After losing in last year's semi-finals following 32 successive title successes, England fought their way back into the women's final of the European Team Squash Championships after a 3/0 victory over Ireland in the Division 1 semi-finals of the European Squash Federation event at the Esport Center in Espoo, Finland.
World No2 Jenny Duncalf led the comeback triumph after beating Irish champion Madeline Perry 11-5, 11-0, 13-11. England completed their win over the fourth seeds with victories by Sarah Kippax and Dominique Lloyd-Walter.
The third seeds will met top seeds Netherlands in the final - but the title-holders dropped the opening match against France when French number one Camille Serme beat former world champion Vanessa Atkinson in straight games.
But Dutch champion Natalie Grinham restored order with a 3/0 win over Isabelle Stoehr before third string Orla Noom played one of the games of her life by fighting back from 2-0 down to beat France's Coline Aumard 9-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8 to take Netherlands into their ninth successive final.
England reached the men's final for the 19th year in a row with a comprehensive 4/0 win over Netherlands. The defending champions will meet France for the fourth successive year after the second seeds defeated first-time semi-finalists Italy 4/0.
But it was in Division 2 that the day's biggest excitement took place when hosts Finland celebrated a popular win over Scandinavian rivals Sweden to ensure promotion to Division 1 next year.
Olli Tuominen put the hosts ahead with an 11-6, 11-0, 11-8 win over Rasmus Hult, but team-mate Matias Tuomi then lost to championship veteran Christian Drakenberg in four games.
But when Henrik Mustonen then beat Gustav Detter 3/0, it was enough for Finland to celebrate its countback victory - and a place in next year's elite top eight for the first time since 2009.
"Our men's team has performed as I have expected," said a delighted Finnish national coach Mike Harris. "I am very proud and satisfied with them all. I knew we would be strong in our match against Sweden in the morning. We have worked more than a year for this particular match that would take us to the final and to Division 1."
RESULTS: European Team Championship, Espoo, Finland
Division 1: Men's semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] NETHERLANDS 4/0
James Willstrop bt Piedro Schweertman 11-2, 11-5, 11-6
Nick Matthew bt Dylan Bennett 11-7, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5
Daryl Selby bt Rene Mijs 11-3, 11-6, 12-10
Peter Barker bt Sebastian Weenink 12-10, 11-8
[2] FRANCE bt [5] ITALY 4/0
Mathieu Castagnet bt Davide Bianchetti 11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7
Gregory Gaultier bt Stephane Galifi 11-9, 11-3, 11-4
Yann Perrin bt Amr Swelim 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-7
Gregoire Marche bt Marcus Berrett 11-3, 11-8
5th - 8th place play-offs:
[4] WALES bt [7] SCOTLAND 2/2 (Wales win 7-6 on games countback)
Peter Creed lost to Alan Clyne 2-11, 6-11, 1-11
Alex Gough lost to Chris Small 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11
David Evans bt Stuart Crawford 11-2, 11-2, 11-2
Nic Birt bt Harry Leitch 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
[6] GERMANY bt [8] CZECH REPUBLIC 4/0
Simon Rosner bt Jan Koukal 11-4, 11-2, 11-8
Rudi Rohrmuller bt Jaroslav Cech 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
Jens Schoor bt Petr Martin 11-8, 11-5, 11-9
Andre Haschker bt Pavel Sladecek 11-8, 11-7, 12-10
Division 1: Women's semi-finals:
[1] NETHERLANDS bt [2] FRANCE 2/1
Vanessa Atkinson lost to Camille Serme 6-11, 10-12, 7-11
Natalie Grinham bt Isabelle Stoehr 11-9, 11-7, 11-8
Orla Noom bt Coline Aumard 9-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8
[3] ENGLAND bt [4] IRELAND 3/0
Jenny Duncalf bt Madeline Perry 11-5, 11-0, 13-11
Sarah Kippax bt Aisling Blake 11-13, 11-5, 6-11, 13-11, 11-6
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Claire O'Brien 11-2, 11-2
5th - 8th place play-offs:
[5] GERMANY bt [6] ITALY 3/0
Sina Wall bt Manuela Manetta 5-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7
Pamela Hathway bt Monica Menegozzi 11-2, 11-2, 11-4
Eva Brauckmann bt Simona Fedeli 11-5, 11-6, 11-4
[7] SCOTLAND bt [8] SPAIN 3/0
Senga Macfie bt Xisela Aranda Nunez 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Frania Gillen-Buchert bt Stela Carbonell 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6
Lisa Aitken bt Chantal Moros-Pitarch 11-2, 11-1, 11-5
Division 2: Men's semi-finals:
[6] DENMARK bt [1] SPAIN 3/1
Kristian Frost Olesen lost to Borja Golan 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 7-11, 9-11
Morten W Sorensen bt Alejandro Garbi Caro 11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 8-11, 11-6
Rasmus Nielsen bt David Vidal 11-2, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8
Michael Frilund bt Ivan Flores 11-8, 1-11, 11-3, 13-11
[2] FINLAND bt [4] SWEDEN 2/2 (Finland win 7-5 on games countback)
Olli Tuominen bt Rasmus Hult 11-6, 11-0, 11-8
Matias Tuomi lost to Christian Drakenberg 11-7, 9-11, 10-12, 9-11
Henrik Mustonen bt Gustav Detter 11-8, 11-7, 11-6
Arttu Moisio lost to Romain Tenant 7-11, 6-11
5th - 8th place play-offs:
[5] SWITZERLAND bt [7] BELGIUM 3/1
Nicolas Mueller bt Stefan Casteleyn 15-13, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8
Patrick Miescher bt Mark Burke 11-8, 11-6, 11-8
Reiko Peter bt Tom de Mulder 11-8, 11-6, 11-8
Jonas Daehler lost to Jan van den Herrewegen 4-11, 8-11, 7-11
[3] IRELAND bt [8] HUNGARY 3/1
Arthur Gaskin lost to Mark Krajcsak 5-11, 7-11, 11-8, 5-11
Steve Richardson bt Sandor Fulop 11-3, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9
Derek Ryan bt Marton Szaboky 11-7, 11-3, 11-1
Graeme Stewart bt Andras Torok 7-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-2
9th - 12th place play-offs:
[9] SLOVAKIA bt [11] AUSTRIA 3/1
Tomas Toth lost to Aqeel Rehman 6-11, 4-11, 7-11
Peter Kviecinsky bt Daniel Haider 4-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Marek Manik bt Jakob Dirnberger 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5
Miroslav Celler bt Marcus Greslehner 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-1
Division 2: Women's 3rd qualifying round:
[6] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [4] BELGIUM 2/1
Lucie Fialova bt Kim Hannes 11-9, 11-5, 11-7
Veronika Koukalova bt Yara Delagrange 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5
Klara Janoskova lost to Nele Gilis 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 11-2, 5-11
[2] WALES bt [3] AUSTRIA 3/0
Deon Saffery bt Birgit Coufal 11-9, 11-9, 11-5
Tesni Evans bt Sandra Polak 11-7, 12-10, 11-9
Hannah Jane Davies bt Judith Gradnitzer 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
[1] SWITZERLAND bt [5] FINLAND 2/1
Gaby Schmohl bt Saara Valtola 11-6, 11-9, 11-1
Sara Guebey lost to Elina Kononen 4-11, 2-11, 7-11
Jasmin Ballman bt Pia Ojala 11-9, 11-7, 11-6