GREG Mairs insists his Loughborough Lightning side can hold their heads high despite missing out on a place in the AJ Bell National League final.

The Northwich ace watched from courtside, as an unused substituted, on Monday when fellow title-hopefuls Team Derby progressed to the showpiece following a 4-1 victory.

The match was closer than the result suggests, with three of the head-to-heads requiring a tie-break to settle the outcome.

“We’ve reached the final the past two years, and it would have been brilliant to do so again,” said Mairs.

“But we were the underdogs, and didn’t have our strongest line-up available. However I still believed he could do it.”

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead following victories in the women’s singles as well as the men’s and women’s doubles before debutant David King surprised three-time Olympian Scott Evans to reduce Lightning’s arrears.

However their opponents then won the mixed doubles to leave Loughborough third in the final table.

Mairs, 22, says he has learned a lot during a testing campaign this time around.

He added: “This season has been very different for me. Last year, I was one of the least-experienced players.

“However there are younger players coming through now at Loughborough, and I’ve been fighting for my place against top opposition.

“It’s not helped that I’ve had a few injuries, as has my partner Jenny Moore, but I think we did alright.

“I only managed to pick up one win in the doubles, and while that’s disappointing the standard has been high.”

University of Nottingham, who won 4-1 at Suffolk Saxons on Monday, provide the opposition for Team Derby in tonight’s final.

The AJ Bell National Badminton League final takes place on tonight, Wednesday, at centre:mk in Milton Keynes, offering a great value family evening out.

Tickets to see the league’s top two teams go head to head to be champions can be booked at nationalbadmintonleague.co.uk