDAY: Nigel Wayne Trophy: Leeds 8 Rochdale B 9; Boys Under-12s Plate: Rochdale 6 Manchester Waconians 5; Stockport Cup: Timperley A 7 Sheffield University 8; Under-14s Centurian Cup: Cheadle 8 Brooklands Hulmeians 6; David Beesley Cup: Cheadle Hulme 8 Sheffield Steelers A 12; Junior Flags: Ashton-under-Lyne 9 Sheffield Steelers 12.
SUNDAY, Under-12 Boys Onondaga Trophy: Poynton 9 Brooklands Hulmeians 4; Under-16s Juniors & Schools Cup: Sheffield Steelers 5 Heaton Mersey 6; Lancashire Cup: Rochdale 8 Stockport 10; Daily Telegraph Northern Senior Flags: Wilmslow 19 Mellor 10.
ends....
