Youngsters at City of York Hockey Club have been crowned champions of North of England.

The Under 11 girls will now play in the national finals to be held at Cannock on May 20 after their regional triumph.

Goakeeper Nicky Shepherdson kept a clean sheet throughout the North of England tournament at Silksworth, near Sunderland.

York beat Kirkham GS Juniors from Lancashire 4-0 with goals by Judith Evans, Heather Stafford and Amelia Smalley (2). Smalley was also on target as Queen's School, Cheshire, were defeated 2-0 and was on the scoresheet again along with Stafford as Mowden Hall, representing Durham and Northumberland, were also beaten 2-0.

To crown a great day Smalley netted a hat-trick, Rebecca Harris (2) and Hannah Longster the other as York thrashed Cumbria's Windermere 6-0.

With Ben Rhydding winning the Under 11 title on an adjoining pitch, it was a great double for Yorkshire junior hockey.

The York girls will be hoping to fare better than the club's Under 16 boys side who found the going tough in the quarter-finals of the RAF Careers Youth Cup at Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

York, the North East of England champions, were beaten 6-3 by Liverpool's Merchant Taylor School, who included several county and England players.

James Owen (2) and Alex Cockram were on target for York, who played all their travelling substitutes in a consolation game with Old Loughtonians and lost 8-2, Owen and Cockram scoring.

Many of the York boys' squad will be eligible to play in the tournament again next year.

The growing strength of the club's junior section was emphasised when the Under 14 boys took part in the finals of the Yorkshire Youth League.

They drew 1-1 with Hull thanks to Thomas Sorby's goal, but lost 2-1 to Ben Rhydding, Patrick Herriott scoring, and 1-0 to Wakefield.

Relegated City of York II ended their Northern Counties division two term with a 3-3 draw at Gateshead.

Fielding a much-changed side York were soon a goal behind.

They hit back with a short corners from which the ball ran to Chris Allerton, who cracked it into the roof of the Gateshead net.

Graham Cook's shot on the turn gave York the lead after the interval but the home side equalised from a short corner.

Cook restored York's lead, also from a short corner, but then they suffered when they had a Nick Carter short-corner strike disallowed.

Just as York seemed they would chalk up a rare win, Steve Prankett's stick tackle was adjudged worthy of a penalty stroke and Gateshead equalised with seconds to spare.

City of York IV cruised to a 4-0 Yorkshire League division five win over King Cross with goals by Dave Lancaster (2) and Ed Shouksmith (2).

Tadcaster II proved too strong for City of York VII, in a 4-1 win.

Neil Buckley put York ahead with a penalty but Tadcaster's young side hit back in style.

City of York VIII, who started with only eight men, beat a young, skilful Ben Rhydding VIII side 2-1.

The Ilkley side took the lead late in the first half, but York, restored to full strength, equalised with a brilliant solo run by Alan Crompton and won the match with a Chris Steel goal.

Updated: 12:58 Tuesday, April 03, 2001