LION Match Group roared to victory when they repeated last year's success by winning the coveted Banks's Cup title for the second consecutive year.

After trying for top honours last season, the Lion lads took this year's match apart, finishing no less than ten points clear of their nearest rivals Good Intent.

The six-man side notched up a superb 116 point total to win comfortably, with the crack Kidderminster's canal outfit ending on 106. Third place went to Swan AC's White team with 98 while Pershore Match Group filled the fourth spot with a 92 point score.

Individually Pershore Match Group member Jim Smith hammered the other 130 competitors when he took to the scales a fantastic canal weight of 18-7-0.

Drawn well on the noted 'Red Bridge' peg below Bilford lock, Smith offered caster and chopped worm across to the far bank brambles. Taking chub up to three pounds on single and double baits presented on a size eighteen hook, a total of nine chub graced Smith's net during the five hour event, but a further five fish were lost, denying him the chance of a new WDUAA canal record!

Way back in second place was 'seed king' Gary Owen who, after taking around two pounds of small fish from the track on peg 86, switched to his favourite hempseed bait to net roach to 10 ounces, giving the Good Intent star a level five pounds total.

Owen's team mate Paul Wilson came third with another hemp caught net of 4-13-0 from peg 164 in the park, while in fourth place was Swan AC man Ivor Ballard who netted two large perch on his shortened pole which, along with a brace of small chub, tipped the scales at 4-12-0.

n Portobello AC held their latest club round on the normally prolific match pool at Wassell Grove, but with fish proving difficult to find club secretary Max Hill made a rare appearance on the leaderboard with a weight of 22-05-0. Offering red maggot hook bait beneath a waggler set up Hill took 10 carp to eight pounds, from his swim opposite the island.

In second came Max's son Nic who pole fished his way to a 11-14-0 total, third was club stalwart Graham Collins with 8-4-0 followed by up-and-coming Gary Brixton whose 7-11-0 was good enough for fourth place.

There is another Portobello contest on Sunday at Ockeridge lakes, draw on the bank at 9am.

n The third round of the Moorlands Farm Winter League saw Storey's team man Brian Corley narrowly miss out on a 'ton up' catch when he weighed in 98-14-0 of carp to five pounds taken close in from peg 20 on the Moors pool, sweetcorn the successful bait.

Just one fish short was second-placed Clive Munslow (Van Den Eynde) with a similar catch, taken from Meadow pool 50, weighing 98-7-0. Carp ace Grant Albutt (Milo) was third with 75-7-0 while in fourth came Dick Clegg and Lifestyle member Tony Parker with 74-3-0.

Top team on the day were Trabucco with 19 points followed by Welsh Rooney's on 22 and Shakespeare with 24.

The league after three rounds sees Shakespeare top with six penalty points followed by Trabucco and Van Den Eynde on eight.

n Sunday Open:1 K. Rich 88-0-0, 2 D. Elliot 76-0-0, 3 B. Corley 62-8-0. Junior Open: 1 M. Machin 31-3-0, 2 C. Scott 27-0-0, 3 B. Healey 20-0-0.

The Droitwich Angling Centre two-day Severn festival due to be held on November 23 and 24 is rapidly selling out with just half a dozen places left.

Anglers interested should pay the £30 entry to John Maloney on 01905-358059 or Nigel Harvey 01905-25400 as soon as possible.

The St. John's Cup contest is on WDUAA's water on the canal on Sunday, November 24. The match has a four-a-side format, with the entry fee £40. Teams interested should call Tony Churchill on 01905-420421.

Prospects: With rivers fining down, venues like Pitchcroft and Paynes Meadow will start to come into their own. Stick float tactics, along with bronze maggot bait, should be edged along the margins in pursuit of good roach nets.

Roach should also figure on this weekend's WDUAA winter league contest on the local canal, particularly as the lower sections will be used for this round, once again caster will be the top bait.