BARNETT’S Bairns took the first step towards another season of glory in the Junior County Championships last weekend.
In the North section, Northumbria fielded teams from U13 to U19 in the boys, and U13 to U17 in the girls on Sep 12/13 – and produced an impressive strike rate.
The Under 17s – both girls and boys – were the cream of the crop, winning all of their matches to finish top of the group. And if you can get a fiver on either of these strong teams to win the National Champs, it may be worth a flutter!
Fielding Jamie Todd, Chris Wiggins, Alex Robertson, Adam Bainbridge, Michael Mattimore and Sam Broughton, the Boys U17s beat Cumbria (5-0) and Yorkshire (3-2) at Northumberland Club to go through to the next round with flying colours.
The Girls had three matches to play – again they rose to the challenge against mighty Yorkshire (4-1) then repeated the trick against Warwickshire and Cheshire to claim top spot. Well done to the girls – Charlotte Cooper, Josie Barker, Georgia Webster, Tegan Younger and Ellie Watling.
The Boys U19s, Boys U13s, Girls U15s and Girls U13s all finished second in the group and are still in with a good shout of reaching the next round.
The Boys U19s (Cai Younger, Dan Wareing, Simon Graham, Matthew Youngman and Andrew Walsh) saw off Durham and Cleveland 4-1, but lost 5-0 to Yorkshire; they finished behind the Tykes, but ahead of D&C and no-showers Lancashire.
At Under 13 level, Max Forster, Andrew Shipley, Lewis Follin, Harry Little, Dan Neill and Nathan Dobson is an impressive line-up. Not quite strong enough to beat Yorkshire on the day, they did though see off Cumbria and Durham & Cleveland to claim runners-up spot in the first round group.
Waiting to discover their fate are the promising Girls U13 team of Erin Vitty, Lowri Waugh and Lucy Anderson – they lost to Cumbrian and Yorkshire, beat D&C and finished joint second to leave their future in the balance.
Second place for the Girls U15s at Jesmond’s Northumberland Club may also be enough to keep the dream alive for Laura Neill, Amy Rowell, Emma Rowell, Martha Spalding and Daisy Dobson – who beat Derbyshire and Cumbria both 4-1 but lost 5-0 to Yorkshire on the day.
The Boys Under 15s – Angus Forster, Joe Wareing, Matthew Carr, Ben Waugh, Matthew Walsh and Tim Blake – ran out of luck in Cumbria. The boys were agonisingly edged 3-2 twice, first to hosts Cumbria then Durham & Cleveland, then lost 5-0 to Yorkshire to end their hopes.
BUDDING STARS: Girls U13s, Lucy Anderson, Lowri Waugh and Erin Vitty
LITTLE ANGELS: Boys U13s (from back left) Lewis Follin, Nathan Dobson, Harry Little, Andrew Shipley, Max Forster and Dan Neill
SO FAST THEY WERE A BLUR! Girls U15s Daisy Dobson, Laura Neill, Emma Rowell, Martha Spalding, Amy Rowell
THE (U17) SPICE GIRLS: Jokey Spice, Sprinty Spice, Volley Spice, Speccy Spice and Spidey Spice*
(*Real names: Smelly, Jo-Jo, Coops, Teegs and Webbo)
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ONE DIRECTION EAT YOUR HEART OUT: Boys U17s Chris Wiggins, Adam Bainbridge, Jamie Todd, Alex Robertson, Sam Broughton and Michael Mattimore
USUAL SUSPECTS: Yes, this is what they turn into. Boys U19s Simon Graham, Matthew Youngman, Cai Younger, Andrew Walsh and Dan Wareing
FASHION SHOW: The Girls U13s show off their new county hoodies.
Another entertaining report……thanks Dylan – these really do make for pleasurable reading.
As for the identity of Amy/Emma – I could perhaps figure it out if the photographer hadn’t had the remains of his beef madras (an athletes lunch!) on his camera lens 🙂
(for the record – Emma in the middle, Amy on the end)
Well done all the junior county teams and county coach Dave for all his hard work
Great report Dylan – and quick too