Eglinton duly sealed the Division 2 title on Thursday night when Karl O'Doherty's side won a final-over thriller against nearest rivals St Johnston, the match finishing in near darkness with both teams having agreed to a 2-night completion earlier in the week.

It seemed the chances of getting 40 overs were remote after no play was possible on Wednesday but credit both sets of players and indeed umpires George Brolly and Connie McAllister for doing just that.

The villagers put the hosts in on winning the toss and runs were hard come by early on. Alan MacBeth made 21 but it took a dogged 35 from David MacBeth (2 sixes and 2 fours) to get the board going. Ross Allen bowled a tidy spell to pick up a couple of wickets and the visitors would have been well pleased to restrict the Saints to 101 for 6 from their 20.

David Lapsley then threw a spanner in the works by bowling Andy Christie from the very first ball of the reply and the home side's tails were really up when Lapsley also removed Andy Miller in the same over. It got better still when Andrew Fleming did for the dangerous Richard Wylie and when Andrew Pierce's wicket left it 22 for 4 the hosts looked favourites.

Christopher Perce was still there however and he and Stephen Smyth set about repairing the damage. Smyth showed all his experience to nudge it around while Pierce went big when the bad one came his way. That said the bowlers were keeping it tight and going down to the last over Eglinton still needed 11 to win.

Young Lapsley did a smashing job at the start of the innings but couldn't keep it together for the last, going for 4 from the first ball and then sending down 6 wides from the next three. And that was that. An excellent half century for Pierce that included 3 fours and 3 sixes while Smyth added a valuable 27, both men undefeated when the winning runs were posted.

Delight for the villagers who now go forward to the play-off and a great effort from the Saints who made this a cracking match.

At the Boathole, St Johnston 101-6-20 (D MacBeth 35, A MacBeth 21, R Allen 2-24) beat Eglinton 103-4-19.3 (C Pierce 54*, S Smyth 27*, D Lapsley 2-35) by 6 wickets.