Sunderland Tomahawks remain in the English Under-19 North Relegation play-offs area after a 5-2 defeat in a North League encounter.

Billingham Wolves were their opponents at Newcastle Arena and they had the better of a one-sided opening period.

Liam Telfer gave Wolves a ninth minute lead which Robert Dowd doubled two minutes later. Two minutes before the end of the session Paul smith hit a third. second period was not a minute old when Stuart Gibbon scored the fourth. Tomahawks efforts were rewarded in the middle period when Callum Hewitt scored on the powerplay at 26.01 which was followed four minutes later by a Darren Shanks goal. Wolves added a fifth seven minutes into the final period which halted Sunderland's recovery from Anthony Price.

Billingham's victory sees them in fourth while Sunderland stay rooted at the bottom.

Tomahawks scorers: Darren Shanks 1+1, Callum Hewitt 1+0, Jonny Heslop 0+2.

Wolves scorers: Liam Telfer, Robert Down, Paul smith, Stuart Gibbon and Anthony price 1+0, James McCabe and Ricky Box 0+2, James Udell 0+1.

Sunderland Arrows had two very valuable victories in English Under 16 North A against teams in similar position at the wrong end of the table. On Saturday Bradford Pirates game to Newcastle Arena without a point from eight matches while Arrows were third from bottom, five points from ten games. It was a close affair which was decided by Jeremy Lundin strike in the 37th minute.

Bradford's netminder Aaron Fox making some fine saves to deny Sunderland, he faced a total of 25 shots while Mark Thurman his opposite number faced only nine for his shut out.

Second from bottom Whitley Tomahawks were visitors to Newcastle Arena the following night. Whitley have only four points from wins over Bradford and it was their first match of the season against Sunderland.

Dean Holland gave Arrows a third minute lead on the powerplay and Richard Westgarth added a second five minutes later. Whitley pulled a goal back at 14.40 through Mark Nicholson to keep them in the hunt.

Westgarth restored the two-goal lead 81 seconds into the middle period and Callum Hewitt struck a fourth on the powerplay at 29.36. A minute later Holland netted his second as Whitley hit a penalty treble.

Further powerplay goals from Hewitt and Westgarth for his hat-trick marker completed the scoring.

Sunderland, with nine points from 12 games, have four matches to play which includes Bradford and Whitley away should be clear of the play-offs. The bottom two from North A and top two from North B contest the play-offs on a league basis the top two play in North A league next season.

Arrow scores (v Whitley): Richard Westgarth 3+2, Dean Holland 2+2. Callum Hewitt 2+1, Richard Lawson and Aiden Parker 0+1.

(v Bradford): Jeremy Lundin 1+0, Callum Hewitt 0+1.

Tomahawks scorers: Mark Nicholson 1+0, Andrew Wood 0+1.

Billingham Bears went back to the top of Under-16 North a after a 5-2 win at Blackburn Eagles.

Bears scorers: Anthony Price 2+1, Paul Smith 2+0, Robert Dowd 1+0, Adam Smith and Chris Snaith 0+1.

Sunderland Mohicans lost 5-0 at Bradford Buccaneers in English Under 14 North B League and Sunderland Scorpions are six points clear at the top of Womens Premier League after a 3-0 win against Kingston Diamonds at Hull Ice Arena.

Scorpions scorers: Lynsey Emmerson 1+2, Helen Stowe 1+1, Claire Oldfield 1+0.

Whitley Bay Squaws made the short trip down the A19 to tackle Billingham Wildcats in Womens Division One North . Charlotte Willey put Squaws ahead at 04.31 and Becky Kasner doubled the lead on the powerplay at 10.40. Kasner added her second with the only goal of the middle period.

Sarah Barnett netted a third with Squaws short-handed at 47-48 and Sara Christie made it 5-0 four minutes later. Wildcats lone reply came from Paula Garbatt at 57.25 and Squaws rounded off the scoring through Gabby Woodhouse 30 seconds later.

