SKIPTON brought the curtain down on a disappointing season in the Yorkshire ABA Veterans Inter-District League with a narrow victory over Wakefield.

It was a far from convincing performance in the home leg where the winners were shared in a 16-12 win. Good victories by Cliff Taylor and Mick Duke clinched a home triumph against a team that battled hard considering their lowly position and they were assisted by David Jacques and Brian Farrage.

In the away leg at West Bretton BC, the locals also won 16-12 to win overall by 32-24 but here it needed a last-gasp effort by Trevor Hargreaves, with a 21-7 success, to clinch the game. Also earning victories were John Parkin, Dennis Wynne-Jones and Mick Demain.

Skipton's old rivals Bradford won the league, pipping West Riding by just a point.

Hargreaves continued his good form when he teamed up with Oxenhope’s David Hemsley to easily win the Halifax Veterans Pairs at Hipperholme with a 15-6 success over Ripponden’s Malcolm Griffiths and Brian Winrow.

David Scott also went close in the Victory Cup finals at West Melton WMC, losing at the quarter-final stage against eventual winner Chris Kelly, of Thongsbridge, 21-16 when he had a chance of winning.

The final of the Dick Keighley Cup, held in memory of a former secretary of the Skipton League and a great character to boot, saw an all-Skipton final at Silsden PF where Devon’s Mark Adams defeated Warren Burnett Junior, of Whinfield, 21-20 in a great match that went down to the wire.

Losing in the semis were Ian Shepherd, of Steeton, and newcomer Alan Barber, of Sutton.

Tomorrow sees the Yorkshire Parks Veterans Merit finals at Baildon, commencing at 10am with several locals in the field. Worth Valley/Skipton Juniors also play Halifax at Lund Park from 7pm.

Yorkshire Ladies play their County semi-final against old rivals South Yorkshire on Sunday at 2pm.

The home leg is at Lockwood Cons in Huddersfield whilst the away team, featuring locals Viv Abell and Sharon Gadd, travel to Woodlands, Doncaster, where they can expect a warm welcome from the home supporters.

The Worth Valley Veterans League is almost over with the current leaders in all five sections being Cross Hills A, Bradshaw A, Lund Park B, Whinfield C and Craven.

Close finishes are still expected in all sections at the top and in the relegation zones. Cup knock-out events will follow in the weeks ahead.