Bower Park were crowned East London champions after another thrilling contest with Havering rivals Abbs Cross.

Park’s Year 10-11 boys had been pipped to the borough title when the two sides met last month but got their chance of revenge at Hornchurch Sports Centre.

Both teams topped their groups at the latest stage of the Center Parcs National Championships, after comfortable wins over Chadwell Heath, Ilford County High School, Woolwich Poly, Eltham Foundation, St Matthews Academy, Langdon School, Rokeby School, BGTC and Sir John Cass.

And their final clash proved the best match of the day, going down to the wire once again.

Abbs took the opening singles rubber between the top-seeded players by an 11-10 margin, but Park hit back to take the first doubles, 11-5.

Park won the second singles to edge ahead, before Abbs set up a decider after winning the fourth rubber by an 11-9 margin.

But their hopes of completing a double were dashed by Park, who won a fiercely contested final rubber, 11-7, to progress to the regional round at Crystal Palace on March 28.

Community Sports Coach for Badminton Amanda Austin said: “I was eagerly looking forward to this match and it certainly did not disappoint.

“The standard in this final was of the highest standard and enjoyed by the spectators present. A thrilling match and a fitting final!”

Park will be joined by Coopers Coborn’s Year 7-9 girls, who won all of their group games to reach the final against Woodford, who had pipped Frances Bardsley to top spot in the other pool.

Coopers eased to a 5-0 win in the final, while Frances Bardsley beat Prendegast School to clinch third place.

Teams came from Havering, Barking, Dagenham, Tower Hamlets, Redbridge and Kent’s London Boroughs and Albany’s Year 7-9 boys topped their group to book a final meeting with a very strong Langdon School, who had seen off Coopers in the group stage.

But there was heartbreak for Albany as they lost the deciding game by the slenderest of margins (11-10) to suffer a 3-2 defeat.

Hall Mead reached the final of the Year 10-11 girls competition, where they faced a Woodford Green County High School side who had topped a group including Coopers.

But in another hard-fought contest, Hall Mead had to settle for the silver medal position as Woodford claimed a 3-2 win and a place in the next round.

Austin added: “It was really great to see the Havering Schools do so well. In four finals we had five of the eight schools represented.

“All of our schools put in good performances, but it is Coopers (Year 7/8/9 girls) and Bower Park (year 10/11 boys), who go onto fly the flag for the area in the regional finals in a few weeks time that deserve the praise.

“The Coopers girls did not lose a single match to take them through, while the Bower Boys overcame the bitter disappointment of losing the Borough Finals to now become East London champions.

“The winners of the regional round will progress to the national finals held at Center Parcs. But the regional round will be a really tough competition.”