Bairnsdale moved into second spot at the expense of Lakes Entrance after an exciting round 13 Gippsland Bowls Region weekend pennant match last Saturday at the Bairnsdale Bowling Club.
After 63 ends, only four shots separated the two premiership contenders, the home side hanging on for a 54-50 victory, inflicting Lakes’ third consecutive defeat.
Peter Baylis, Stewart Pyers, Dennis O’Keefe and Neil Watts led the way, winning 19-15, including the final two crucial ends.
They were well supported by Bairnsdale’s Christopher Mackintosh, Adam Easton, Dennis O’Keefe and Brad Montant, who also were victorious 19-15, but would have been disappointed to have lost the last four ends and conceded seven shots in the process.
Lakes Entrance claimed the other rink, 20-16, with Bradley Lancaster, Kevin Brown, Jim Northe and Stephen Smith having the answers late when the match was locked
up at 16-16.
Top side Sale put an end to Stratford’s finals aspirations, winning another competitive contest, 55-49 at the Stratford Bowling Club.
Michael Dowd, Wally Hudson, Shane Dove and Jason Wholohan had the easiest win of the match, scoring convincingly 19-11.
Peter Nikitin, Andrew Bell, Neal Taylor and Dennis Young held on to win 16-15, withstanding a late challenge from the Stratford rink led by Jason White.
June Richardson, Ross Morton, Wayne Marsden and Ian Johns got a rink back for the home side, successful 23-20, winning the last six ends, and picking up three shots on the final to clinch victory.
Metung moved into the all-important fourth spot, at the expense of their opponent, Lindenow, with a hard-fought victory at home, 60-53.
John Heggie, Rhonda Sadovsky, Jim Beale and Ray Crossley picked up four shots in the final end in their 24-19 success, well supported by Maurice Carroll, Bill Rowley, Glenn Barker and Ronald McDonald, who were 18-14 winners.
Donald Banks, Jeff Watts, Michael Giddings and Nigel Plunkett took the other rink for the Cockies, 20-18, building on last week’s effort where they halved the rink with one of the competition’s best combinations this season.
Maffra won its fourth match of the season when they visited Paynesville and outclassed last year’s premier, 81-34.
All three rinks were emphatic winning results, with the victors for the Bowling Eagles, Grant Smith, Glenn Crawford, Lyal and Michael Roberts (28-11), Julie and Ronnie Orchard, Brett Hodgins,
Geoff Landy (29-14) and Craig Sellings, Lewis Marston, Allen and Keryn Awty (24-9).
Home and away action will conclude this week, with the fourth spot well and truly up for grabs, Metung are the incumbents and it’s theirs to lose, if they beat Lakes, they will play finals.
If they don’t, the Cockies could swoop, given they play Paynesville, who have only recorded one win this season.
Lakes will be keen to get back into the top two, which is a possibility if Sale can beat Bairnsdale in the battle of the top two sides.
Plenty to play out in an exciting final round.
THIS WEEK
Round 14, February 7
Premier: Bairnsdale v Sale; Lakes Entrance v Metung; Lindenow v Paynesville; Maffra v Stratford.
Division one east: Howitt Park v Lakes Entrance 2; Bairnsdale 2 v Bairnsdale 3; Orbost v
Lakes Entrance 3.
Division one north: Sale 2 v
West Sale; Heyfield v Maffra; Stratford v Sale 3.
Division two east: Paynesville v Lakes Entrance 5; Bruthen v Lindenow; Howitt Park v Lakes Entrance 4; Bairnsdale v Bairnsdale Golf.
Division two north: Sale 5 v Maffra; Sale 4 v Yarram; Heyfield v West Sale; Stratford bye.
Division three east: Lindenow v Howitt Park; Paynesville v Metung; Bairnsdale 6 v Lakes Entrance; Bairnsdale 5 v Bairnsdale Golf.
Division three north: Rosedale v Sale 7; Stratford v Maffra; Sale 6 v Yarram; Loch Sport v Heyfield.
Division four east: Orbost v Bairnsdale 7; Bairnsdale 8 v Tambo Valley; Bruthen v Bairnsdale Golf; Paynesville bye.
cool conditions. (PS)
