Braves lose to Sutton in final fixture

WHITLEY Braves completed their English Under-18 North Division Two season with a 5-1 home defeat by Sutton Sting.

Sutton went a goal up in the fifth minute and doubled their lead four minutes later.

Before the first interval arrived the visitors had gone 3-0 ahead.

The Braves were much improved in the second period and could have got back into the game - had they been able to breach Sting netminders Lewis King and Nicholas Winters.

The hosts were on the powerplay when Whitley found the scoresheet after 30 minutes Robert Mitchell with his second counter of the season.

A penalty shot miss by the home side could have cut the deficit to one - but the effort was not strong enough to give Winters any problem.

In the final minute of the second period Mitchell was dismissed for a slashing offence.

During this five-minute penalty Sutton went 4-2 ahead in the 43rd minute - and the scoring was wrapped up with nine minutes to go. ■■WHITLEY Arrows lost 6-3 at Bradford Bulldogs in an English Under-11 North League encounter on Saturday.

The more experienced Bulldogs went ahead after only 26 seconds and netted a second goal after five minutes.

The Arrows halved the deficit a minute later with Dylan Macklow’s sixth counter of the season.

However, before the period had finished Bradford restored their two-goal cushion.

Early in the middle session, Bradford bagged a quick brace to go 5-1 ahead.

In the latter stages the Arrows hit Bradford with a double salvo as Jack McRoy and Jack Kilvington struck before the hosts completed the scoring. ■■WHITLEY Tomahawks and Whitley Mohawks competed in the Fife Hockey UK 2017 Tournament at Kirkcaldy.

The Tomahawks contested the four-team under-15 event with Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy and Billingham but were beaten in all their matches - scoring just three goals in the group stage.

The Mohawks fared a little better in the six-team under-13 competition, beating Trafford 5-0 and Billingham 1-0 to finish fourth overall.