Junior round-up - Whitley Bay Arrows defeated Solihull Kings at Hillheads on Sunday to secure their promotion to English Bantam (Under-12) North A League next season.

The match in the play-offs was not as close as the 3-2 margin suggests, Solihull's netminder Chris Hughes having an outstanding game.

Hughes made superb saves to deny Whitley until the 23rd minute through Callum Pattison, the lead was doubled at 33.49 with a Nathan Taylor strike. The game, heading for an easy Whitley win, was turned as Solihull hit back and were level at 35.41 with goals in a 44 second spell. Arrows regrouped and regained the lead only 14 seconds later from Shaun Lee, a match-winning goal which also pushed Solihull down to the North B League.

Whitley have two games in the promotion/relegation play-offs both against Billingham Pumas. They entertain Pumas on Sunday at Hillheads (face off 12.30pm) and are at the Forum arena on May 30 (face off 6.15pm).

Arrows: Nathan Taylor 1+1, Callum Pattison, Shaun Lee 1+0, Andrew Wood 0+2, Jamie Tinsley 0+1.

Solihull hosted Billingham in the Midlands on Saturday and shared the points from a 1-1 draw. Solihull got off to the better start and went ahead after seven minutes.

Danny Hughes in Pumas net was in fine form as he kept his side in the game. Billingham got their strike from Ben Moore in the 36th minute for a deserved point.

Pumas: Ben Moore 1+0.

Sunderland Arrows had a four-point weekend in the English Junior (Under-16) North promotion/relegation play-offs from their games against Bradford Pirates. Hillheads was the venue for the game on Saturday and Arrows were soon among the goals. Jonathan Heslop gave Arrows the lead after only 52 seconds and by the end of the first period it was 4-0 to Sunderland. Liam Telfer (2) and John Westgarth getting on the scoresheet. Heslop added a fifth with the only goal of the second period.

Bradford hit back in the third period and broke their duck at 32.05. Heslop was on hand to complete his hat-trick two minutes later. Bradford scored another brace before Michael Allinson rounded off the scoring with six seconds to go. The teams met in Bradford the following day. Pirates took an early lead before Stephen Laidler, Telfer and Westgarth put Arrows ahead by 3-1 at 11.11. Shaun Kippin struck a fourth ten seconds into the middle period. Bradford cut the deficit with a powerplay goal after 22 minutes. Two goals either side of the second break from Laidler and Allinson saw Sunderland home 6-2.

Arrows v Bradford (h): Jonathan Heslop 3+2, Liam Telfer 2+2, John Westgarth 1+3, Michael Allinson 1+2.

Arrows v Bradford (a): Stephen Laidler 2+2, Westgarth 1+1, Telfer, Allinson, Kippin 1+0, Heslop 0+1.

Billingham Bears went to Blackburn Eagles and came away 3-1 victors also in the Under 16 North play-offs. Andrew Bennett put Bears ahead with a goal on the powerplay after 30 seconds.

Blackburn equalised in the ninth minute also on the powerplay. Robert Dowd and Paul Harland struck in the second and third periods respectively for a win.

Bears: Andrew Bennett, Paul Harland 1+1, Robert Dowd 1+0, Stephen Pritchard 0+1.

Sunderland Scorpions went down 5-2 at Cardiff Comets in the women's premier league. Cardiff opened the scoring and Teresa Lewis and Jane Price put Scorpions 2-1 ahead at the first interval. Refereeing decisions did not go the way of Sunderland as Cardiff scored four without reply. Lewis received a gross misconduct at 36.36.

Sunderland were without Helen Stowe, Lynsey Emmerson and Paul Nolan.

Scorpions: Teresa Lewis, Jane Price 1+0, Michelle Marriott 0+1.

Billingham Falcons were beaten 3-1 by Swindon Pumas in the semi-final of the English Pee-Wee (Under 14) national championships at Nottingham on Saturday. Matthew Finn scored Falcons' lone reply. The third/fourth place play-off match against Invicta Dynamites brought Falcons a 4-0 defeat. In the Under-16 event Whitley Bay Tomahawks were 2-1 victors over Milton Keynes Kings in the semi-final after a penalty shoot-out. Sheffield Rapiers won 4-0 against Whitley in the final