YORK & District Indoor Bowls Club's final in-house tournament of 2016 proved to be a big success - with John Headley and Pete Riley coming back from defeat in the group games to take the trophy.

Only one team got the maximum points from the group section in this competitive New Year's Eve pairs tournament, Joan Knight and Pauline Cooper winning three out of three, but they then came a cropper in the semi-finals.

They were pitched against Headley and Riley, who had recovered from losing their second game to finish in fourth place.

Knight and Cooper held a 3-2 lead as the last-four tie was drawing to a close only to drop a single then a three, leaving them chasing the game on the last end where they could only score a single - Headley and Riley therefore going into the final.

The other semi-final was between two teams who had earlier won two and drawn one to finish second and third in the group.

Ray Wynn and Mike Wadsworth scored twos on the first couple of ends but this was soon countered as Simon Wilson and Nigel Macdonald picked up six shots over the following three ends.

Wilson and Macdonald still had a two-shot advantage as the game went into the last end, at 7-5 up, and it proved crucial as Wynn and Wadsworth scored a single.

The final looked one-sided as Headley and Riley led 6-0 after only three ends. Wilson and Macdonald again came back well but this time it was not enough as they ran out of time, Headley and Riley winning 7-5.

The Plate semi-finals were between four teams who had all won two and lost one game and were separated by only nine shots.

Fifth-placed John Orchard and Mike Snowden went up against Pete Waring and Pat Potter. The latter had comfortably won 9-5 in their contest earlier in the day but this time the tables were turned.

Twos were swapped on the first two ends before Orchard and Snowden won six successive ends to lead 11-2 going into the last where Waring and Potter picked up a five.

The other semi-final featured Brenda Love and Paul Milliner, who had been in first place in the group before losing 12-2 in their last game.

They led Ron Munro and Allan May 5-0 and, although the gap was reduced to 5-4, Love and Milliner secured their final place with a two then a three to finish as 10-4 victors.

In the final, Orchard and Snowden were first on the board with a two but Love and Paul Milliner hit back with a five on the next.

A run of six winning ends nevertheless gave Orchard and Snowden an 11-5 lead with one end to play, where they dropped a two to finish as 11-7 winners.

Meanwhile, this Saturday, York ladies continue their Yetton Trophy campaign when they play Cumbria, the game starting at noon.

Also at noon on Saturday, York's Thanet Road base hosts the Denny Plate game between Blackpool Newton Hall and Darlington.