YORK Indoor Bowls Club's first domestic final of the season proved to be a nailbiting affair - Mal Bulmer and Roger Ford winning their first Tom Forbes Pairs title after three previous defeats in the final.

Victory came down the very last end in the final against Tony Horobin and Mick Cooney, with Ford drawing a brilliant wood to win it.

Bulmer and Ford had won the first three ends and led 6-0 before Horobin and Cooney got back into the game by winning five of the following six ends to reduce the arrears to one shot at 9-8.

The game remained tight and, with three ends to play, Bulmer and Ford held a 14-13 advantage, only for Horobin and Cooney to take the lead for the first time in the match with a three.

This was countered immediately with a two leaving the scores level at 16-16 going into the last end.

Ford drew a wood which settled on the jack and somehow managed to stay there to take the title.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire finally put their nightmare 134-98 defeat to Nottinghamshire two years ago to rest as they beat them in this season's Atherley Trophy 128-110 at York's Thanet Road home.

There was nothing between the teams at the half-way stage as the aggregate score stood at 56-56 after 10 ends but a surge from the White Rose ladies put them 97-74 ahead five ends later and on the road to a game against Lincolnshire in the quarter-finals on January 13.

Linda Wiles, Holly Baxter, Katy Baxter and Danni Martinson only lost two ends between the fifth and 14th to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 15-8 lead, on their way to a 25-13 success.

Lynda Parker, Maureen Walker, Zoe Eagles and Helen Walker were 14-12 down after 13 ends but after 18 they had turned their game round and led 24-14 before finishing 26-18.

Lesley Harris, Cath Shaw, Eva Dayes and Linda Harrison pulled back from 6-0 down after three ends to lead 10-6 after six and only lost four more ends to finish winning 23-17.

Kath Delacoe, Margaret Dykes, Margaret Hockney and Beryl Alderson were struggling when their scoreboard showed a 14-3 deficit after nine ends but five ends later they led 19-14. Thereafter the game remained tight but the home side held on and ran out 23-21 victors.

Angela Spilsbury, Pat Walker, Jane Simpson and Helen Wood had a 13-10 advantage with six ends to play but they went into the last 20-13 down before finishing 20-15.

Joan Jackson, Carol Banks, Melanie Brooke and Carol Instone led 14-12 with seven ends to play but with two to go they trailed 21-14 before picking up two singles to finish losing 21-16. Yorkshire's men's team, meanwhile, lost their Liberty Trophy game against a strong Lincolnshire team 142-97.

The game was played at Grantham IBC and saw only two Yorkshire rinks winning, with York's Jason Parkinson skipping his team to a 24-15 success, pulling away from 16-13 with five ends to play, and North Cave's Stan Thompson's team enjoying a tight 18-12 success.

Meanwhile, York IBC's New Years Eve Pairs competition takes place on Sunday. Competitors are asked to turn up at 9.30am for the draw to take place at 9.45am.