ASTLEY and Tyldesley made the best possible start to the 2015 Northern League season by winning all three matches at Sheffield on Sunday.

They led from start to finish to win the Division One match 95-82, came from behind with a strong second-half display to take the Division Two match 80-69 and trounced Sheffield 121-70 in Division Three.

Mark Mulvey and Damian Zareba teamed up to take first and second places in heat one of the Division One match and A&T never looked back.

Zareba and fellow new signing Radek Handke both raced unbeaten, with Reece Pollitt winning his first four races before dropping his only point in the last race.

The others provided sufficient back-up to A&T's top three to ensure Team Green ran out comfortable winners.

The Division Two match was a close affair in the first half, with A&T hampered by a fall by Jon Quarmby and a harsh exclusion to Max Evans.

Quarmby recovered to continue and A&T held a slender 40-39 lead at the interval.

Team Green came out strongly in the second half, winning four of the races to record an 11-point victory.

Ciaran Collins won all his five races, with Gareth Paine unbeaten by an opponent after dropping a point in the opening race.

The under-13s riders claimed what could prove to be a vital victory in the opening match of their Division Three campaign against a Sheffield side that had been their closest rivals for the title over the past two seasons.

A&T edged Sheffield to the championship on both occasions and made a good start to the tilt at a hat-trick at the weekend.

John White led the way for A&T, losing only to Sheffield's top rider Sam Haines. And with strong support throughout the team, they cruised to victory by 51 points.

Elsewhere, Zareba took third place in the prestigious Dash Trophies event at Wednesfield on Saturday.

He scored 19 points to win his semi-final and followed that up with 17 points in the final. Welsh international Ben Mould won with 18 points.

A&T stage their first home meeting of the season on Sunday, starting with Northern League Division Two and Three matches against Glasgow, from 12.30 pm, followed by Northern League Division One, Two and Three matches against Edinburgh from 2pm.

Results

Northern League Division One: Sheffield 82 Astley & Tyldesley 95. A&T scorers: Radek Handke 20, Damian Zareba 19 (plus one bonus), Reece Pollitt 19, Paul Graham 11 (2), Mark Mulvey 8 (1), Ciaran Collins 7, Lee Phillips 6, Max Evans 5.

Northern League Division Two: Sheffield 69 Astley & Tyldesley 80. A&T scorers: Ciaran Collins 20, Gareth Paine 15 (4), Max Evans 14, Matthew Snell 13, Jon Quarmby 12 (1), Joe Quarmby 5, John White 1.

Northern League Division Three: Sheffield 70 Astley & Tyldesley 121. A&T scorers: John White 15, Max Evans 14, Joe Quarmby 13, Matthew Snell 13, Emily Burgess 12, Charlie Burgess 11, Jack Murray 10, Max Quarmby 7, Ryan Fallon 7, Kieran Fallon 7, Jack Littler 7, Lucy Grantham 5.