
Three-way battle for prelims top spot as competition gets off to an exciting start
March 9, 2020There was a three-way battle for top spot in a close preliminary round as the Swim England Water Polo National Age Group Championships U17s boys competition got underway.
The opening weekend of the 2020 competition saw Group A games take place at Matlock’s Arc Leisure Centre, with fixtures from Groups B and C at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre.
City of Sheffield and City of Birmingham were both unbeaten as they finished first and second respectively in Group A, while City of Manchester won all of their matches to take top spot in Group C.
It was Group B that proved to be the closest with three teams – Cheltenham, Bridgefield and West London Penguin – all finishing with identical records on four points following two wins and one defeat from their three games.
FINA rulings states that the team with the best goal difference from the games played between the three would decide who topped the table.
And it was Cheltenham who finished on plus four to lead the way and book their place in the qualification round as West London’s goal difference was zero and Bridgefield’s minus two.
Once the top spot had been finalised, second place is then decided on who was victorious between the remaining two teams.
As Bridgefield ran out 4-3 winners against West London Penguin, it was they who also sealed their place in the qualification round.
In Group A, City of Sheffield and City of Birmingham played out a 4-4 draw which was the only game either side failed to win.
City of Sheffield took pole position in the group due to their better goal difference.
Caledonia WP and Northampton WP were the other sides to qualify from Group A.
In Group C, City of Manchester thrashed Cwm Draig WP 12-2, edged past second-placed and fellow qualifiersWatford WP 6-5 and defeated Sedgefield WP 12-5 to be the only side from the weekend’s action to boast a 100 per cent record.
The qualification round of the U17s boys’ competition is scheduled to take place at Northampton School for Boys on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April.
Fixtures | |||
---|---|---|---|
Nova Centurion | 2 – 4 | City of Sheffield | FT |
Portobello | 0 – 11 | Northampton WP | FT |
City of Birmingham | 4 – 2 | Caledonia WP | FT |
Nova Centurion | 11 – 1 | Portobello | FT |
City of Sheffield | 4 – 4 | City of Birmingham | FT |
Northampton WP | 5 – 8 | Caledonia WP | FT |
Portobello | 0 – 17 | City of Birmingham | FT |
Nova Centurion | 4 – 6 | Northampton WP | FT |
City of Sheffield | 9 – 6 | Caledonia WP | FT |
Nova Centurion | 3 – 4 | City of Birmingham | FT |
Portobello | 5 – 14 | Caledonia WP | FT |
City of Sheffield | 8 – 7 | Northampton WP | FT |
Nova Centurion | 4 – 8 | Caledonia WP | FT |
Northampton WP | 4 – 6 | City of Birmingham | FT |
City of Sheffield | 22 – 3 | Portobello | FT |
Group A | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
City of Sheffield | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 9 |
City of Birmingham | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 9 |
Caledonia WP | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 |
Northampton WP | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
Nova Centurion | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Portobello | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -66 | 0 |
Fixtures | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sedgefield WP | 6 – 7 | Watford WP | FT |
Cwm Draig WP | 2 – 12 | City of Manchester | FT |
West London Penguin | 3 – 4 | Bridgefield | FT |
Cheltenham | 7 – 5 | Worthing WP | FT |
Sedgefield WP | 5 – 7 | Cwm Draig WP | FT |
Watford WP | 5 – 6 | City of Manchester | FT |
West London Penguin | 6 – 5 | Cheltenham | FT |
Bridgefield | 6 – 3 | Worthing WP | FT |
Sedgefield WP | 5 – 12 | City of Manchester | FT |
Watford WP | 7 – 2 | Cwm Draig WP | FT |
West London Penguin | 12 – 3 | Worthing WP | FT |
Bridgefield | 3 – 6 | Cheltenham | FT |
Group B | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
City of Manchester | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6 |
Watford WP | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
Cwm Draig WP | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -13 | 2 |
Sedgefield WP | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -10 | 0 |
Group C | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
Cheltenham | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Bridgefield | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
West London Penguin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
Worthing WP | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -14 | 0 |
NOTE: Group C table order based on advice from FINA delegate.