THE talented Worcester Match Group outfit won this year's Alans Tackle Spring League at the first attempt by beating last seasons champions BroadAcres by just three points.

The team on the day included two section winners and an individual second place when they notched up an impressive 64 point total.

Runners up BroadAcres watched their previous hold on the competition slip away when they recorded 61 points, third were Alans Tackle with 52 and in joint fourth position were Team Extreme and Wet Nets both on 31.

Individual honours once again went to Brockamin expert Chris Senter (Alans) who, drawn on peg 34, used his considerable knowledge of the lake to land half a dozen carp on floating biscuit early in the match before changing to meat bait offered shallow at twelve metres to take lots of roach, skimmers and tench finishing with a total weight of 79-10-0.

Second placed Andy Maybury used identical tactics on the adjacent peg 32, unfortunately the Worcester MG man ended just short when he took 78-6-0 to the scales. 'Method man' Nic Archer (BroadAcres) once again used his favourite feeder set up to take third spot with a weight of 25-7-0 from peg 16.

Section winners were (A) John Snelson 9-12-0, (B) Rob Wilson 14-8-0, (C) Dave Powell 14-12-0 and (D) Tim Noke with 8-8-0.

There will be open contest held on the venue when the lakes are free from club commitments, details from the shop.

n Barbourne AC found the Sycamore pool at Broadheath fishery in a difficult mood but mastering the conditions best was eventual winner Steve Monk whose winning 32-10-0 of carp fell to pole fished pellet and corn on peg 7. Way behind in second place was Dean Willis whose 19-12-0 came to sweetcorn bait offered close into the bank, third was regular winner Paul Bosworth with a waggler caught 12-14-0 beating Dan Ruddock whose 10-5-0 was good enough for fourth place.

n Club star Terry Box got his new season off to a flying star when he recorded an excellent three hour catch of carp and roach weighing 32-3-0 to win the first Wards AC evening contest of the new term. Runner up prize went to new member Chris Carey who took 16-4-0 from peg 8 whilst on peg 15 Harry Cull weighed 14-15-0 for third place.

n Birmingham anglers section of the canal above Blackpole normally provides good catches of bream at this time of year but Swan AC man Graham Goodyear was surprised to find that his weight of just 1-12-3 was good enough to win his club's first round of the Wednesday evening series. Offering pinkie and maggot over groundbait saw Goodyear take one useful skimmer along with a few perch from a spot near the opposite reed bed.

Making a rare appearance on the leader board was second placed Len Merrill who also took skimmers and perch when he weighed in 1-7-12. Third place went to Mick Huggins with 1-1-15 while canal star Mick Samson lost no less than six good eels on his way to taking for fourth spot with just 1-1-11.

n Rushwick pool played host to the penultimate round of the Portobello Spring league where veteran Pete Caldrick landed three carp from peg 17 for a 14-0-0 total, pole fished luncheon meat being the successful tactics used by the winner.

Club treasurer Wayne Parkin finished second with a mixed bag containing small carp and tench which fell for his caster offering on peg 5 and weighed 10-11-0 and in third place was seasoned campaigner Ivor Taylor who weighed 5-15-0 of small fish from peg 8.

The league, with one match remaining couldn't be tighter with Parkin in front on 42 points followed by John Ludlow second on 39, Caldrick is in third place with 38 and southern exile Ron Eagle lies fourth on 37.

n Young Aston Kerr won the first WDUAA Monday evening junior contest with a creditable weight of three pounds exactly, when he offered pinkie in the centre channel to take a mixed bag of perch, roach and skimmers on peg 129.

Runner up Patrick Tarry was on the adjacent 128 and took a good eel and a rudd for 1-2-8. Third came Luke Taylor with 0-12-0 followed by Luke Hodgetts in fourth with 0-7-0. All the youngsters taking part caught fish and received a prize. Draw time for this Monday's contest will be 5pm at the Cavalier pub with fishing until 8pm. Entry costs 50 pence.