ALREADY promoted 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys progress through to a play off with Bangor Swifts to decide the destiny of the Division 2B title (with goal difference not applicable at this level), though they were made to battle all the way in this last game of the season, against Queens Grads at Cloyne Crescent.

Eighteenth had a scare earlier in the week away to mid table side Santos under the Blanchflower Park lights, where defender Andy Roughley was sent off with the game evenly balanced at 3-1. Newtownabbey, though, came good in the end, with goals from Mark Wilkinson (his 38th of the season), Dale Fenner and a first for Ryan Bamber giving them a somewhat flattering three-one victory.

On Saturday, Queens Grads were expected to pose a tough enough assignment, and as 18th assistant manager Gary Porter acknowledged “we weren’t great, but I think it might have been nerves – we were so close to a ‘cup final’ for the league!”

With nothing at stake for the Grads, it was 18th who made the early running, and an early goal would surely have settled those jangling nerves, but Mark Wilkinson and Johnny McKee were just marginally wide, while Dale Fenner clobbered one against the bar.

Eighteenth’s luck, nevertheless, seemed to turn just before the break, when Geordie Lynn’s effort took a clear deflection on its way wide of a helpless Queens' keeper.

After the break, Fenner and Wilkinson could have made things more comfortable for the home supporters, and those misses were looking more critical once the Grads made their mark, storming through the Old Boys’ offside trap.

Eighteenth were now even more edgy and jittery, and their title dreams could have been over had player manager Ross Oliver not led by example, with superbly fingertipping a 20 yard strike over the bar.

At the other end, 18th were making little headway, and it looked like being just one of those days when a Lynn header was cleared off the line, while McKee, spooning the ball over the bar, ought to have left another offering to the better placed Wilkinson.

Yet 18th in the end, weren’t to be denied, nosing ahead again 15 minutes from time when McKee nodded the ball down for Fenner to scramble home.

18th Newtownabbey OB; Oliver – Moran, McKee, McGuigan, T Young – McFall (Crossley), Beattie, Lynn (Hanna), Bennett – Wilkinson, Fenner.