The North East's big guns are trained on national glory in the schoolboys championships.
Birtley have two previous winners in the semi-finals at Liverpool a week on Sunday - Martin Ward (pictured below), who has actually taken a national title twice, and Travis Dickinson, while another ex-champ, Grainger Park's Duggie Curran, is also through.
Ward and Dickinson are joined in the semis by a third Birtley winner at Ilkeston, Damon Slater. Four others failed at this particular hurdle - Dwayne O'Connor, Frankie Cunningham, Daniel Kane and Mark White.
Curran, accompanied by Grainger Park's assistant coach Robin Brady, left Tyneside at 8am on Sunday and didn't get back home until midnight and so deserved a comprehensive 11-0 points victory.
Duggie, now 15 years of age, won his schoolboy title two years ago and is consequently in his last season at this level. He's in a smashing run of form at the moment - this was his ninth win in 10 contests this season.
