Swim Bournemouth and Christchurch Seagulls booked their places in next month’s Southern Junior League final after coming first and second in a fiercely competitive second round gala.

But third and fourth places for Yeovil and Poole at Littledown means they will miss out on the top final.

Swim Bournemouth coach Emma Hirst said: “It was a tough challenge with four teams that might have expected to make the final. We had great support and team unity.”

Sixteen wins, 16 second places and only four finishes outside the top three gave Bournemouth a 21-point victory margin over Seagulls and put them on course for a successful defence of a title won by one or other of their merged predecessors Ferndown Otters and Bournemouth Dolphins for the past five years.

Individual winners were Alesha Gibson (9yrs 25m freestyle), Fran Gallimore (9yrs 25 back), 10-year-olds Ethan Bell (50 breast), Morgan Long (50 free) and Ben Samuel (50 free), Lucy Brain (11yrs 50 free) and 12yrs swimmers Ella Moreland (50 fly), Katy Hebditch (50 breast) and Rebecca Cummings (50 back).

Bournemouth also won seven relays, including the cannon event.

Seagulls, now heading for their third final in four years, described their second place at Littledown as “another giant leap forward”.

“The atmosphere was one of the best I have ever experienced,” said coach Adam Parfitt. “Our team spirit was unrivalled resulting in some outstanding performances.”

Seagulls’ individual winners were Andrew Botros in the 12/u 50m butterfly, Stephanie Fletcher-Jones (9yrs 25m breaststroke), Zoe Gannaway and Christian Tai (10yrs 50m butterfly) and Polly Allen (11/u 50m breaststroke). Seagulls won four relays.

Poole dominated the older boys’ age groups, with all but two of their 14 wins coming in the 10yrs, 11yrs and 12yrs races including all six relays.

In fact, the 11/u produced a clean sweep with Jacob Peters winning the 50m butterfly and backstroke and Harry Kemp the freestyle and breaststroke.

Other individual winners were Georga Harrison and Jessica Richens in the 11yrs 50 backstroke and butterfly respectively, Lewis Harding in the boys’ 10yrs 50m backstroke, Alex Price in the 12yrs 50m freestyle and Kiran Olenicz in the 12yrs 50m backstroke.

Peters and Harrison underlined coach Robin Armayan’s emphasis on technique and streamlining when they took the lead underwater off their backstroke turns.

“Our swimmers didn’t just try to swim fast but worked hard to satisfy our coaching standards,” said Armayan.

“Most of them were streamlined off the wall and underwater, didn't slow down when approaching the wall and didn't breathe on the last 10 metres.

“We believe this is important for their long-term development and it was great to see them putting it all together.”

n Swim Bournemouth’s B team managed a respectable fourth place at Weston-super-Mare, where winners were Stephen Davies–Coates in the 11yrs 50m backstroke and Raf McCreath in the 10 yrs 50m butterfly.