The West Lothian IBC banner will be prominent in the final stages of the ladies Scottish Singles Championship with Lisa Barrett booking her place in the semi finals line up after producing three winning performances in the playdown action at Auchinleck.
Read MoreAnd 25 year old Barrett will be on home territory when the showcase stage of the championships takes place with the The Inveralmond Stadium at Livingston the venue on the weekend of 7th and 8th of January. Barretts bid to emulate the 2008 title triumph of her clubmate Wendy Purdie is fraught with danger with immediate rival Caroline Brown and other semi finalists Carol Stuart and Clair Johnston all seasoned international campaigners. The young West Lothian champion has three full caps to her name earned in 2014 but that experience is measured against the impressive 33 achieved so far by Brown of Blantyre and Johnston of Auchinleck while Stuart of Turriff is currently on the 15 mark.
Barretts form at Auchinleck is a confidence booster for the stiff challenges that lies ahead of her starting with a 21-9 first round win over Cowal champion Sheila Teasdale that was achieved in a match that spanned a quick 15-ends. Her second round challenge proved to be much more testing in terms of nerve and mental strength; but she emerged from a 23-end battle as the 21-18 victor over Lauren McGowan of Fintry. An eye-catching burst of 1, 4, 4 thrust Barrett into a 13-5 lead; but McGowan closed to 13-12 before the WL challenger answered that menace with steady progress to 20-13 however it was five end later before she carded the match winning single.
Emerging star Kimberly Dodds of Falkirk now stood between Barrett and a place in the semi finals and an epic battle was expected however the WL support cheered a massive performance that saw their club champion clinch a 21-7 victory in 14-ends.
The first Lothian challenger on parade was high profile figure Lorraine Craig (Malloy) of Balbardie and the 27 times capped Bathgate star carded a magic count of 3 to clinch a 21-18 win over fellow cap Caroline Ruxton of Arbroath. Craig shaped up well in her first round to lead 13-6; but her opponent was record six time champion Julie Forrest of Teviotdale and from 17-15 down the Border Lass stole the show with a 2, 3, 1 run to snatch a 21-17 victory in 22-ends.
Bainfield champion Marion Dickson also made an early exit having made a good start to lead Kimberly Dodds 10-9; but was unable to sustain her effort and suffered a 21-11 defeat. Janet Fairnie carried the banner for East Lothian but had drawn a short straw in the shape of 2007 champion Claire Johnston and having battled well to reach 9-14 had no answers to the storming 3, 2, 1, 1 finish of her opponent.
Midlothian champion Stacey McDougall reached the national final in 2012; but the experienced Scotland cap came close to a first round exit as she escaped from the jaws of defeat with a 3, 1, 1 finish to pip Mhari Buchanan of Coatbridge in a 21-20 thriller. McDougall failed to survive her second round challenge; but she was very much in contention at 16-14 down before bowing out to a 21-16 defeat, in a lengthy 25-end, from Johnston of Auchinleck.
Hat Trick seeking defending champion Lesley Doig of East fife was a surprise second round faller but always against the collar in a 21-16 defeat from fellow Fifer, Lynn Lees of Abbeyview. Lees made a 21-5 exit to Caroline Brown in the quarterfinals.