Stockport Four Points Clear at Northern Summit

CAN Stockport be beaten? That's the question which is being banded about in the Men's North of England League at the moment. For now, at the halfway stage of this season anyway, they can't. Nine matches, nine wins. You can't really ask for a better record than that.

A comprehensive 17-5 victory at home to struggling Mellor saw Stockport stay four points clear at the Premier Division summit. But with nine games still remaining this season the leaders can be caught - and it looks like both Cheadle and Heaton Mersey could be the teams to do it.

Cheadle, the defending champions, battled hard for a 16-11 victory away to Manchester Waconians at the weekend. And with their sixth win of the season remain in touching distance of Stockport, their arch-rivals. But last year's champions won't want that gap to open up any more before the two clubs play each other for a second time later this season. Cheadle and Stockport are not set to clash again until the last day of the season on Saturday 13th March, although there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then.

Mersey, meanwhile, continue to impress this season and claimed a hard-fought 18-10 home win against Rochdale at the weekend. The Oakley Villas outfit are third in the standings with five wins and two draws from eight fixtures, but although they trail Stockport by six points, they do have a game in hand on their fellow Cheshire club.

Sheffield Steelers remain rooted to the foot of the table after six defeats and one draw so far, while Rochdale are second from bottom with six defeats having played a game more than their fellow strugglers.

Wilmslow stay fourth in the table after a 14-9 away win over Brooklands Hulmeians, while Steelers' plight wasn't made easier after a 18-6 drubbing at the hands of Timperley, who are now pulling clear of the bottom end of the table

Neil Goulding English Lacrosse Press Officer