A DOUBLE national title challenge is still in the hands of York Indoor Bowls Club after toppling Redcar in the Mason Trophy and Leicester in the Vivienne Trophy.

York were always ahead against Redcar at the crucial stages and with three ends to play they led 40-25 before eventually winning 40-35.

Away, Dot Kennelly, Maureen Walker, June Clayton and Linda Harrison only won two of the first seven ends before getting the upper hand, winning nine of the following 11 ends and posting a 21-14 victory.

At home, Joan Jackson, Carol Banks, Melanie Brooke and Carol Instone led 19-12 with five ends to play. They went into their last knowing they must not drop eight shots as the teams at Redcar had finished. They ceded only three to lose 21-19 as York clinched a tie in the next round against Cumbria.

The Vivienne Trophy tie against Leicester proved easier than expected as the team. They were 31 12 on aggregate after only five ends to set up a platform for a 127-43 success.

At home, Audrey Micklethwaite, Maggie Pallister, Joan Knight and Barbara Dawson surged to two sixes on the first two ends en route to a runaway 42-8 victory.

Doreen McCowan, Jenny Darrell, Pauline Armitage and Brenda Martin trailed 17-14 after 17 ends before scoring eight shots over the following three ends before winning 22-18.

In Leicester, Maureen Robinson, Dot Hill, Jean Williams and Pat Bracken powered 23 shots without reply to lead 34-2 before finally winning 40-9 victory.

Sue Jeffrey, Janet McManus, Tina Robinson and Pat Potter countered from 8-7 down after 12 ends to triumph 23-8.

York will next play County Arts IBC (Norwich) on February 5 at a venue still to be confirmed.

YORK'S Dave Stroughair and Carol Instone picked up ten shots over the first five ends before closing in on a 25-12 win against Ian Riches from South Shields in the national mixed pairs regional finals at Thanet Road.

Helen Wood and Alan Vowles were involved in a tie in which the lead see-sawed before Cumbria opponents Eleanor Gass and Jackie Walker won 22-13.

Harrogate’s Steve Webster and Karen Walker failed to recover from a 21-7 deficit after ten ends to lose 30-15 to Brian Houghton and Pat Browne’s Parks IBC (North Shields) team.

Hartlepool’s Paul Mosley and Lauren Copeland lost just one end to rout Ian McIntosh’s South Shields team 28-5 in the other morning session game.

Stroughair and Instone were drawn against Houghton and Browne, the North Shields team 10-4 up before the York duo led 19-15 with seven ends to go. But they then needed a three and a single to draw level and take the tie into an extra end, which was killed by Stroughair.

The second extra end proved to be a nail-biter before the York pair prevailed to go through to the North of England area finals alongside Cumbria's Walker and Gass at Lincoln on February 20.

York Press:

FOCUSED: New Earswick's Margaret Morgan in action against Hornsea

NEW Earswick beat Hornsea 78-64 in the North Eastern Ladies Bowls League.

At home, Doramy Bellwood, Peggy Walker, Annette Prosser and skip Margaret Morgan got off to a good start, leading D Jones' rink 10-5 after eight ends.

For the next seven ends, the teams traded shots and Earswick led 14-9 after 14 ends. However, the home side lost the next six ends before picking up a single at the last to lose 20-15.

In the other home match, Lorna Tordoff, Jackie Toms, Carol Williams and Pat Walker got off to a dream start against S Charter's team, winning nine of the first 12 ends to go into a 17-3 lead.

Hornsea then won the next four ends, including a five at the 13th end to pull back to 17-11 after 16 ends. However, Earswick got the better of the last five ends to win 22-13.

In the away legs, Kay Hutchinson, Gemma Broadhead, Norma Davies and Moyra Headley got of to a flier against V Simms' rink.

They were always in command, taking an 11-shot lead by the tenth end and never allowing the gap to close as they won 23-12.

In the final game, June Barker, Irene Warrington, Sally Domville and skip Majorie Watson took an 8-0 lead after five ends against P Paddy's rink and kept in front.

They were leading 18-13 after 18 ends, only to fail to score in the last three ends and drop seven shots to lose 20-18.

New Earswick took six points and Hornsea four.

THE Yorkshire Double Rinks qualifying derby went to York as 50-35 victors over New Earswick.

At Thanet Road, Dudley Williams, Graham Instone, Neal Macdonald and John Harris trailed Bill Waldie's team 17-10 after 15 ends with the aggregate scores at 29-22 to New Earswick.

But Harris's side rallied and won 24-19.

At Huntington Road, Nigel Macdonald, Phil Parsons, Phil Emmerson and Adam Liddell were 6-0 up against Barry Johnson’s team after only three ends.

New Earswick levelled at 6-6 and Johnson’s men kept in the game up until the last four ends before losing 26-15 and York confirming a 50-35 aggregate success.

YORK IBC women are looking for their first North East League win of the season after losing 87-83 to Doncaster.

At home, Pam Richardson, Maggie Pallister, Tina Robinson and Pat Potter were level at 13-13 before taking the last five ends for a 27-13 conquest.

Doreen McCowan, Jenny Darrell, Janet McManus and Pauline Cooper had a five-shot advantage at 20-15 with seven ends to play only to trail 22-21 down before sealing a victory with a two.

In Doncaster, Audrey Micklethwaite, Joan Knight, Pauline Armitage and Barbara Dawson rallied from 11-1 down after six ends to lead 16-11. Again the lead was traded before the teams finished at 22-22.

Maureen Robinson, Sue Jeffrey, Jean Williams and Pat Bracken paid for a poor start of trailing 15-0 after seven ends before losing 30-11.

BOTH York's Yorkshire Over-55s League teams play tomorrow at noon - the 'A' team against Thornaby and the 'B' ranks facing North Cave Maroon.

York play Selby 'B' in the Yorkshire League second division, while their ladies take on Selby in the North East League on Saturday at noon, the same tie as York'' Yettton Trophy tie against Cumbria at Darlington IBC.

York IBC will host the Doncaster against Penrith Yetton plate game on Sunday as are the Civil Service regional pairs qualifying matches start at 10am.