Team captain Colin Hutchison returns to the Bainfield line up for tomorrow’s indoor bowls premier league match against Abbeyview and with home advantage at The Hutchison Crossway Stadium the Edinburgh Elite are hopeful of beating the Fifers from Dunfermline.
Both teams share the two point mark with one win out of two in the highly competitive B section and team manager Gavin Smith knows that home wins are vital to the survival prospects of holding on to premier league status. Smith – and ex Fifer himself – knows that Abbeyview will compete with an attitude of great spirit and with a strong backbone to their line up will be no pushover for a home side still striving to hit the heights he knows they are capable of.
“Having opened our account with a good home win over Ayr it is vital that we build on that and I am confident that the structure and balance of our team is strong enough to deliver the result we want but we need to stay focused and be determined to do so”, said Smith. Hutchison comes in to play third to icon figure Robert Marshall in place of Kevin Tennant while Alex Hurry Jnr remains out of the equation in a line up that reads, Rink 1. Josh Spalding, Steven Pilley, Colin Hutchison, and Robert Marshall. Rink 2. Kerr McKail, Alan Brown, Stuart Douglas, and Gavin Smith. Rink 3. Jamie Reid, Danny McCourt, Daniel Gormley, and Craig Paterson Rink 4. Mark McIntosh, Brian Stoddart, John McDermott, and James Hogg.
East Lothian have also won one and lost one so the start studded ‘garden county’ team will be anxious to recover from a shock home defeat at the hands of Falkirk; but face a serious test in making the long journey North to tackle a competent Aberdeen opposition. It is a boost to morale that Graham Robertson makes his seasonal debut with Scotland’s most capped player – second only to his EL colleague Willie Wood MBE – coming in to play third to fellow cap Derek Oliver. It is also a debut match for former Midlothian star Martin Wyllie while Lessel Middler and Andy Burt are the players sidelined in a team that reads, Rink 1. Mal Higgenbotham, Jamie Gordon, Gary Darling, Alex Marshall MBE. Rink2. Jan Mower, Willie Wood MBE, Andy Jeffrey, and Billy Mellors. Rink 3. Martin Wyllie, Glenn Blair, Jamie Higgins,and Scott Kennedy. Rink 4. Mark Johnston, Stewart W Thomson, Graham Robertson, and Derek Oliver.
West Lothian IBC compete in the A section where the recent three-in-a-row premier league champions have lost their opening two matches and while they might well have been wins the actual outcomes has forced changes. Stuart Johnston, Dougie Mitchell, and Connor McKendrick come in to the exclusion of Jamie Gracie, George Sneddon, and Blair Mackie for the visit of fellow strugglers Lanarkshire to The Inveralmond Stadium. The WL line up reads, Rink 1. Bryan Cooper, Raymond Logan, Paul O’Donnell, and Neil Speirs. Rink 2. James Greenock, Dougie Mitchell, Stuart Johnston, and Mark Allison.Rink 3. Cameron Greer, Connor McKendrick, Craig Moss, and Calum LoganRink 4. Paul Lyness, Ian Drysdale, James Speirs, and Thomas Mann.
Midlothian sit well with two wins out of two but completing the hat trick wont come easy as they visit reigning champions Paisley who sit top on shot margin having defeated West Lothian away and Arbroath at home. Ryan Yuill comes in for the absent Neil Linton with team manager Frank Gray playing him at second to David Peacock with Jamie Macnab switched to lead in a line up that reads; Rink 1.Jamie Hanlan, Dougie Rusell, Colin Macfaralne, and Colin Walker. Rink 2. Colin cook, Andy Caldwell, Danny McDougall, and Billy Peacock.Rink 3. Jamie Macnab, Ryan Yuill, Craig Hodge, and David Peacock.Rink 4. Ian Forbes, Ian Fleming; Lindsay Plenderleith, and Sandy (AJ) Knight.