NEW Earswick Falcons beat North Cave White 86-73 in a vital Yorkshire Over-55s League division one relegation battle.

They took 11 points from the win, to Cave’s three.

At home, Dave Imeson, Gordon Fratson, Mick Head and Bill Waldie got new Earswick off to a good start and led 11-4 after nine ends. Thinks only got better as they allowed Cave only two more singles in the final 12 ends and won 36-6.

Paul Murray, Barry Harrison, Graham Lockwood and Tony Abbot had a much closer affair. They picked up a seven at the second end and led 10-0 after three but lost the next five to go 12-10 down.

The hosts picked up a six and a four to regain a 21-14 lead but Cave again fought back to trail 22-21 with four ends to play. Earswick finished the better for a 26-22 win.

At North Cave, Dave Sykes, Alwyn Anderson, Ralph Tiplady and Dick Osguthorpe took a single at the first end and a three at the seventh but trailed 12-4 and were outplayed thereafter, only picking up three more singles to lose 28-7.

The final game involving Bob Elliot, Dave Kermode, Eric Cookson and Colin Ellis’s rink was close. Earswick led 7-3 after six ends but lost the next four, including dropping a five, to go 12-7 behind.

The teams matched each other for the next ten ends, with Earswick leading 17-15 at the last. They laid two more but the Cave skip’s final wood, which was going wide, got a lucky rub and moved the jack to pick up two for a 17-17 draw.

At the top of the table, York Vikings took full advantage of the 19-shot advantage they had going into the last two rinks against leaders Thornaby as they won 12 of the opening 14 ends, ensuring the aggregate would not be threatened.

York took maximum points from the game and now lie third, six points behind new leaders Featherstone Jets.

Alan Vowles, Trevor Wilford, Malcolm Lewars and Phil Parsons were five behind before they got on the board in the third end with a single but that started a run of seven wins over the next eight ends for an 18-7 lead.

They capped a fine performance with a six on the last to finish 35-13.

Malcolm Harrison, Barry Walker, Graham Brooke and Tex Stevens only lost two of the opening 11 ends and led 15-4, although with two to play their advantage had been reduced to 19-14. They held their nerve and finished with two twos to win 23-14.

New Earswick Ospreys lost 83-59 to Hornsea in division two, to pick up only two points.

Jim Robinson, Dave Thompson, Doug Carr and Bob Barrett were always chasing their opponents but, with the help of threes at the seventeenth and eighteenth ends, were only 16-15 down with three to play. Hornsea hung on for a 19-17 victory.

Bruce Dobson, Bill Nuckey, Ray Mawson and Gary Stockton were only 7-6 down after seven ends but, as on most occasions this season, slipped away, collecting only five singles at the last 14 ends to lose 24-11

At Hornsea, John Quinn, Dave Counter, Alan Price and Terry Bellwood came from 7-0 down after three ends to level after six ends.

The sides swapped threes at the next two ends but the Ospreys side scored only four more singles at the last 13 ends to lose 25-15.

Dave Booth, Ray Boyes, Dave Hutchinson and John Snowdenled 6-2 after five ends but were 8-8 after 11 ends. The scores were also tied at 13-all, 14-all and 15-all before Earswick picked up a single at the last to win 16-15.

Tomorrow at 10am, York IBC’s first domestic final takes place with the Tom Forbes Pairs. The New Year’s Eve Pairs competition, meanwhile, promises to be another enjoyable day with entries already full.