Long-term leaders Tulips B are the Spalding and District Snooker League Division One champions – but they did things the hard way on the final night of the season.
Needing a win at already-relegated Pyramid B to confirm top spot on Thursday, the Spalding side slipped to a 4-2 defeat after fantastic frame successes from Spencer Dawkins (O49), Jason Green (O56) and Dave Horstwood (R21).
Palumbo even managed a slick 30 clearance for the Bourne boys, but Darren Woodberry (O28) and Mark Wilkinson (O14) did at least get Tulips two points on the board.
That left the leaders sweating on news from Donington C’s game at Long Sutton A.
Fortunately for the Spalding side, Derek Beba (O14), Keith Wells (O28) and Adam Barwell (O42) all won frames for hosts Sutton in a 4-2 win, which left Donington four points shy of the title in second place. Matt Smith (O42) made a 33 break for Sutton in that clash.
Donington’s haul of 121 points would have been enough to win the title comfortably last season, but they have to settle for second – which is one place better off than last term.
Tulips B, meanwhile, finish with 22 wins from 32 games and bring the league’s top trophy back to the club for the first time since 2011.
Below those two, Services A finished with a bang to cement third position as they dispatched Crowland C 5-1, while Holbeach D edged fourth by one point after unlucky Donington A could only beat Sutton B 5-1.
It was Carl Parnell’s (O42) frame win over Darren Templeman (R7) that denied Donington fourth position.
Division Two, meanwhile, ended in dramatic fashion as two of the three title hopefuls clashed on the final night.
It was Consti B, relegated from the top flight last season, who clinched the title – and an immediate return to the big time – with a fantastic 5-1 success over Bourne SC A, who had to settle for third on the final promotion spot.
In what proved an incredibly tight tussle, John Christian (R7), Martin Fear (O7), John Keeton (O7) and Mick Johnson (O35) – who made a 24 break – all won to seal the title by four clear points.
That opened the door for Boundary A to pinch second place after they earned a battling 4-2 victory at Crowland B.
Jim McGhee’s (scr) tight black-ball success over Richard Neal (R21) proved key for the Deepings side, who have improved markedly on last season’s showing.
Despite that defeat, Crowland B take fourth position.
At the other end of the table, Consti G finish in the bottom three despite a roaring 5-1 win at Holbeach B.
Nigel West (O7) made a 28 break for Consti, but they needed one more point to escape the drop zone.
Also relegated are Gosberton A, who were beaten 4-2 at home by Pyramid C. Malcolm Croft’s (scr) black-ball win in the penultimate frame sealed their fate.
Elsewhere, it was all about the fight for second and third places in Division Three with champions Gosberton D sealing top spot a week earlier.
There was no drama here, though, with Services D wrapping up the runners-up position with a 4-2 victory over Consti C. Karen Howlett (R21) and Tanya Peel (R14) won the final two frames to help Services finish on 116 points.
Below them, Boundary C had to settle for third place following their 5-1 win at Consti E. Mick Walker’s 20 break was the highlight there.
That means that Bourne SC B missed out on the final promotion position in fourth, despite beating rivals Pyramid E 4-2.
