JUDO: Thirteen is certainly not an unlucky number for the Samurai Judo Club as their players returned from the Brian Roberts Memorial Trophy with that many medals, including four golds.

Amy Darch won the Brian Roberts Trophy awarded to the best junior referee in the Midlands and held by Samurai's Anthony Todhunter last year.

Sam Stone started the ball rolling by winning gold in the boys' super-lightweights section.

After qualifying comfortably from his pool, Stone showed good technique and tactics throughout for a series of impressive wins on his way to a hard-fought medal.

Joel Darch and Karl Gaughan were the two Samurai representatives in the lightweights.

Both players looked on good form but met in the semi-finals which Gaughan led until J Darch got a score seconds from the end.

However, Gaughan struck back in the repechage to take bronze, while J Darch's fine effort in the final could only secure him silver.

Ben Newbury was the last Samurai boys entrant and in the light-middleweights he took a bronze with a series of good wins.

A Darch came off the mat after refereeing for most of the morning and immediately set about a quality field of opponents with some relish.

Although lacking her usual sharpness after a recent lay-off, A Darch qualified comfortably from her pool but had to be content with a silver in the final against an extremely good opponent.

Older junior Joanne Butcher claimed a hat-trick of good victories before returning with a silver.

Energetic Annabel Webb quickly won a gold in the girls' open category and managed a creditable silver in the ladies' section.

Close friends Paul Clarke and Matt Davies both entered the men's lightweight section and predictably ended up competing against each other in the semi-final after some good early wins.

Eventual silver medallist Clarke beat the lighter Davies who ended with a bronze.

Neil Mullis, the sole Samurai entrant in the men's middleweights, demolished everybody for a gold.

Mullis also entered the heavyweight section with pal Matt Wakeman and won another gold against the odds. Wakeman claimed bronze.