YORK Indoor Bowls Club will have to wait and see if they are relegated from division one of the Yorkshire League.

They had needed to match Redcar's result to avoid the drop zone, but, while the Teessiders picked up four points, they only took two from an agonising defeat to Featherstone 'A' and so finished second bottom of the table.

However, with champions Featherstone pulling out next season, the normal relegation and promotion issues may be adjusted at the next meeting of the league.

New Earswick 'A' were already relegated, finishing bottom.

York had looked set for safety with both home rinks on the verge of victory.

But while Mark Clarke, Stu Smith, Neal MacDonald and Alan Vowles won 25-13 thanks to a good spell where they picked up eight shots without reply in the middle of the match, Dave Stroughair, Pete Jackson, John Crowe and Malcolm Lewars dropped a three on the final end to lose 22-21.

Away, Craig Mewton, Phil Parsons, Trevor Wilford and Graham Instone dropped a six on the third end and never recovered, losing shots throughout for a 31-12 defeat.

Paul Mooring, Graham Brooke, Tex Stevens and Nigel MacDonald fell 22-10, although the margin did not reflect the match as a whole. There were two ends where York dropped a five and a four, but the rest mainly saw either team pick up singles.

New Earswick 'B's disappointing division two season ended in a 77-56 loss to Doncaster.

It made it six defeats from six for Earswick, who get relegated along with York 'B'.

At home, Pat Inwood, Allister Domville, Ken Harrison and Gary Jones kept their noses in front for the first nine ends but dropped a four at the 10th to go 10-8 behind.

They edged 15-14 ahead after 17 and collected a five at the 18th on the way to a 23-15 victory.

Brian Hardcastle, Alwyn Anderson, Terry Bellwood and Brian Birch were drawing 6-6 after eight ends but scored only two more singles over the remaining 13 ends to lose 25-8.

At Doncaster, Steve Hudson, Paul Murray, Barry Harrison and Dick Osguthorpe fought back from 9-1 down to have a chance at 12-8 after 12 ends but they slipped away again to lose 23-11.

In the closest match of the day, there was never more than one shot in it as Brian Hutton, John Snowden, Eric Cookson and Ralph Tiplady were tied at 11-11 after 17 ends. Doncaster then edged 14-11 up but Earswick scored a two at the 20th and, with Doncaster laying two at the last, the Earswick skip drew the winner for a 14-14 draw and a third point from the match.

Meanwhile, York Knights nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Hornsea 'B' as they ended their Yorkshire Over-55s League campaign with a narrow 77-76 win.

York held a comfortable lead with Mick Snowden, Ken Robinson, Charle Arnett and Alan Potter winning 28-6 having built an 18-2 advantage after 10 ends. They only dropped single shots.

Trevor Scott, Dave Clarke, Colin Shapely and Colin Robinson also won 22-10, thanks to a spell of 11 shots without reply. However, away, Gordon Walker, David White, Mal Rankeillor and John Munday lost 27-11, while Ron Munro, Allan May, Dave Sempers and Doug Mitchell lost 33-8.

The two away rinks dropped 19 shots in the last three ends without reply, nearly costing the team the aggregate.

Yorkshire lost 111-91 to Norfolk at the semi-finals of the Over-60s Liberty Trophy.

On Saturday, York Ladies play Scarborough in the North Eastern Ladies' League.