YORK IBC put in a tremendous show against favourites Lincoln in the Vivienne Trophy - only to lose after a calamitous finale.

York held the lead throughout and went into the last end 61-53 ahead, only to drop ten shots to lose 63-61.

At home, Janet Walker, Janet McManus and Kath Pepper had a brilliant run-in, overturning a 9-7 deficit into a 22-10 advantage going into the last, where they dropped a four.

Jenny Darrell, Jean Williams and Sue Kirkpatrick also played well, leading from start to finish, but they dropped a two on their last end in a 18-13 win.

In Lincoln, Judythe Williams, Joan Knight and Maggie Pallister put in another fine performance as they only lost four of the opening 11 ends and led 16-9, but they could not score again and lost 18-16.

Sue Jeffrey, Tina Robinson and Maureen Robinson held a 3-2 lead then struggled to turn the singles and twos in their favour as they lost ten of the following 11 ends and trailed 15-4 before picking up a single on the penultimate end only to drop a three on the last to finish 18-5.

York, however, stayed top of Yorkshire Ladies League section 'A' after an 81-70 victory over Doncaster where they won three rinks and collected eight of the ten points at stake.

Tina Robinson, Pauline Cooper, Betty Richardson and Helen Wood trailed 10-7 having been 7-1 up, but they won all but three of the following 12 ends to lead 27-13 and finished 27-17.

Carol Banks, Pauline Armitage, Melanie Brooke and Linda Harrison led from start to finish but whenever they opened a gap were pegged back and they went into their last end only 17-16 up. They took a single to finish 18-16.

In Doncaster, Joan Jackson, Sue Kirkpatrick, Sheila Turpin and Carol Instone lost five of the last six ends but had already done enough to win 18-15.

Jean Williams, Pat Potter, Hayley Robinson and Sue Allen came back from 18-14 down to 18-18 going into the last but dropped a four.

Elsewhere, an exciting finale saw York bag their first Yorkshire League win of term to move off the bottom of the table.

With the home rinks having ended and the away teams having four ends to play, the aggregate stood at 82-78 to Redcar.

Both away rinks had struggled but suddenly Alan Vowles, Andy Humphreys, Malcolm Lewars and Phil Parsons collected a three, and Graham Instone, John Crowe, Pete Jackson and Dave Stroughair picked up a single to leave the aggregate scores level.

Parsons' team had trailed 19-5 but only lost 27-21.

Stroughair's men then kept their cool and scored twos on the last two ends - they lost 24-16 but that finish gave York an aggregate 86-82 victory and ten league points.

At home, Nigel Macdonald, Tex Stevens, Craig Newton and Mark Clarke lost only six ends throughout their game and won 28-12.

Neal Macdonald, Eric Hodgson, Graham Brooke and Paul Mooring had led 17-6 but went into their last end level before securing a two to win 21-19.

York 'B' gained a consolation point from a tough 104-70 defeat to division two favourites Harrogate.

Gordon Fennell, Noel Mallen, Allen Clapham and Mal Bulmer put in an excellent performance only to be outdone on the last two ends as they dropped a two and a three to draw 22-22.

Doug Mitchell, Barry Walker, Ken Simpson and Tony Hopcutt pulled back from 21-11 down to 21-19 going into their last end but a dropped a three to lose 24-19.

In Harrogate, Pete Riley, Pete Grosvenor, David White and Geoff Walker did not lose any of the last five ends as they went from 24-7 down to finish 25-13. Wally Darbyshire, Gordon Walker, Jim Robertson and Tony Bryan were only 23-16 behind with two to play but lost 34-16.