HANDBALL NEWSEnglish edition 14, December 18 2007

MANCHESTER SURVIVE BOLT

TEAM P W L D F A Diff Pt

Manchester U 9 9 0 0 266 159 107 18

Manchester 8 7 1 0 225 190 35 14

Liverpool 9 4 4 1 237 214 23 9

Bolton 8 4 3 1 257 243 14 9

Haslingden 7 2 5 0 155 181 -26 4

Wirral 9 1 8 0 156 226 -70 2

Liverpool SG 8 1 7 0 123 209 -86 2

TEAM P W L D F A Diff Pt

Cambridge 8 7 1 0 262 194 68 14

Oxford Univ 8 5 2 1 223 193 30 11

Great Dane 6 6 0 0 153 86 66 12

Olympia 7 3 4 0 177 186 -9 6

Ruislip 7 2 4 1 180 209 -29 5

Southampton 6 0 6 0 126 173 -47 0

Nottingham U 6 0 6 0 116 196 -80 0

Handball News is produced by Snowdon Sports for the British Handball Association. For details contact 0845 230 0804 or see www.englandhandball.com

FROM THE BLUE

Men's National Lge Division One (North)

Men's National Lge Division One (South)

Manchester's Aurelien Bouche gets some close attention

from Bolton's Adrian Hoxha. Pic: Shaun Criscuolo.

RESULTS, December 16

Men's National Div One North (Bellevue):

Manchester Univ 30 Wirral 24, Manchester 32 Bolton

31, Liverpool 30 Liverpool SG 25.

Men's National Div One South (Leyton): Great Dane

23 Olympia 12, Cambridge 32 Nottingham Univ 21

MANCHESTER kept

alive their title hopes

with a one-goal victory

over rivals Bolton at

Bellevue, but they had

to fight for every last

score against a superb

Bolton side.

With several victories

under their belts this

season Bolton were

determined not to let

this match go, and were

out for revenge following

an eight-goal defeat

earlier in the season at

the hands of Sunday’s

opponents.

From the first minute

the game was played at

a fast pace, but neither

side gained more than

one goal’s lead before

the other team came

battling back.

Goals from

Manchester's Tomas

Lasek were quickly

countered by Bolton's

Andre Kafack and

Patryk Jankowiak.

When Manchester's

strong defence

managed to stop the

Bolton half backs some

nifty passes were met

with well taken goals by

Bolton's Dave Brookes

on the line.

However, the real

heroes of the day were

the two goalkeepers.

Manchester’s keeper

Fabien Lauret kept them

from going behind on

numerous occasions

with superb saves from

close range shots by

Kafack, Jankowiak and

Brookes. And the Bolton

Keeper, Sam Hanvey,

likewise kept the scores

tight with a number of

critical saves.

Going into the last

minute of the game

Manchester held a

crucial one goal lead.

Despite a last ditch

assault by the Bolton

team, another vital save

by the Manchester

keeper ensured that

they ended up

victorious.

Meanwhile leaders

Manchester University

had to battle before

beating Wirral 30-24.

Liverpool go third, but

only after tough clashLIVERPOOL moved up to

third in the table after

beating fellow Merseyside

club Liverpool Speke

Garston 30-25, but were

made to work hard by their

rapidly-improving rivals.

After being outfought in

their last encounter the

newcomers to Division

One were determined to

not to suffer the same fate,

and they came psyched up

for the clash.

In the early exchanges

Liverpool SG threatened

first with numerous

chances. However, a

clinical Liverpool scored

freely with Phil Church, a

stalwart for Liverpool for

many years, helped

himself to a hatful of goals

including five penalties.

Liverpool SG lacked their

usual fluency in attack and

could not break down a

determined Liverpool defence.

James Smith, on his return to

the LSG team, brought back

an attacking bite to the side

with nine goals, aided by

Peter Haider and Colin

Radcliffe, and the score was

an even 14-12 at the break.

Liverpool's French left

winger Boucher was in

devastating form and scored

eight of his side’s goals to

equal Phil Church’s tally, and

in the final reckoning it was

this combination that finally

outwitted their rivals.

And as well as the

disappointment of defeat,

Liverpool SG's Andrew Kinsey

dislocated a shoulder. But the

final score of 30-25 was much

closer than many would have

predicted.

GREAT Dane maintained

their push for top spot in the

Southern Division after

scoring a comfortable 23-12

win over Olympia at Leyton,

London, on Sunday.

Despite being without many

first team players and only

having nine names on the

game sheet, Great Dane hit

the ground running with three

early goals. Although Olympia

hit back with three of their

own, Great Dane looked calm

and collected throughout.

But they remain two points

behind leaders Cambridge,

who were playing bottom of

the table Nottingham

University and ran out 32-21

winners.

However, with their goal

difference just seven apart,

much will be decided when

the Cambridge and Great

Dane meet on January 20.

Great Dane keep

the pressure on

Cambridge