Royton’s part in championship

FORMER Royton woman Kate Lewis captained City of Manchester to victory in the women’s British Water Polo Championships.

Manchester Aquatics Centre hosted the event as the National League’s top four teams contested the knockout.

City of Manchester defeated Sheffield 9-6 in the semi-finals before overcoming arch rivals Liverpool 13–12 in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out.

The score in the final was 5-5 at the end of normal time, Lewis scoring two of the goals, and the game ended in stalemate at 7-7 after extra time forcing a dramatic penalty shoot-out to determine the victors.

After the 10 penalties - five for each team - there was still nothing to separate the teams but City of Manchester eventually emerged the victors after the shoot-out went to sudden death.

Lewis (28) said: “It was a fabulous match, as it usually is whenever we play Liverpool. They had beaten us twice in the league this season so this helped settle a score.”

Timperley-based Lewis, a police officer, originates from Royton where her family still live. She began playing water polo at Royton and later joined Stretford Ladies, emerging as one of the top players in the sport by representing England at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games and also captaining Great Britain.