AFTER welcoming Hugo Colace back to the club, Mark Robins is looking to bring in more players to the club before the season starts in two weeks. “We are assembling a very good squad but things are not finished just yet,” he said. “There are other targets we are determined to get in.” Robins also expressed his delight at the u-turn made by Player of the Year Hugo Colace, who has re-signed for the club after it seemed as though he would sign for Championship rivals Swansea City.

BARNSLEY’S under 18 Academy side have been preparing for the new season with a week’s tough training at an army barracks – followed by two friendly wins. The scholars were invited down to 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment Battlesbury Barracks, Warminster. They then returned to action of a footballing nature, registering a 1-0 win at Hemsworth Miners Welfare on Saturday. John Stones headed the winner after good work from star striker Reuben Noble-Lazarus. Noble-Lazarus, Bradley Riley and Kurtis Turner were on target as Barnsley then won 3-2 at Burnley Academy on Tuesday. The season begins on August 21 with the visit of Coventry City.

KATHERINE Brunt too three wicket at her hometown ground as England ladies took an unasailable 3-1 lean in their. The Dodworth girl finished with figures of three for 31 off 10 overs as England batted second and reached 139 for one.

BARNSLEY CC captain Jason Booth believes his side can still win the Yorkshire League title despite being 20 points behind leaders York with 10 games to play. The Shaw Laners remained second after a win at lowly Appleby Frodingham on Sunday as Simon Widdup smashed 85 after Glenn Yates and Richard Wilkinson took four wickets each. York won both their matches inluding a potential banana skin away at third-placed Yorkshire Academy. Barnsley will travel to bottom club Hull tomorrow and Booth still believes his side could win the league. “Every team is bound to have a diffiuclt period at some point in the season and we will have to take our chance when York have theirs,” said the skipper.

ALEX Gardner enjoyed a fine week as he picked up silver at the World Youth Cup in Corfu and Gold in the British Open Championships in Glasgow. The 17-year-old defeated his long-term rival from Azerbaijan, who beat him in the Junior European championships early in the year, on the way to the final in Corfu. Gardner then lost narrowly in the final to a Danish competitor. After returning home, Alex had a few days rest before travelling north of the border for the next big event. He took gold and a bronze, two of eight medals gained by students from the Barnsley Karate Club and Fight Unit in Mapplewell. India Tordoff, Danny Gaunt and Isabel Gaunt also won their divisions. Matthew Jaques picked up silver while Thomas Wiggan and Isabel Gaunt collected bronze. Gardner was also a coach for the weekend along with Craig Burke and Tim Shirt. Competitors attended from around the world in one of the strongest fields the students have ever fought in.

FOUR baskets in the last two minutes gave Barnsley Leaders under 12s a dramatic victory in a close encounter against Rotherham Hawks. The Leaders had Thomas Rymer operating at point guard alongside the experienced Jacob Danks with Lewis Tinker being the fire power. Lydia Harrison and Peter Fleming made their debuts with forwards Tom Micklethwaite and Zoe Silcock and guard James Hughes making up the squad. Eight points from Tinker, two from Danks and a free shot from Silcock gave Barnsley an 11-10 lead in the first period. Good ball retention from point guard Rymer put Barnsley 23-19 up at half-time. The Hawks fought back strongly and led by six points going into the final two minutes. But three baskets from Tinker and one from Micklethwaite without response brought a 45-43 win.

STAR pole vaulter Luke Cutts continued his fine season as newly-named club Dearne AC, formerly Dearneside High, participated in their first events. The Thurnscoe man easily took gold at the England Senior Athletics championships with a clearance of 5.40m at the Gateshead International Stadium. Cutts, who has qualified for the Commonwealth Games in India this October, made three good attempts at a lifetime best 5.70 but could not quite manage it. Meanwhile, at the National Young Athletics' Premier League, eight club members competed with equal commitment. Under 15 boy Adam Hague, the new All England Schools' National champion, proved his value again with a fine win following a 3.30m clearance. He made three strong attempts for a new personal best of 3.60m, one of the attempts being very close to a fine clearance. In the under 15 girls Vicky Price pole vaulted to 2.60m for second place. Caitlin Baker jumped 2.50m for third place. In the under 17s age group, Nicolas Cole had a long wait before the bar had reached his opening height of 3.60m. His first attempt at the pole vault cross bar was the winning height with 3.60m and he finished with a final clearance of 3.80m. Chris Price cleared 3.20m to earn valuable team points. Lee Lloyd and Lewis Billam paired in the high jump, finishing third (1.50) and fourth (1.45) respectively. Lloyd went on to compete in the 400m hurdles for first place in a time of 70 seconds. The team's splendid efforts secured their place in the regional finals.