BRADFORD beat Fylde B 20-12 in their Federation qualifying-round match to make it through to the Champion of Champions event on Sunday, September 25.

Fylde were without question the strongest team that Bradford have faced in their first season in the competition.

In the home leg at Shipley Club the visitors managed five winners but, with Tracy Preston (Shipley Club) 21-9 the pick of seven for Bradford, the hosts took the home aggregate by 29 chalks and with it a 9-5 verdict.

The away match at Pilling BC was a much closer game, with the hosts making the perfect start by carding the first four winners.

Bradford hit back with a great 21-3 from Mark Cunningham (Shipley Club) and, with four more winners, Bradford edged the aggregate by just four chalks to secure a creditable 7-7 draw and earn the four bonus points for edging the overall aggregate.

The selection committee will now have a difficult job whittling it down from a squad of 30 players for the end-of-season Champion of Champions competition, which will be played as an eight-player one-day team event at the end of September.

Home scores – Bradford 233 (9) Fylde B 204 (5) (Bradford names first): Bailey Rice (Shipley Club) 21 Paul Dawson (Cleveleys WMC) 17, Alan Mazurke (Littlemoor) 17 Alan Foulds (Carleton) 21, Andy Denton (Asa Briggs) 17 John Foulds (Belmont) 21, Tracy Preston (Shipley Club) 21 Mike Gardener (Cleveleys WMC) 9, Andrew Fowler (Clayton) 21 Caroline Hall (Cleveleys WMC) 11, Scott Bloodworth (Ladyhill) 19 Jack Livsey (Pilling BC) 21, Tony Throup (Wyke) 21 Tommy Kitchen (Raikes Hotel BC) 18, Richard Bloodworth (Ladyhill) 16 John Holyoke (Cleveleys WMC) 21, Jordan Brown (Wibsey) 21 Bill Livsey (Pilling BC) 19, Ashley Southwell (Asa Briggs) 17 Dennis Foxton (Raikes Hotel BC) 21, Andrew Heenan (Asa Briggs) 21 Stuart Marshall (Inskip BC) 12, Paul Gill (Clayton) 21 Jim Kenny (Raikes Hotel BC) 13.

Away scores – Fylde B 210 (7) Bradford 214 (7) (Bradford names first): Will Bedford (Shipley Club) 14 Gary Sanderson (Gardeners BC) 21, Jack Bowes (Littlemoor) 14 Margaret Warburton (Belmont) 21, Robbie Ellis (Shipley Club) 18 Phil McVitie (South Shore BC) 21, Adam Mellor (Eccleshill) 19 Calum Dansen (Pilling BC) 21, Lisa Rice (Pudsey) 18 Stephen Dagger (Strawberry Gardens) 21, Bob Wilkinson (Wyke) 21 Colin Newton (Belmont BC) 16, Mark Cunningham (Shipley Club) 21 Ted Sherlock (Bispham Cons) 3, Peter Ellis (Spen Victoria) 21 Patricia Conche (Blackpool Subs) 12, Craig Fenton (Shipley Club) 14 Mike Dewhurst (Belmont BC) 21, Chris Ellis (Spen Victoria) 21 Carl Martin (South Shore BC) 13, Kevin Wood (Shipley Club) 12 Mark Audin (Raikes Hotel BC) 21, Andy Wood (Akroydon Victoria) 21 Mike Kershaw (St Michaels) 19.

Airedale A went into their final Federation game against Halifax knowing that 13 points would see them safe in their first season in Division One but they narrowly missed out.

The home match at Farsley saw Airedale A card seven winners and with it a 9-5 home success, James Hanson (Pudsey) 21-5 and John Benson (Rufford) 21-9 being the pick for the hosts.

The away match at Brighouse Sports saw only two winners for Airedale, which resulted in an overall 21-11 defeat and with it relegation.

