YORK beat New Earswick 93-64 in the Hebden Trophy Final at North Cave in front of one of the biggest crowds for years.

York held the upper hand in a sporting contest thanks to a good start which was maintained up to the 15th end when the aggregate scores stood at 69-40.

New Earswick then stemmed the tide and at one time reduced the deficit to 17 shots across the board.

But it wasn't to be third time lucky for New Earswick who had lost the last two finals as York came back again and won 93-64.

Dennis Haw, Alwyn Johnson, Liam Cahill and Norman Vause were the pick of the York team playing against Mal Beavers, Ron Wood, Rob Domville and Alistair Sugden.

The game was tight at 11-11 after 11 ends after Beavers' side had scored two successive threes, but Haw's team pulled away again losing only one more end and took the game convincingly 29-14.

Fred Clayden, Peter Littlewood, Mike Pearce and Ken Patterson were up against Ken Carter, Barry Harrison, Dave Sykes and Brian Hardcastle and led from the first end, leading comfortably 13-4 after 11 ends.

Carter's team pulled back with a four followed by a two to reduce the arrears to three shots but by then they couldn't win another end until the 19th where they managed a three which was immediately followed by a five to give the score some respectability at 21-18. Clayden's rink took a single on the last to win 22-18.

Eric Hodgson, Malcolm Thompson, Philip Scott and Dave Dale always had the edge in their games against Eric Ward, Alf Lewis, Joe Cooper and Bill Chittock but the game was tight as the Huntington Road team scored five shots between the 16th and 18th ends to reduce the arrears to two with the score standing at 16-14. However, Hodgson's rink capped a fine season as they won the last three ends and the game 22-14.

Brian Thomas, Alwyn Redhead, Tony Bryan and Ken Hutson were running away with their game against Ken Plowman, Bob Howland, Alistair Domville and Dennis Ellis when the score stood at 17-6 after 13 ends but Plowman's team won all but two ends to nearly pinch the game, the final score being 20-18.

After a two-year absence from the final York regained the trophy they had won for the first six years from its inception.

The Lily Robertson Trophy took a new format this year with a two legged challenge match between the ladies of New Earswick and York.

The first leg was played at Huntington Road where Anne Goodwin, Carol Pink, Pat Lancaster and Kath Hardcastle were comfortably beating Clarice Johnston, Marjorie Elvidge, Ann King and Olive Dalby 16-2 after eight ends.

York Ladies came back and won five of the following six ends scoring 14 shots which included a six on the 18th end to make the score 25-21 going into the last end which was won by the home side after they scored a single.

Peg Walker, Madge Watson, June Barker and Margaret Blows had a tough game against Sue Grosvenor, Joyce Botting, Lorna Ward and Ida West who were leading 12-4 after nine ends but then they hit back with a four followed by a three to reduce the arrears to one shot.

The visitors then scored two singles but again Walker's team hit back this time taking the lead with a single, two, then a three, the visitors regained the lead at 18-17 on the 19th end but then two fours gave a final score of 25-18 in the home side's favour.

Lys Jerrum, Dot Kay, Julia Scarborough and Pat Storey were also involved in a very tight game against Pat Ellis, Doreen Arnett, Irene Paylor and Pat Lofthouse and led 17-13 with four ends to play, but the visitors won the remaining end to take the game 19-17.

Clarice Robinson, Joan Lister, Anne Bristowe and Dot Johnson led 14-2 after ten ends against Sue Kirkpatrick, Sylvia Walker, Mavis Puckering and Doreen Giles, but then York took control with a remarkable comeback as they only dropped two more ends losing singles on each, finishing with a three, five and another three to take the game 22-16.

New Earswick take a four shot lead from this 84-80 victory into the second leg, which is to be played at Thanet Road on Friday, April 5 starting at noon.

New Earswick's Yorkshire Under 18s League team beat Selby 41-10.

Alistair and Rob Domville and Tom Aveyard won easily 28-3 and Stephen Long, Richard Cummings and Michael Ollis won 13-7.

This result confirmed top place in New Earswick's group and a place in the final where they will play Hornsea 'A' at Ryedale IBC on Sunday, April 14 (noon).

The final of the Ladies Fours Knockout competition at Thanet Road saw Anita Haw, Sue Kirkpatrick, Ann Redhead and Shirley Stacey meet Sheila Turpin, Cath Blease, Brenda Martin and Norma Reed.

The scores stood at 13-11 in favour of Kirkpatrick's team. However, they were determined not to lose a game which they had led since the fifth end and scored five shots over the last three ends to win 18-11.

Updated: 12:05 Thursday, March 28, 2002