A TRIO of St.Helens' top young wheelchair basketballers were at forefront of a North West victory in the National Junior Championships.

Dan Ashall, aged 16, Paul Thomas,15 and Lee Horsley 14, all from the St. Helens-based MSP Meteors club, collected their winners medals after beating Yorkshire & Humberside in the final of the four-day competition as part of the North West team.

The squad was managed by Peter Jackson, the chairman of the MSP Meteors.

The North West won all five of their pool matches and defeated All Star B in a close semi-final with Meteors' player Dan Ashall scoring the crucial three-pointer to secure a place in the final.

Ashall led the scoring during the final as well. Yet when the final hooter was sounded the scores were level at 30-apiece. It took a third period of overtime for the North West to finally see off the challenge of Yorkshire and Humberside and claim a gruelling 48-42 victory.

As well as winning the Championship Trophy, the North West team will also enjoy a three day sailing trip around the Isle of Wight on the Richard Langhorn Trust, a 38 ft. sailing yacht based in Portsmouth.

North West coach Mark Young said: "The squad performed brilliantly and some of our squad members will go on to play at international level."

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