ELEVENTH hour replacement Neil Cordell once again highlighted the strength of IT Sports Wigginton's junior policy after helping the team maintain its Yorkshire Premier Squash League top spot.

The 15-year-old junior England international was drafted in at number five after the late withdrawal of world number 17 Renan Lavigne and got the first win in a 4-1 defeat of Huddersfield.

Cordell had impressed at Abbeydale (Sheffield) the week before and again looked strong as he won 3-0 in front of a large home crowd, despite a tense second-game tiebreak.

Recently married team manager and sponsor Ian Tooms, up to fourth string, lost 3-1 to Mark Francis.

Captain Matt Lowery swept aside the experienced Mathew Thorpe 11-6 11-5 11-2 to reinforce his favourite's tag for the forthcoming York Open.

The match of the day saw Wigginton favourite Duncan Walsh taken to the wire by Andy Learoyd with two tight tiebreaks going the way of the Huddersfield man. But a boisterous comeback by Walsh as he used some of his newly developed attacking moves saw him swing the game with two 11-3 wins.

With the match already secure, former England international Paul Hargrave polished off David Barnet 3-0.

Wigginton's next match is the derby against York Next Generation.

IT Sports Wigginton 4 Huddersfield 1. Wigginton names first - Paul Hargrave bt David Barnet 11-10 11-6 11-5, Duncan Walsh bt Andy Learoyd 11-3 10-11 10-11 11-3 11-3, Matt Lowery bt Mathew Thorpe 11-6 11-5 11-2, Ian Tooms lost to Mark Francis 11-7 8-11 2-11 6-11, Neil Cordell bt Jamie Sutcliffe 11-6 11-10 11-4.

Updated: 10:41 Saturday, November 06, 2004