Junior round-up

Billingham Pumas entertained Blackburn Sparrowhawks at the Forum ice arena in an English Bantam (U-12) North A League encounter. Pumas served up a much improved performance compared to their display when suffering a 15-0 defeat at Blackburn in September.

Pumas, beaten 9-5, remain second from bottom and look likely to go into the promotion-relegation play-offs at the end of the regular season.

Ben Moore gave Pumas a third-minute lead and scored a second at 16.29. By 17.52 the visitors were level at 2-2, the score at the end of the first period.

Blackburn took a 6-2 advantage before Jake Roberts reduced the deficit with Pumas' third goal of the game. Six goals in a seven-minute spell were shared in the latter stages which included Roberts' strike. Jonathan Galloway and Moore with his hat-trick marker were Pumas late marksmen as Blackburn won 9-5.

Pumas: Ben Moore 3+1, Jonathan Galloway 1+1, Jake Roberts 1+0, Andrew Finn 0+1.

In Bantam North B League, Whitley Arrows kept their 100 per cent record with a 6-0 victory at Billingham Rockets. The scoring began in the third minute through Andrew Wood. Before the end of the first period Chris Gibson struck a second on the powerplay. Gibson tucked away his second at 21.33 and Jamie Tinsley made it 4-0 two minutes later.

Arrows were well in control in this encounter and top scorer Tinsley and Gibson with his hat-trick marker rounded off the scoring with late goals.

Arrows: Chris Gibson 3+1, Jamie Tinsley 2+2, Andrew Wood 1+0, Nathan Taylor 0+1.

Sunderland Arrows came off second best in their English Junior U-16 North A League encounter at Hillheads against Nottingham Cougars. The Wearsiders, second from bottom, went a goal bedhind on the powerplay in the seventh minute.

Second-placed Cougars doubled their lead at 19.30. Penalties came Arrows' way in the middle session as Chris Wright (10min misconduct) and Jamie Smithson and Michael Allinson both received five plus game misconduct penalties, Smithson for slashing and Allinson for roughing at 25.50 and 27.48 respectively.

Stephen Laidler had a penalty shot save at 29.50 and eight seconds later Nottingham scored a third on the powerplay.

The next day, Whitley Tomahawks hosted Altrincham Jets in the same competition. Altrincham took a 3-2 win that sees only one point separating Sunderland. Altrincham and Billingham Bears at the bottom, the bottom two going into promotion/relegation. Play-offs.

Jets went ahead in the first minute and scored a second at 14.04. D J Good cut the deficit with a powerplay effort at 18.29. The two-goal lead was restored after 30 minutes. With five minutes to go Sean Croft hit Whitley's second, but it was not enough as Jets went away with two points.

Tomahawks: D J Good 1+1, Sean Croft 1+0.