The Club's top two players led the charge for glory at the recent Axis Northern Cup, as a touch of professional squash glamour arrived at McCracken Park.
Some of the top young pros from around the country descended on Northern, with $1000 in prize money - and precious PSA ranking points - up for grabs in a star-studded competition, sponsored by Steve Davis' Axis gym.
Tournament organiser Liam Gutcher exceeded expectations with a fine run to the last four in this PSA-graded event, while team-mate Matt Hardy reached the quarters with a convincing win over Jesmond's Peter Kullar. Many paying fans had demanded their money back after hearing that Alex Storey would not be playing after all - but the show had to go on . . .
Gutcher kicked off with a 3-0 win over Nick Pugsley on the Friday night (11-6, 11-3, 11-4), then triumphed 3-1 over Jonny Maloney in the second round - an impressive result considering the Buckinghamshire player had knocked out the No 2 seed, Jonathan Geekie, the night before.
However Northern's No 1 had many pundits' pre-tournament favourite, Chris Fuller, to face in the semi-finals and although the althletic Gutcher put up a strong fight, Fuller came through 3-0 to book his place in Sunday's showpiece final.
Hardy, meanwhile, who had lost to the consistent Kullar in a team match just two weeks before, prevailed in a tight first game (14-12) before dominating the last two (11-6, 11-4).
Tynemouth showman Danny Hockborn lay in wait in the quarters, though, and he needed to find his full range of shots in seeing off Hardy in a tight 3-0 – 11-9, 11-7, 13-11.
The A Event proceedings had kicked off in fine style on the Friday night, with ex-pro Paul 'Lord of Westoe' putting on a superb show against No 1 seed Alex Phillips.
The youngster's attacking style and the Lord's magical court craft made for an enthralling encounter in front of a bumper crowd - Lord winning the first 13-11 before some marathon rallies saw him edged out in the next three - 11-6, 11-4, 11-9.
It was clearly going to take something special to beat Philips, who won more than a few fans with his back-court volley drops and unchanging laidback demeanour - but Hockborn proved to be a man inspired in their epic semi-final five-setter.
The North-Easterner took the first 11-9 and in a match which proved to be a real shootout, these two attacking players took turns to win the next two 11-4 before the close games resumed once more.
Philips eased back to 2-2 with an 11-8 win in the fourth, and had a match ball in a tense finale in the fifth before going down 13-11 in a match which neither deserved to lose.
Hockborn stayed in top gear to take first blood in a superb Sunday afternoon final, winning the first 11-9. The scores in the next three - all won by Fuller - 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 - do scant justice to some brilliant squash from the Tynemouth No 1 - especially those forehand return serve crash nicks - and some punishingly-long rallies.
But Fuller's athleticism, a sublime straight drop, admirable calmness throughout and sheer consistency deservedly won the day as he walked off with the £100 top prize.
In the A Plate, Kullar saw off Newbiggin's David Jackson 3-1 in the semis, and then found top form to beat Mike Mackay of Northumbria Blues 3-0 in the final (11-4, 11-6, 13-11).
The B event trophy is off to foreign shores as Tenerife's Aitor Chinea - here in Newcastle to study for six months - proved a worthy winner. The Spaniard - in the top 5 in his country at Under 19 level and a regular on the European junior circuit - beat Northern duo James O'Neill (3-1) and Andy Smith (3-0) on his way to the semis, before seeing off No 1 seed and last year's winner Jonny Honeyman 3-1 to book his place in the final.
Newcastle University student Chris Garner was the other finalist – he booked his place by beating three Northern players - Sam Broughton, No 2 seed Cai Younger (last year's runner-up) and Marcus Campbell (another 3-2 epic). Campbell had triumphed 3-2 himself over Alex Robertson in the previous round, so he certainly got plenty of court time for his entry fee!
The irrepressible Garner struck first in the B final (11-9) but Chinea - a stylist who knows how to attack the ball when needed - then got into his rhythm and took the next two fairly convincingly at 11-7 and 11-5. The Spaniard was so close to victory when he appealed unsuccessfully for a stroke at 10-7 up in the fourth, and in the end he had to dig in to see off a superb fightback from the fleet-footed and determined Garner, before eventually closing it out at 15-13.
Cai Younger eased through the B Plate with 3-0 wins over Sam Broughton, Lewis Wake and Northern clubmate Karen Heron - who had herself prevailed in two 3-2 nail-biters against clubmates James O'Neill and Gary Law to reach the final.
Chester-le-Street's Tom Beresford proved too strong for all-comers in the C event - he saw off Northern juniors Tegan Younger (3-1) and Jack Cornell (3-0, the No 1 seed) then Peter Windram 3-2 in the semi-final (13-11, 11-13, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8).
Tim Barker - one of Northern's fastest improving youngsters - put up a strong fight in the final, losing 3-1. Barker had powered his way to the main event without dropping a game against Steve Drummond, No 2 seed Alan Morgan and the 'Incredible Diving Man' Joel Birch-Machin in the semis.
In the C Plate, Northern's Gordie Robertson was edged out 3-2 in the final by Alnwick's Morgan, who went on the attack in the fifth to clinch a see-saw encounter 11-3, 4-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-6. Fitness fanatic Robertson, whose warm-up consisted of getting out bed before 12pm on a Sunday, showed his full range of drops, lobs and boasts to see off Jon Pooley (3-2) and Jack Cornell (3-1) to reach the final.
The lobtastic Morgan had beaten Steve Drummond (3-1), and Dylan Younger (3-2 - 12-10 in the fifth) to reach the C Plate final.
FINAL RESULTS:
A EVENT: Chris Fuller 3 Danny Hockborn 1 (9-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-2)
A PLATE: Peter Kullar 3 Michael McKay 0 (11-4, 11-6, 13-11)
B EVENT: Aitor Chinea 3 Chris Garner 1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 15-13)
B PLATE: Cai Younger 3 Karen Heron 0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-0)0
C EVENT: Tom Beresford 3 Tim Barker 1 (11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8
C PLATE: Alan Morgan 3 Gordie Robertson 2 (11-3, 4-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-6)
