Billingham Falcons had two home games at the weekend in the English Under-14 North A League at the Forum ice arena, still without a point and adrift at the bottom of the table.

Nottingham Tigers were on Teesside on Saturday and got off the mark after 88 seconds and eased into a 4-0 lead by the 10th minute. Scott Harrison opened the Falcons account on the powerplay at 15.23. Tigers restored the two-goal lead after 17 minutes before Jonathan Galloway was on hand to drive home Falcons second at 21.46.

The visitors went 6-2 ahead with a goal in the first minute of the final period. Falcons Simon Bence and Tigers Adam Wood each received five plus game misconducts for roughing in the 35th minute. Four goals in the last seven minutes for Nottingham gave them a 10-2 victory.

Twenty four hours later it was second placed Kingston Rivermen who faced Falcons at the Forum ice arena. Rivermen, who can mathematically catch the leaders Sheffield, went ahead in the opening minutes and led 3-0 after the first period.

Kingston ran in seven goals during the middle period to reach double figures. Another five came in the final period and with 22 seconds remaining Scott Harrison netted Falcons' consolation reply on the powerplay.

Falcons have two matches left to play in the regular hosting Sheffield and Birmingham on dates to be arranged.

Falcons (v Nottingham): Scott Harrison, Jonathan Galloway 1+0, Steven Charlton, Robert Coxon 0+1.

(v Kingston: Harrison 1+0, Galloway 0+1.

Whitley Mohawks completed their home programme defeating Telford Venom 10-2 at Hillheads. Mark Nicholson gave Mohawks the lead at 11.11. Andrew Wood, Nicholson and Nathan Taylor put Whitley 4-0 ahead by the first interval. Wood, Callum Watson and Jamie Tinsley increased the advantage to 7-0 after two periods.

Telford scored twice in three minutes during the final period to open their account. Mohawks completed the scoring with goals from Taylor, Alistair Brummitt and Nicholson's hat-trick marker.

Mohawks: Mark Nicholson 3+2, Nathan Taylor 2+1, Andrew Wood 2+0, Jamie Tinsley 1+4, Callum Watson 1+1, Alistair Brummitt 1+0, Martin Crammond 0+2, Kurt Waller 0+1.

Billingham Bears entertained Nottingham Cougars in the English Under-16 North A League at the Forum ice arena. It was their final league match for the runners-up before going on to the national U16 play-offs at Nottingham in May.

Anthony Price gave Bears a second minute lead and it was not until 22.18 that the advantage was extended due to a Liam Telfer goal. Cougars, bottom of the table and requiring a win to help them try to avoid the relegation play-offs, battled away and tied the scores with two goals in four minutes by 33.48.

It took Bears only two minutes to regain their lead thanks to a James Udell strike and Telfer's second of the game in the 38th minute put the home side 4-2 ahead.

Bears netminder James Flanell made important saves to keep his side's two-goal lead in tact.

Bears meet Swindon Leopards in their play-offs semi-final in May.

Bears: Liam Telfer 2+1, Anthony Price 1+2, James Udell 1+0, Ricky Box, Robert Down, David Thompson, Paul Smith, John Saunders 0+1.

Whitley Arrows played host to Kingston Rivermen in the English Under-12 North A League at Hillheads. Arrows required a victory to avoid the promotion-relegation play-offs and Arrows got off to the start they wanted when Callum Watson put them ahead at 03.26. Kingston equalised two minutes later and went ahead after 12 minutes.

Watson broke clear to tuck away Arrows' second at 22.21 and seven minutes later he completed his hat-trick as Rivermen held a 5-3 lead going into the final period.

Kingston scored further goals in as many minutes to record a 9-3 victory which sees Whitley await their play-off encounters which will get under way later this month.

Arrows: Callum Watson 3+0.

Sunderland Scorpions defeated Swindon Top Cats at the weekend in the women's premier league to go three points ahead at the top of the table. Lynsey Emmerson put Scorpions ahead at 04.01 and Kerry Dunn doubled the lead three minutes later.

Sarah Clare scored a third before Top Cats first goal came at 27.49. Nicky Pattinson restored Scorpions two-goal advantage in the final minute of the middle period.

Three minutes into the third period Swindon got their second goal only for Emmerson and Clare to each net their second goal of the games to give Scorpions a 6-2 win.

Scorpions: Lynsey Emmerson, Sarah Clare 2+0, Nicky Pattinson 1+1, Kerry Dunn 1+0, Teresa Lewis 0+3, Claire Forster 0+2, Jane Price, Jayne McClelland, Claire Oldfield, Heather McDermott 0+1.

* Lynsey Emmerson, Teresa Lewis and Claire Oldfield did not return home to the North-East with the rest of the team as they prepared to fly out to Lecco, Italy, with the Great Britain squad for the women's World championships division two which took place this week and finishes on Sunday.

England Under-19s will play Scotland U19 at Nottingham ice arena on Saturday afternoon (face off 2.30pm) prior to the Superleague play-off final at 6.30pm. Five North-East born players have been selected for the game. Stephen Wallace in his first season in Findus British National League with Newcastle KBS Vipers is included alongside fellow forward Adam Carr who began the season with Newcastle and Sunderland Chiefs before moving to the English premier league side Isle of Wight Raiders.

Carr's team mate at IOW former Whitley Warrior and Sunderland Chiefs defenceman James Hutchinson has also been included. David Thomas, a regular for Billingham Bombers defence this season in the English National Hockey League North is in fifth, is a former Durham and Billingham junior. Tom Griffiths who has spent the past two seasons in the English premier league with Nottingham Lions while at university in the Lace City.

Coach to the England squad is former Sunderland Chiefs and Whitley Warriors coach Mick Mishner.

Billingham's Steven Pritchard and Whitley Bay's Robert Wilson are named in this England U17 squad that will tackle Scotland U17s at Hull ice arena on May 4. Both players have played this season for their respective clubs at U10 and senior league levels.

Pritchard's teammate Jamie Pattison is named as a reserve.

English National Hockey League North play-offs

Whitley Warriors completed their play-off fixtures taking a very young squad to face Sheffield Scimitars. Only two of the 13 Whitley squad where over 18. Captain of the side was Paul Graham, 19 and netminder Chris McKay, 23.

Sheffield went 3-0 ahead in six minutes, but found Warriors rearguard in no mood to concede as much as Sheffield imagined. No further goals in the first and only three in the second for 6-0.

Scimitars found the net on a further eight occasions in the final 15 minutes, four of which came in the last three due to tiring legs.

Whitley Warriors owners are considering applying for the Findus British National League for next season. Club general manager Francis Smith is strongly considering moving up Warriors to a higher league.

Whitley Bay Mischiefs are in Kirkcaldy this weekend for the 2003 Hockey UK U10 tournament while Sunderland Chiefs are in the senior event. Both events have six teams competing in it.