Sunderland Cherokees were 3-2 winners over Altrincham Spitfires at Hillheads, Whitley Bay on Saturday in the English Bantam (U12) North promotion/relegation play-offs.

The following day the two sides met at Altrincham with Spitfires gaining both points from a 3-1 victory.

At Hillheads Cherokees went ahead with a short-handed goal after 17 minutes for the only goal of the opening period. Grant Sharp got the final touch and Altrincham equalised at 30.49 after a little pressure.

Ross Cameron restored Cherokees' lead at 37.27, but it took the visitors just 21 seconds to get back on level terms. Altrincham picked up a minor penalty inside the final ten minutes and on the resulting powerplay Grant Sharp's second goal with 33 seconds remaining gave Cherokees victory.

After the final whistle at the customary handshakes Altrincham's netminder John Kesterlian threw a punch at a Sunderland player and was given a game misconduct for his troubles.

The return was another close affair and the opening period brought no goals. Nathan Salem broke the deadlock at 28.16 when he gave Cherokees the lead. Altrincham were on level terms at 29.47 and took the lead with a powerplay goal at 31.45; 23 seconds later an altercation saw Cherokees' defenceman Daniel Pyre clash with Spitfires John Murray, both players getting five plus game misconducts and Pye also receiving a match penalty for slashing and a gross misconduct.

Altrincham completed the scoring with a third goal on 35 minutes.

Cherokees at Hillheads: Grant Sharp 2+0, Ross Cameron 1+0; at Altrincham, Nathan Salem 1+0, Richard Emerson 1+0.

Billingham Wolves are a step closer to retaining their English U19 North A League status after two wins in the promotion/relegation play-offs at the weekend. Two more large victories have given Wolves six points from the three home victories scoring 46 goals and conceding only one.

Solihull Knights were visitors to the Forum Ice Arena last Saturday and they were well beaten 19-0. The floodgates were open at 04.42 when Shaun Buckley scored the first goal. Scott Ward and Andrew Thornton had made it 3-0 before Stephen Wallace netted the fourth on 08.26.

It was Wallace's first of seven goals on the night as he hit his second in the opening period as Wolves went 7-0 ahead. He scored three during the middle period as Billingham extended their advantage to 12-0.

Thornton became the second Wolves to score a hat-trick on the night when he scored the 18th goal at 54.58. Two minutes later Wallace completed the scoring. James McCabe picked up a leg injury which forced him out during the match and he sat out Sunday's game. Liam Telfer was ruled out of both games with a thigh injury and he is doubtful for this Sunday's return match at Solihull.

Netminders Michael Snook and Richard Griffiths shared a 27-shot shut-out.

Sunday's visitors were Blackburn Thunderhawks and they too failed to score a goal as Billingham won 10-0. David Thomas began the scoring at 11.10 and a second followed four minutes later. Buckley struck a third before the first interval.

Flett, Thomas and Wallace increased Wolves' lead to go 6-0 before their coach. Terry Ward received both a gate and gross misconduct for abuse of official comments said by Ward to the referee after Wallace was handed a two-plus ten minutes misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Buckley, Ward, Wallace and Flett rounded off the scoring in the final period and Wolves into double figures.

Wolves (v Solihull): Stephen Wallace 7+3, Andrew Thornton 3+1, Shaun Buckley 2+6, Scott Ward 2+5, Gareth Crinnion 2+2, David Flett 1+2, Craig Hill, Paul Dean 1+0, Paul Harland, David Thomas 0+3, James Udell, Andrew Bennett, Robert Dowd 0+1.

Wolvers (v Blackburn): Thomas 3+0, Wallace 2+3, Buckley 2+1, Flett 2+0, Ward 1+1, Crinnion 0+1.

Billingham Falcons played host to Sheffield Stormers in an U14 challenge match at the Forum Ice Arena. Falcons went into the match minus Jamie Kitching due to a knee injury and several others because of unavailability.

Falcons had more shots on goal in the first period but trailed 0+1. The Teessiders were under pressure in the final period as Sheffield went in search of more goals. The visitors struck twice in four minutes to lead 3-0 after 30 minutes.

Anthony Price got Falcons a consolation goal in the final minute as Sheffield won 3-1.

Falcons: Anthony Price 1+0.