Hawks end yearon losing note

Hucknall Hawks started brightly enough and matched Outlaws in the early stages. But a chaotic piece of refereeing in the second quarter gave the Derbyshire side a five-point lead and destroyed the locals’ concentration.

As Outlaws surged ahead, Hawks had to regroup and with Dean Nicholson consistently beating the visitors’ bigger markers, they hit back with eight unanswered points.

They continued to outhassle and outscore Outlaws in the third period when Conal Geoghegan put points on the board and Tom Perkins contained England international Ben Morley.

But a change of tactics paid dividends for the visitors in the final quarter and they went on to seal a comfortable win.

Hawks now sit fifth in the seven-team table, eight points behind leaders Burton Tornadoes.

In other Sherwood Youth League divisions, the Hucknall club’s under-18s, Hurricanes, are top, while the under-14s, Hornets, sit second.