West Lothian IBC still threatened by relegation after home defeat

Jan 20 2011 West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian IBC continue to flirt with the relegation blues following a depressing defeat last weekend in their latest round of fixtures in the B section of the Premier League.

The four times champions were expected to launch a great escape from the danger zone with home carpet advantage against Auchinleck, but the stars of the Inveralmond stadium flopped to a serious defeat.

The target for both teams was to move clear of the second from bottom playoff position but West Lothian’s shock 80-66 defeat leaves them isolated on that rung while Auchinleck climbed to safety.

Much was expected from a WL team that had international stars George Sneddon, Neil Speirs and Thomas Mann plus junior caps Calum Logan and Cameron Greer on parade but despite the urgent motivation all four rinks failed to deliver.

Auchinleck showed better form and stronger survival instincts to inflict the pain of defeat on the rinks skipped by Mann, Speirs, Sneddon, and Mark Allison.

West Lothian will end their section campaign with a challenging visit to second placed East Lothian and they are two points and 44 shots adrift of an Aberdeen team that finishes against foot of the table Bainfield at the Hutchison Crossway stadium.

The phase scoring paints the grim picture of the home side being humiliated 40-19 over the first seven ends then producing a 22-22 break on the second before doing 25-18 better on the third.

Mann and his rink of Cameron Greer, Raymond Logan, and Cameron Logan were against the collar at 11-4 then 17-11 down but thanks to a 1, 2, 2 finish only went down 17-16 to Steve Rankin.

Speirs skipped James Greenock, Ian Drysdale, and James Speirs into a 10-8 lead after 13-ends but when the chips were down on the run in they were out-battled to lose 17-14 to Jim Candlish.

Sneddon lost a demoralising 6 on his first end but got 5 back at the 11th to skip Ewan Wilson, Scott Logan, and Stuart Johnston to peels at 13-13, however they were unable to produce at the business end and lost 21-17 to Gary Johnston.

Allison and his front three of Richard Mark, Blair Mackie and Paul Lynas suffered the loss of a 6 in their heavy 23-7 deficit after 15-ends but did show spirit with a run of 2, 3, 3, 4 before losing 25-19 to Colin Smith.

“This is a depressing result and performance on our home carpet,” said a spokesman for West Lothian.

It may be to West Lothian’s advantage that East Lothian now have nothing much to play for having lost any chance of snatching the top qualifying honours when pipped at the post (77-76) up at Aberdeen.

Midlothian could only manage a hard-earned 65-65 peel at home to Bainfield but with EL losing, the single point was enough to take the team from Dalkeith into the playoff final.

It is interesting to note that had Bainfield won at Dalkeith, and they were considered unlucky not to do so, then West Lothian would have been the prime candidate to finish in the automatic relegation spot.

There is no team news for the WL visit to EL this weekend.

BALBARDIE IBC were also fighting for their lives to avoid relegation in Division 1B and responded to a tough challenge with an admirable 88-65 away win over a Portobello team that is stuck at the foot of the table but nonetheless strong on paper.

The win pushes the Bathgate-based club four points ahead of Portobello and two ahead of Abbeyview with two games each to play.

Balbardie were brilliantly served by winning performances from the rinks skipped by Ewan Shearer and Sandy McDougall while Walter McDougall only lost by a single shot and Graeme Byrne by quite a lot more.

The phase scoring saw Balbardie make a terrific 38-14 start to dominate the first then lose the second seven-end spell 28-23 before edging the third, 27-23.

Shearer clipped the wings of his opposition early doors by skipping Ian Drysdale, John Gilogley and Andy Forrest into a 13-0 lead after seven ends then pressed on to clinch a 28-8 win over Euan Murray.

McDougall (Sandy) kicked on strongly from 11-7 up after 13-ends to skip Lawson Trotter, David Coats and Gary Orr to a 24-8 win over John McDermott having broken opposition hearts with exciting conversion play.

McDougall (Walter) skipped Kenny Martin, Mark Bonar and Jim Speirs into a 13-5 lead after seven ends but came under pressure at 20-20 and lost a 24-23 battle to George Johnston.

Byrne and his rink of Alistair Wilson, Davie Ross and Diz Drysdale conceded a couple of 6s as they slipped and slithered to a 25-13 defeat from Willie McDonald.

Balbardie entertain Stirling this weekend and have announced an unchanged team.

WEST Lothian ladies turned in a great team performance to score a 79-58 victory over Bainfield at the Inveralmond stadium last weekend.

The visitors arrived with hopes of pressing their claims for the section 1C honours but lost on all four rinks to take the pressure off leaders East Lothian, who are the next team to visit Livingston, this weekend.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Jennifer Sneddon, Ann Clark, Jean Brown, and Jean McPherson made for the home team being a happy bunch and in third place although well off the pace.

Sneddon led 11-3 after 10-ends then skipped Jessie Bald, Kate Threlfall and Evelyn Barclay to a 20-9 win over Ann Watson then turned the tables from 7-9 to skip Irene Taylor, Isabel Lindsay and Katherine Howie to a 19-13 win over Katherine O’Donnell.

Brown soon led 10-1 but was crossed 16-15 before skipping Crina Docherty, Louise Turner and Margaret Oliver to a hard-pressed 21-19 win over Anna Anderson while McPherson skipped Lucy Noon, Sandra Purdie and Helen Tully to a 19-17 win over Marion Dickson.

WL suffered a 6-2 defeat away to Abbeyview in the first leg of the New Hall Farm Under 35 League Cup with the losing rinks skipped by Neil Speirs (22-15), Calum Logan (21-17) and James Speirs (21-20).

Thomas Mann skipped Liam Fairley Morris Cavanagh and Blair Mackie to a 22-21 win over Paul Brown.

WL Seniors scored an exciting 55-53 away win over Tweedbank with the scales tipped by a 14-10 win for Alistair Lindsay, Colin Russell, Denis Lawlor and Ron Martin.