WATCHFUL: Jae McGrath battled hard for Horsham Lawn Bardell but could not prevent his side from going down to Central Park Red at the weekend. Picture: SAMANTHA CAMARRI
HORSHAM Lawn Savage's pennant season has ended in heartbreak after the team missed qualifying for the finals by two points.
Lawn Savage was pipped at the post by Central Park Red, which finished the season strongly to win its final three matches and snatch fourth place on the ladder.
A win at the weekend would have been enough to guarantee a finals place for Savage but they were unable to upset a powerful Drung South outfit, going down 10-116 to 4-68.
The Parkers got over the line with a convincing 9-99 to 5-88 victory over Horsham Lawn Bardell.
Bill Schmidt was one of the standouts for Central Park, winning all three doubles rubbers in which he was involved.
Breanna McPhee also played strongly to take out her singles set against Lawn Bardell's Kerrie Duxson 9-3 and both of her doubles rubbers 9-7 and 9-8.
The top-four is now finalised, with St Michaels taking out the minor premiership after posting an imposing 16-2 win-loss record.
Drung South finished one win behind the Saints, while Kalkee took out third and Central Park Red qualified in fourth.
The first week of finals tennis will see Drung South take on St Michaels for a spot in the grand final, while Kalkee and Central Park Red will face off against each other in a cut-throat semi-final.
Central Park president Peter Rogers said his team was elated to have qualified for the finals after finishing the season strongly and would enter its match against Kalkee with nothing to lose.
"The last three games have been really good - they were what we needed," he said.
"We thought we had a good chance of beating Lawn Bardell and we had nothing to lose so we just went out and gave it all we had."
Rogers said the singles play of the Parkers' young side had been the key to winning at the weekend. The team won all four of its singles rubbers after splitting the doubles 2-2.
Rogers said his side would be dangerous in the finals for anyone who underestimated them.
"It's a good effort that we've made the finals and we've got nothing to lose next week - we're going to go in as the underdogs," he said.
In the other pennant matches, minor premiers St Michaels made a statement heading into the finals with a 12-119 to 2-70 hiding of third-placed Kalkee.
Haven took the wooden spoon after it was forced to forfeit its match against Central Park Blue, which had been on the bottom of the ladder for most of the season.
In the final round of A Special tennis, Drung South capped off a season of dominance by dismantling Central Park 13-123 to 1-60.
Drung South's only recorded loss for the season came in a round 12 forfeit to Horsham Lawn O'Connor, and the side will be heavy favourites to win the grand final.
Other matches saw second-placed Brimpaen beat Horsham Lawn O'Connor and Noradjuha forfeited to Horsham Lawn Massey.
Central Park held fourth-place in A Grade competition after a late challenge from Laharum.
The Parkers guaranteed themselves a place in the finals by beating Horsham Lawn 10-sets-to-two, negating Laharum's tough 7-88 to 5-66 win over Homers.
Drung South lost to Kalkee and St Michaels beat Quantong in other matches.
Second-placed Horsham Lawn drew with Haven Black in the match of the round in B Grade.
Natimuk went down narrowly to Laharum Red, Haven Green was defeated by Brimpaen and Drung South-Horsham Lutheran easily beat Laharum Blue in other matches.
