YORK Indoor Bowls Club remain top of the Yorkshire Ladies' League after beating close rivals Hornsea 65-55, picking up six of the 10 points at stake.

At home, Joan Jackson, Betty Richardson, Pauline Cooper and Carol Instone led 17-3 after 10 ends and went on to win 21-10.

Surprisingly, Brenda Love, Eva Snarr, Sue Kirkpatrick and Helen Wood let a 9-5 lead slip to a 20-11 defeat.

In Hornsea, Jen Brown, Maureen Walker, Melanie Brooke and Linda Harrison just missed out as they won their last five ends, picking up six shots, to only go down 13-12, but Carol Banks, Pat Potter, Pauline Armitage and Sheila Turpin came from 4-2 behind to lead 13-4 in the space of four ends and did not look back as they went on to win 21-12.

Meanwhile, New Earswick Falcons lost 84-75 Redcar in Yorkshire Over-55 League division two - despite winning one rink and drawing two.

At home, Barry Harrison, Dave Kermode, John Harrison and Eric Cookson led 5-2 after seven ends but then dropped a five, a four and a couple of twos over the next eight ends to go 17-13 behind. They fought back well, taking singles in five of the last six ends to claim an 18-18 draw.

Jim Spicer, Dave Counter, Graham Lockwood and Barry Johnson led 6-0 after three ends and 13-4 after 10, and they hung on for a 17-15 win in the face of a Redcar comeback.

At Redcar, Vic Thompson, Alwyn Anderson, Bob Barrett and Dick Osguthorpe led 5-0 after two ends but lost six of the next seven, dropping a seven, a five and a three, to go 18-6 behind. They took five of the next six ends to pull the score back to 19-17 but lost the next five, dropping another 11 shots, en route to a 30-19 defeat.

Bill Nuckey, Rod Walker, Brian Birch and Mick Head were 8-2 down after seven ends but won five of the next six and, despite dropping a five at the 11th, led 15-13 after 14. They were still 21-16 up with two ends to play but Redcar scored a two and a three to bag a draw.

New Earswick duly ended with four points and Redcar 10.

Tomorrow, York Knights look to secure promotion from the Over-55s League second division as they take on nearest rivals North Cave Yellow at noon. York Romans meet Leeds 'B' at the same time.

On Saturday at noon, York meet Leeds in Yorkshire League division one, York 'B' play Leeds 'B' in division two and York 'C' face Doncaster 'B' in division three.