THREE young Furness table tennis players were all smiles after taking trophies at the Blackpool Two-Star table tennis competition.

Ben McDonald, Amelia Langhorn and Sophie Ackred all collected silverware on the Fylde Coast.

The competition brought together players from across the north, with the Cumbrian contingent joined by competitors from Wales, Lancashire and Yorkshire, among others.

Furness Cricket Club junior McDonald's day saw him perform well in both the junior and cadet boys competitions, winning one and taking the runners-up spot in the other.

In the cadets, he was beaten 11-5, 6-11, 11-4, 13-11 in the final by Rhys Davies, having topped his group and come through games against Lewis Ellams and Callum McRae, of Durham.

But there was to be joy in the junior event, where he again won his group, before beating Charlie Joyce (12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4) and taking revenge on Davies in the semi-finals, coming from two games down (8-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9).

That set up a final with Matthew Westworth, and It was more straightforward for the Barrow teenager, as he took the trophy with an 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 triumph.

Fellow Furness CC youngster Matty Rigg also won his group in the competition, but was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Daniel Watkinson, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7.

Walney School pupil Langhorn tasted victory in the under-13s girls plate as one of several South Cumbrians in the field.

She finished third in her group at Blackpool Table Tennis Club, before defeating fellow Barrow youngster Chloe Irvine (8-11, 11-9, 115-5, 11-3) in the semi-final, and Ackred in the final (11-4, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8).

Both Irvine and Langhorn also reached the semi-finals of the cadet plate competition.

Nine-year-old Ackred was to enjoy victory in the under-11s girls plate.

The Dane Ghyll School pupil finished third in her group, but went through the mixed rounds of the plate by defeating Marc Fairhurst (11-6, 11-8. 11-5) and Alec Fairhurst (9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5) to triumph overall.

The final Furness junior to make the trip to Blackpool, Rebecca Rigg, was runner-up in the junior girls plate, and missed out in the early stages of the cadet girls event.