Pickering Potter pockets Main Tour place
Paul Davison won PIOS Event 7 and secured his place back on Snooker's Main Professional Tour next season.
A hard fought 6-2 win over Darwen's Justin Astley, in the final, at Pontin's, moved Paul Davison into the top four on the ranking list and secured a return to next season's Main Tour.
With just one event left in the season, the top half dozen players now look safe, barring some bizarre mathematical miracle.
Astley's run to the final saw him vault up to eleventh in the rankings, still with an outside chance of forcing his way into the promotion places with a run in event eight.
1. Liam Highfield, 2. Jack Lisowski, 3. Kyren Wilson, 4. Paul Davison, 5. Anthony McGill. 6. Jamie Jones, 7. Jamie O'Neill, 8. Stephen Craigie, Alfie Burden, 10. Jak Jones, 11. Justin Astley.
Alfie Burden and Jak Jones have already secured their Main Tour places by winning the 2009 IBSF World Amateur and 2010 European under 19 titles respectively.
Burden was ousted by Davison in the semi finals and his fellow Londoner Martin O'Donnell enjoyed his best event of the season, also reaching the semis before bowing out to the experience Astley.
The final was a dogged affair. The first four frames, which were shared lasted two hours and despite the fact that Davison pushed on to a 6-2 win, Astley dogged his heels all the way, before Davison rattled in a 50 break to secure victory in frame eight.
Earlier in the week Matthew Day nearly earned himself a place in the record books. He was on course for a 16 red 137 total clearance but rattled the final pink. However Day's 124 break remained the best effort of the week.
The eighth PIOS events takes place from 4-8 May, when the final ranking places will be resolved, and the Top Eight players nominated to World Snooker for a place on tour next season.
At the moment the three players at the top of the rankings, Liam Highfield, Jack Lisowski and Kyren Wilson, and fifth placed Anthony McGill, are all set to make their professional debuts, while the remaining players have tasted at least one season in the pro ranks before.
