The new Tyneside Badminton Centre in Slatyford hosted Northumberland’s final second-team match of the season.
It was a Division Five North title decider, with North needing a win against Lancashire Fourths to ensure both promotion and an unbeaten season to boot.
They achieved their goal with an impressive 12-3 victory.
With the Isle of Man recording two resounding victories over Notts Thirds the previous weekend, North knew that only a win would suffice.
They had defeated their opponents in the away fixture in October but only by the narrowest of margins - 8-7 - so were anticipating a tough battle even though they were at full strength.
Tom Appleyard soon had them on the scoreboard with a comfortable straight-sets win which completed a clean sweep of all his eight singles matches for the season.
Carl Gibbons quickly backed that up with a revenge win against Jared Matthew, to whom he had lost in three sets in the away fixture, to give North the early lead.
Lucy Dixon had meanwhile recovered well from a set down against the experienced Suanne Bly to level at one set all but was never able to get her nose in front in the third.
Hilda Carr, after a close first set, established control and also secured victory to give North a 3-1 lead going into the level doubles.
Appleyard and Martin Fagan soon stretched the lead and straightforward wins for Dixon and Alison Thompson and Carr and Maddie Harrison saw North forge ahead 6-2.
Appleyard and Fagan duly recorded win number seven and Andy Fowler and Ant Norris, having lost their opener, put in a much improved performance against the visitors’ top string to clinch the vital eighth rubber and victory.
The atmosphere was a little flat in the remaining rubbers, North having achieved their goal so early in the match.
However, wins for both ladies’ pairs saw North to 10, thus clinching a 3-0 points win to take them a point clear at the top and put the issue beyond doubt.
Two victories in the mixed saw North home.
Delighted chairman of selectors Steve Abbott said: “The second team are to be congratulated on an unbeaten season and to clinch promotion here at their new home, the Tyneside Badminton Centre, is especially pleasing for me.
“They have demonstrated an excellent team spirit all season, notably in recovering from 6-4 down away to Lancs to win 8-7.
“Also in the two wins against their closest rivals the Isle of Man they came from even further behind at 7-3 to again win 8-7 in the first and took all three mixed from 6-6 to win 9-6 in the second.”
North’s first team complete the season with a rearranged fixture against fellow strugglers Staffs on April 27.
They lost narrowly in the away fixture two weeks ago.
If they can reverse that score they will retain their Division Two status by a point.