Home scores – Airedale A 208 (9) Halifax 194 (5) (Airedale names first): Neil Nicholson (Farsley) 21 Tony Riley (Brighouse Sports) 10, Gary Wike (Pudsey) 21 Kieran Bannister (Mytholmroyd) 18, James Hanson (Pudsey) Keith Hatzer (Hove Edge) 5, Tom Cater (Guiseley) 21 Nigel Bloomer (Brighouse Sports) 20, Andy Hodgson (Pudsey) Joel Abdy (Elland WMC) 21, Dan Beardsworth (Pudsey) 10 Clive Austin (Mytholmroyd) 21, Ian Matthews (Greengates) 18 Danny Radcliffe (Hove Edge) 21, Tom Lawrence (Pudsey) 12 Andrew Tate (Brighouse Sports) 21, Joe Stockdale (Guiseley) 21 Danny Fountain (Brighouse Sports) 15, Chris Hight (Farsley) 21 Richard Hobson (Brighouse Sports) 12, John Benson (Rufford) 21 Tony Bannister (Mytholmroyd) 9, Richard Stockdale (Guiseley) 10 Tom Gasson (Hove Edge) 21.

Away scores – Halifax 243 (12) Airedale A 205 (2) (Airedale names first): Chris Daysh (Meanwood) 19 Paul Ingleby (Elland WMC) 21, Dan Carter (Tarnfield) 19 Martin Steele (Akroydon Victoria) 21, Luke Teale (Guiseley) 19 Scott Haynes (Elland WMC) 21, Martyn Benson (Rufford) 21 Robert Hitchen (Elland WMC) 19, David Upton (Myrtle) 21 Alan Bray (Hove Edge) 14, Steve Morris (Myrtle) 15 Robert Holmes (Elland WMC) 21, James Teale (Rufford) 13 Gareth Nicholson (Mytholmroyd) 21, Ryan Benson (Rufford) 18 Paul Demetriades (Elland WMC) 21, Daniel Teale (Rufford) 17 Jack Summers (Asa Briggs) 21, Nicky Bastow (Guiseley) 18 Gordon Bradford (Greetland) 21, Ian Kemp (Pudsey) 16 Darren Clare (Clayton Victoria) 21, Mark Barker (Myrtle) 9 Mark Regan (Brighouse Sports).

* GRAEME Wilson (Lower Hopton) edged out Gary Ellis (Whitefield) 21-20 to clinch a thrilling Pudsey Classic final.

The two players have over 100 titles apiece under their belt but, despite Ellis' more recent success in this competition, Wilson was looking to win it at the first time of reaching the finals.

A nip-and-tuck start to the Northern Trade Windows-sponsored decider saw Ellis edge 7-3 ahead as he restricted Wilson to only singles.

This pattern continued up to end 16, with Wilson still to register a double as he trailed 10-9. The first pair from Wilson was then significant as it gave him the lead for the first time at 11-10.

The players were locked at 12-12 until Wilson scored his second double of the game to lead 14-12 – and from 15-14 in Wilson's favour, the Yorkshire and Lower Hopton star kicked on with a five-break to lead 20-14.

A last-gasp strike from Ellis was watched all the way by both players as it smashed Wilson's bowl and block from the green.

Ellis then scored a single to reduce the arrears to 20-15 and, with Wilson wondering what he had to do, the score soon became 20-20.

A hush descended around the green as Ellis led out his first bowl on a finger-peg edge only to hook it slightly narrow.

Wilson sensed his chance and set his first bowl on its way and was happy to see it rest around a foot over.

Ellis played up and just missed the outside edge of Wilson's bowl and a truly wonderful final was all over.

This also means that Wilson gained a place in the Blackpool Champion of Champions on Saturday, September 24.

