THE team sitting pretty on top of division one in the Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire Squash League at the season's halfway stage is very much a family affair for the Woodhead clan.

The side is managed by Martin Woodhead and includes his sons, Ian and Paul. While Martin organises who plays and when, fixes transport to the matches and after-match catering, Ian and Paul help to make up Harrogate Squash Club's third team which is the youngest in the league's three divisions.

With some top class performances this season, their third team tag does them little justice as they have proved themselves a top drawer side.

With an average age of 18 the squad's eldest player is 22-year-old David Duncalf, Ian Woodhead is 18 while there are three 16-year-olds - Adam Hughes, Sam Peacock and Paul Woodhead.

Currently the young team are nine points ahead of their nearest rivals, the Squash Club's first team, who have a match in hand.

The Harrogate side's second team are third, 17 points adrift of the league leaders in the internal club battle for league supremacy.

The current table-toppers started to give promising young players a foothold on the league ladder three seasons ago. In their first season they won promotion to division two, where they were champions last season.

Current league champions Bedale are paying a heavy price for a poor start to the campaign, losing three of their first four matches. But they boosted fortunes recently with a fine win against Harrogate Squash I and are now mid-table.

Northallerton and Boroughbridge are battling to avoid the single drop spot, both with 28 points from eight matches, 27 behind Knaresborough I.

Boroughbridge were promoted to the top flight last season.

Meanwhile, the top performer in division one so far is Thirsk player Steve Whiteley, who is also a member at Harrogate Squash Club where he plays in the Yorkshire League and Harrogate League.

Whiteley has won all his nine matches, Ian Woodhead has taken six victories from eight clashes for Harrogate Squash III, while David Duncalf (Harrogate Squash III) and Nigel Heward (Harrogate Squash I) have each won five of their six fixtures.

In division two, Leyburn lead the way with 87 points from ten matches, closely followed by surprise package Pateley Bridge II with 86 points from 11 matches. Bedale II also have 86 points from 11 encounters.

Still in contention for one of the two promotion spots are Harlow II (76 points from ten matches) and Knaresborough II (76 from nine).

Leyburn's feat in taking the top position is a creditable performance bearing in mind they lost their captain and leading player Nick Brown for half their clashes through injury.

But his return has made the Wensleydale side favourites for the title.

So far the most successful player in division two, with eight wins from nine matches, is Dan Lupton (Harlow II). Meanwhile, Mark Allison (Bedale II), Adrian Forge (Knaresborough II) and Jim Forbes (Leyburn II) have all secured six victories in eight outings.

Allison's winning returns are a remarkable achievement having earlier been sidelined for two years with a hip injury.

Although RAF Leeming only managed to complete five matches because of flying demands, two of their players are undefeated. Team skipper Phil Hopkins is unbeaten in his four fixtures, while the team's top player, former England junior international Jonathan Chinnery, won his three clashes for the loss of only a handful of points.

Pateley Bridge have used more players than any other side in the division. Eleven have played so far with only league secretary Chris Lennox and league chairman and treasurer Tony Rennison appearing more than twice.

In division three, Bedale IV, captained by Geoff Coles, head the table with 106 points from 11 matches. Just two points behind are Harrogate Squash V.

Pateley Bridge III are currently bottom, the only team without a win in the league despite the sterling efforts of skipper Bill Hannay.

Second from bottom are Thirsk IV who have used the same three players in every match. The family affair is led by Duncan Holme, the other two players being his teenage sons Shaun and Scott.

League officials have praised the efforts of Holme senior in bringing more junior players into the league.

The top individual player in division three is Duncan Hill (Squash IV), who has a 100pc return from his eight matches