Wildcats scorers: Paula Garbatt 1+0.

Squaws scorers: Becky Kasner 2+0, Charlotte Willey and Gabby Woodhouse 1+1, Sarah Barnett and Sara Christie 1+0, Sarah Smith and Helen Jackson 0+1.

Sunderland Apaches suffered two defeats in Under-10 Challenge matches. Apaches lost 7-2 away to Coventry Blaze on Saturday and Nottingham Pumas were at Newcastle Arena the following day and won 9-4.

Apaches scorers (v Coventry): Dale Sharp and Luke Shanks 1+0.

(v Nottingham): Sharp and Shanks 2+1, Sean Bamlin, lee Gill and Jamie Peterson 0+1.

English National Hockey League North

Whitley Warriors ended their League season with two defeats at the weekend. Grimsby Buffaloes hosted Warriors on Saturday and won 6-4 and at Hillheads against leaders Flintshire Freeze, five unanswered goals in the final period gave Freeze both points and a 9-3 win.

Warriors scorers (v Grimsby): Andrew Robinson and Ben Campbell 1+2, Shaun Kippin 1+1, Paul Graham 1+0, Raymond Haslam 0+1.

(v Flintshire): Graham 2+0, Robinson 1+1, Haslam, Campbell, Ian Emerson and Paul Sample 0+1.

Sunderland Chiefs were beaten 5-2 at Nottingham Lions and put up a brave performance with only ten skaters.

Adam Hendry gave Chiefs a second minute lead only for Lions to draw level. Paul Rolfe restored Chiefs lead at 21.32 and again Nottingham equalised.

Chiefs began to tire and Lions went ahead with ten minutes to go. Two powerplay goals in the last four minutes completed the scoring.

Chiefs scoring: Adam Hendry and Paul Rolfe 1+0, Sean Anderson and Michael Allinson 0+1.

Chief still have five games left hosting Flintshire and Sheffield (Feb 15 and 21 respectively) plus visits to Sheffield (Feb 28) and Bradford Feb 29). The game at Billingham which was cancelled last month has yet to be confirmed.

Both Billingham and Whitley Bay have ENHL North Cup games to play.

Tomorrow Whitley host Blackburn and on unday Billingham visit Sheffield.

Other dates: Feb 27 Billingham v Whitley; Feb 29 Blackburn v Billingham; TBA Billingham v Sheffield.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Findus British National League: Fife Flyers v Newcastle M&M City News Vipers (7.15pm).

English National Hockey League Cup North: Whitley Warriors v Blackburn Hawks (6.30pm).

Womens Premier League: Guildford Lightning v Sunderland Scorpions (6.45pm).

English Under 16 North A League: Billingham Bears v Telford Rockets (6.30pm.

English Under 14 North A League: Billingham Falcons v Telford Venom (4.30pm).

English Under 14 North B League: Blackburn H aw. v Sunderland Moh. (4.45pm).

Sunday: *Sunderland Chiefs v Flintshire Freeze (12pm).

English National Hockey League Cup North: Sheffield Scimitars v Billingham Bombers (7.15pm).

English Under 19 North a League: Whitley Braves v Nottingham Leopards (5.30pm)

English Under 16 North A League: Nottingham Cougars v Whitley Tomahawks (7.15pm).

English Under 14 North B League: Nottingham Ice Cats v Sunderland Mohicans 5.30pm).

English Under 12 North A League: *Sunderland Cherokees v Telford Venom (2.30pm).

English Under Ten North/Midlands League: Whitley Bay Mischiefs v Coventry Blaze (12.15pm).

Womens Division One North: Billingham Wildcats v Sheffield Shadows (6pm)

Wednesday, February 18: Findus British National League: Newcastle M&M City News Vipers v Guildford Flames (7.15pm).

Thursday, February 19: Findus British National League: Newcastle M&M City News Vipers v Fife Flyers (7.15pm).

*All Sunderland IHC home games at Newcastle Arena.