Last 16: Gaz Lally (Crossgates) 15 Gary Ellis (Whitefield) 21, Scott Fisher (Denby Grange) 12 Danny Towning (Whitkirk) 21, Keiren Dodd (Lancaster) 21 Chris Kelly (Thongsbridge) 20, Kevan Shaw (Westhoughton) 17 Andrew Sykes (Mirfield Old Bank) 21, Mark Regan (Netherton Cons) 17 Kevin Reilly (Doncaster) 21, Graeme Wilson (Lower Hopton) 21 Stuart Mort (Kirkham Cons) 16, Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury) 8 Wayne Ditchfield (Eccleston) 21, Ashley Daykin (Netherton Cons) 21 Ryan Clark (Thongsbridge)16. Quarter-finals: Ellis 21 Towning 16, Dodd 15 Sykes 21, Reilly 14 Wilson 21, Ditchfield 9 Daykin 21 Semi-finals: Ellis 21 Sykes 17, Wilson 21 Daykin 12. Final: Ellis 20 Wilson 21.

* STEVE Davies (Liverpool) and Joe Cranston (Crossgates) were the latest qualifiers in the £5,300 Brighouse Classic.

Davies beat Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury) 21-9 to go through, while Cranston defeated team-mate James Wilcox 21-18.

The action continues tomorrow evening, with previous winner Gary Ellis (Whitefield) facing a tough opener against Lee Heaton (Preston).

Full draw (6.30pm start): Billy Harding (Barrow) v Lee Johnstone (Warrington), Stuart Mort (Preston) v Brian Lee (Alverthorpe), Conor Chamberlain (Stretton) v Graham Hirst (Mirfield), Danny Sillitoe (Doncaster) v Paul Bowes (Pudsey), Dave Penketh (Warrington) v Ashley Tattersley (Lower Hopton), Gareth Coates (Halifax) v Kris Walder (Leeds), Lee Heaton (Preston) v Gary Ellis (Whitefield), Paul Chamberlain (Stretton) v Shaun Taylor (Barrow).

* CARL Fielding (Solihull) and Carl Armitage (Warrington) were the final qualifiers in the Spen Masters, sponsored by P&I Hopkins Butchers.

Fielding defeated Gary Wike (Pudsey) 21-19, Terry Glover (Liverpool) 21-16 and Chris Mordue (Pudsey) 21-13 to reach the finals.

Armitage advanced with wins over James Martin (Huddersfield) 21-11, Graham Hickey (Halifax) 21-20 and John Bailey (North Wales) 21-7.

The finals take place on Saturday, September 3 from 4.30pm, with Stuart King (Littlemoor), Mark Hughes (Crossgates), Mark Allman (Littlemoor) and David Scott (Clayton) among the players in with a chance of becoming 2016 champion.

Week eight qualifying scores – First round: Terry Glover (Liverpool) 21 Neil Simpson (Shipley) 14, Carl Fielding (Solihull) 21 Gary Wike (Pudsey) 19, Dan Jones (North Wales) 15 Chris Mordue (Pudsey) 21, Gareth Nicholson (Halifax) 15 Dave Watters (Preston) 21, James Martin (Huddersfield) 11 Carl Armitage (Warrington) 21, Darren Plenderleith (Solihull) 19 Graham Hickey (Halifax) 21, John Bailey (North Wales) 21 Josh Mordue (Pudsey) 13, Tony Riley (Brighouse Sports) w/o Mike Leach (Preston).Second round: Glover 16 Fielding 21, Mordue 21 Watters 11, Armitage 21 Hickey 20, Bailey 21 Riley 19. Third round: Fielding 21 Mordue 13 (draws number 13), Armitage 21 Bailey 7 (draws ten).

Draw for finals: Danny Ferris (Stoke on Trent) v Wayne Ditchfield (Eccleston), Stuart King (Littlemoor) v Andrew Cairns (Rossendale), Bill Burlison (Warrington) v Craig Newton (Wakefield), Garry Ellis (Whitefield) v Paul Williams (Shropshire), Mark Hughes (Crossgates) v Carl Armitage (Warrington), Mark Allman (Littlemoor) v Ben Gloag (Manchester), Carl Fielding (Solihull) v Tommy Johnston (Poynton), David Scott (Halifax) v Lee Johnstone (Warrington).