YORK'S County League team missed out again for the second week running when they lost another final, this time to champions Featherstone, in the Yorkshire Challenge Trophy.

It proved a thrilling game which needed an extra end to decide the winners.

Paul Mooring, Graham Brooke, John Emmerson and Phil Parsons trailed 14-13 after 14 ends before scoring a five which spurred them on to win six of the last seven ends and grab a well deserved 24-17 victory.

Phil Emmerson, Frank Turner, Dean Moss and Dudley Williams also came back from behind and scored a four after they had been 17-15 down with only five ends to go. Featherstone levelled on the next end, but Emmerson's side won the last three ends to take the game 23-19.

In a topsy-turvy tussle, David Stroughair, Michael Bruce, Paul Humphries and Philip Scott came back from 5-0, 11-8 and 21-11 deficits, crucially scoring a two on their last end.

Though they lost 22-18, they put the team two ahead on aggregate with only Iain and Ted Boyle, Graham Instone and Josh Cahill to finish.

Boyle's team dropped three shots on the 19th and 20th ends to be 22-18 down and were three behind with Boyle having one wood left. He came down with eight but only took one shot out which levelled the scores at 82-82.

On the extra end Emmerson's rink finished first and disappointingly dropped a three which was rough justice after they had carried the team in the first semi-final.

Mooring's team picked up a single, then Stroughair did the same leaving Boyle to once again to try and convert a winning shot to his side. Unfortunately he fell short and the title went to Featherstone.

Meanwhile, the York and District's Bill Simpson Pairs finals went to Frank Turner and Charlie Bateman for the third successive year after they beat Fred Clayden and Dudley Williams 27-11.

One shot ahead after 12 ends, it was only then that Turner and Bateman pulled away to win six of the remaining eight ends.

Last year's beaten ladies finalists Carol Instone and Joan Jackson made up for their disappointment to win the trophy for the third time in four years beating Melanie Brooke and Michelle Mooring 24-14.

Again the score-line didn't reflect the closeness of the game.

Down 10-7 after 12 ends, Instone and Jackson scored two successive five's followed by a single. Brooke and Mooring countered with a four, but Instone and Jackson won the last three ends.

Updated: 11:12 Thursday, April 08, 2004