Bowls: West Lothian club news

Jan 28 2010 by Stewart Meikle, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian stars Bryan Cooper, Stuart Johnston and Mark Allison let reigning national champions Barnfield off the hook in the section final of the Scottish Triples playdown action last weekend.

Bainfield title trio Craig Paterson, Craig Moss and Paul O’Donnell struggled for long spells against WL and were under pressure at 13-10 down.

O’Donnell said later: “We were heading for the exit door so needed to produce something special to get us out of trouble and Lady Fortune decided to smile on us at the penultimate end.”

Bainfield carded a mighty 5 to cross 15-13 going into the last so it was a major transformation brought about by Moss skimming the jack into space for a hold of 2, then O’Donnell making all of his three deliveries count to the dismay of the WL opposition.

Then last-end drama saw Cooper smother the jack for WL but this forced his opposite number Paterson to excitingly burn the head and while the replay produced tension-filled shot swapping and jack movement it was Bainfield that clinched the win with a double.

“I can well understand West Lothian feeling disappointed at losing a game that over the piece they probably deserved to win but that is bowls for you and I hope we can do them some justice by going on to retain the title,” summed up the Bainfield skip.

Bainfield’s opposition in the semi-finals at Prestwick on Saturday March 27 come from the Coatbridge trio of J Rennie, S McLaren and Scott Bishop, who defeated East Lothian 14-8 in their section final.

Fraserburgh meet Paisley in the other semi.

West Lothian launched their campaign with a 17-13 win over Stuart Pagan of Abbeyview (Dunfermline) in the first round proper at East Lothian’s Meadowmill stadium having led 13-6 at one stage.

Allison and Co. then clashed with neighbour club Balbardie and triumphed 18-12 over Diz Drysdale, Andy Forrest and Ewan Shearer, having all but settled the issue with a commanding 13-6 lead after 12 ends.

Balbardie’s champion trio had launched their challenge with a 19-17 win over East Fife in the first round having stormed back from 12-17 with a finishing run of 4, 1, 1, 1.

THE ladies version of the national triples playdown action saw West Lothian challengers Irene Taylor Jennifer Sneddon and Angela Uttley beat Abbeyview 26-13 in the first round but then crash to a 23-6 defeat from a Teviotdale trio who went on to qualify.

Balbardie champions Kim Ross, Marian Coats and Sharon Leitch made an early exit going down in an 18-17 thriller to Portobello in the prelims.

March’s semis at Prestwick will feature Julie Forrest’s Teviotdale against Aberdeen and Midlothian against Nithsdale.

THE final push is on this weekend for Division 1B leaders Balbardie to clinch promotion to the Premier League but to make sure the two-point leaders over Bainfield must inflict a first home defeat on Alloa.

The team charged with the task of delivering the big result for Balbardie is near to full strength and reads as follows: Rink 1 – Colin Fraser, Davy Ross, Diz Drysdale and Graeme Byrne.

Rink 2 – Ian Drysdale, Hugh Marshall, Gerry Duggan and Walter McDougall.

Rink 3 – Gary Orr, Kenny Martin, Andy Forrest and Ewan Shearer.

Rink4 – Lawson Trotter, Jim Speirs, David Lawrie and Sandy McDougall.

Bainfield are at home to Stirling in their final match of the Division.

West Lothian go into the last match of their Premier League Section A campaign two points adrift of leaders Lanarkshire so face a must-win challenge at Auchinleck. No team had been announced. Lanarkshire visit Prestwick.

BALBARDIE ladies have points and shot margin in their favour and are expected to clinch the qualifying honours in Division 1D of the Ladies League Cup when they finish against Fintry at Bathgate.

West Lothian are out of the running in Division 1C and although playing at the Inveralmond stadium look to have it tough against table toppers East Lothian.

WEST Lothian IBC seniors have named their team for the first-round action of the Scottish Cup at Abbeyview on Wednesday.

The line up is: Rink 1 – Bill Gorrie, Phil Young, Jim Craig and Peter Ball.

Rink 2 – Davie Anderson, Jim Beresford, Ron Scott and John Murphy.

Rink 3 – Alastair Lindsay, Jim Davidson, Colin Russell and Ron Martin.

Rink 4 – Ron Purdie, Jack Morton, Ian Combe and George Rarity.