Junior round-up

Sunderland Tomahawks' hopes of a play-off place in the English Under-19 North A league is still alive despite dropping a point from their two weekend matches. Blackburn Thunderhawks hosted Tomahawks on Saturday and were 14-3 winners.

The first period brought only one goal, scored by Sunderland's Andrew Mathieson. Five goals between 25.39 and 29.58, two for the home side and three for Tomahawks, took the Wearsiders 5-2 ahead. Mathieson and Lloyd, with his third, extended their lead by the second interval.

David Thomas recorded Sunderland's eighth on the powerplay at 48.33. Mathieson, Lloyd, Adam Carr and John Westgarth hit four goals in as many minutes as the advantage was stretched to 11-2 at the 55th minute mark. Blackburn scored a third consolation goal before Tomahawks scored three goals in the final minute 41 seconds apart for the 14-3 win.

Tomahawks: Kristian Lloyd 5+4; Andrew Mathieson 5+3, Adam Carr 1+5, John Westgarth, James Hutchinson 1+1, David Thomas 1+0, Jonathan Huntley 0+1.

Sheffield Steelhawks were the visitors the following afternoon. Sunderland were not at their best and scraped a point through a last-gasp equaliser from Kristian Lloyd.

Earlier, Lloyd guided Tomahawks into a 14th minute lead. Sheffield went 2-1 ahead with goals ten seconds apart.

Tomahawks: Lloyd 2+0, Hutchinson, Carr 0+1.

Billingham Bears had two games in the English Junior (U-16) North A League on Saturday at the Forum Arena. They brushed aside Sunderland Arrows 7-1. Paul Harland put Bears into a second-minute lead which was doubled through Robert Dowd at 11.23. The final period brought three players early showers in two separate incidents.

Bears' James Kennair joined by Arrows' Jamie Smithson and Chris Wright, the trio receiving five plus game misconduct for roughing.

This was after a solitary middle period strike from Andrew Thornton for 3-0.

Bears led 7-0 with goals from Thornton (2), Zoe Bayne and Peter Rix. This included a penalty shot converted at 38.36 by Thornton to complete a hat-trick. Arrows scored a consolation goal at 43.52 through Michael Allinson when his side were short-handed.

Bears: Andrew Thornton 3_1, Zoe Bayne 1+1, Peter Rix, Paul Harland, Robert Dowd 1+0, Andrew Bennett 0+2, Kevin Tearney, James Udell 0+1.

Arrows: Michael Allinson 1+0.

Bears played their second derby match on Sunday at Hillheads against Whitley Tomahawks. Bears and Tomahawks were well matched in the first period which brought only one goal, scored by Dale Howey for Whitley in the final minute. Whitley extended their lead by scoring twice in 67 seconds in the middle period through Ben Campbell and Howey. With one second left on the clock Daniel Good completed the scoring for a 4-0 Whitley victory.

Tomahawks: Dale Howey 2+0, Ben Campbell 1+0, Daniel Good 1+1,. Rob Wilson, Claire Oldfield, David Barrett 0+1.

Sunderland Apaches were beaten twice at the weekend at Hillheads. They lost 5-3 in the English U10 North against Altrincham Colts. The visitors scored twice to go 2-0 ahead at 07.49 before league's top scorer Grant Sharp bagged a brace at 08.26 and 14.17 to tie the scores at the interval.

Seven seconds into the restart Sharp's hat-trick market put Apaches 3-2 ahead. Colts equalised in the 29th minute and won with goals in the 36th and 38th minutes.

Apaches: Grant Sharp 3+0, Michael Elder 0+1.

At Peterborough Bulldogs, Apaches went down 4-3 in a challenge match. Sharp put Apaches ahead at 20.28. Bulldogs scored four times in under a minute between31.10 and 32.04 for a 4-1 advantage. Elder and Sharp cut the deficit but not enough for a draw.

Apaches: Sharp 2+0, Elder 1+0, Callum Davies 0+2, Matthew Williamson 0+1.

The England U-16 squad includes six players from North-East clubs. Billingham provide three, Whitley two and Sunderland one. The England squad will compete in two tournaments at Esburg, Denmark (January) and Tilburg, Holland, in February or March.

The six players are: netminders Michael Snook (Billingham); defenders Dale Howey, Joe Stamp (both Whitley Bay); forwards, Daniel Good (Whitley Bay), Andrew Thornton (Billingham), John Westgarth (Sunderland).