Pictured: Stockports Tom Gosnay
By Neil Goulding (English Lacrosse Press Officer, 07813 859986)
CHEADLE and Stockport, both chasing the Men's North of England League Premier Division crown, were given a real test of their respective title credentials at the weekend.
Ahead 7-1 at half-time, Cheadle were cruising to victory away to Timperley, but their hosts fought back admirably and nearly sprung an upset.
But despite winning the final quarter 4-0, Timperley were edged 10-9 by the defending champions at Stockport Road.
And there was nearly a first defeat for leaders Stockport as they were forced to battle back from behind to beat fellow high-fliers Heaton Mersey.
Mersey led 6-3 at half-time and 7-6 after the third quarter, but Stockport netted a winning goal in the last minute of the game to snatch a dramatic 9-8 win at Oakley Villas.
'It [defeat] was hard to take,' admitted Mersey co-captain Andy Ellison. 'We were playing really well, but we don't really know what happened.
'It was a good winning goal, but we felt we should have got more from the match.'
England international Tom Gosnay was Stockport's match-winner with a clinical finish after the visitors pinched the deciding quarter 3-1 and extended their impressive winning run to six successive matches.
Midfielder Chris Bland top-scored for Stockport with a hat-trick- with two of those goals at crucial times for the Beech Road boys.
Bland levelled matter at 7-7 and put Stockport 8-7 ahead, before Mersey scored on a man-up to make sure of a nervous few remaining minutes.
And with roughly 30 seconds left on the clock it was Gosnay who found a way to make sure his team maintain the pace at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, Timperley found themselves 5-0 down to Cheadle after the opening quarter and 7-1 down at half-time.
The home side won the third quarter 4-3 to reduce their arrears and dominated the deciding 20 minutes, but despite having clawed back from 10-6 down to 10-9, Timperley couldn't find one more goal to at least snatch a draw.
'It was a great effort from us in the second half,' reflected Timperley co captain Tim Holdsworth. 'We had a goal disallowed, it was just a shame we didn't manage to get another goal.'
Wilmslow, former Premier Division winners, fought back from 6-3 down at half-time to beat Manchester Waconians 10-8, while Brooklands Hulmeians impressed with a 13-7 victory away to Mellor.
Rochdale's home clash with Sheffield Steelers was postponed because of a water-logged pitch.
Saturday 14th November
Men's North of England League - Premier Division: Mellor 7 Brooklands Hulmeians 13, Wilmslow 10 Manchester Waconians 8, Heaton Mersey 8 Stockport 9, Timperley 9 Cheadle 10.
Division 2: Norbury 7 Ashton-under-Lyne 4, Boardman and Eccles 10 Timperley A 4, Sheffield University 21 Poynton 4, Stockport A 7 Heaton Mersey A 8, Cheadle A 9 Nottingham 9.
Division 3: Manchester Waconians A 12 Wilmslow A 9, Sheffield Steelers A 9 Rochdale A 14, Brooklands Hulmeians A 9 Mellor A 13, Heaton Mersey B 13 Cheadle B 9, Stockport B 7 Oldham 10.
Division 4: Poynton A 7 Manchester Waconians B 11, Cheadle Hulme 7 Boardman and Eccles 1, Liverpool 10 Brooklands Hulmeians Extra A 10, Stopfordians 5 Leeds 8. Postponed: Mellor B v Norbury A.
Division 5a: Timperley B 10 Ashton-under-Lyne A 7, Newcastle 1 Norbury B 0, Brooklands Hulmeians B 8 Hull 8.
Division 5b: Heaton Mersey Guild 14 York University 5, Oldham A 9 Timperley C 2.
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