Maitland have hit the front entering the final four match straight in the race for the coveted Division 1 title of the Alpha Trophies sponsored Edinburgh Bowling League and will be massively encouraged that it is a result of them inflicting a 6-3 defeat on chief rivals Craigentinny.
Read MoreCraigentinny were the away team and they arrived defending a slender ½ point lead over their second placed opponents, also with the driving ambition of ending their campaign with the capture of the title for a record extending eighth time. Maitland might well have capitulated under the intense pressure but didn’t do so and their reward for leapfrogging into a 2½ lead is the prospect of a thrilling climax to a three horse race involving them, Craigentinny, and defending champions Parkside. Parkside sit six points behind the leaders in third place having done well enough to escape a tough visit to Queensberry with a 5-4 win over last season’s runners up to them in the league.
Tanfield won’t be adding the Division 1 title to last seasons triumph in Division 2 but the six times champions are on a re-establishment mission and their 7-2 win at home to foot of the table Pilrig keeps them in a mid table comfort zone. Pilrig – who came up with Tanfield – are doomed to a quick return to Division 2 but who will join them is a battle for survival involving Queensberry, Northern, and Hillside.
Northern entertained Hillside in this weeks fixtures and their 5-4 win keeps both clubs ahead of Queensberry but the battle to avoid joining Pilrig in the relegation zone looks likely to go right down to the wire. The Division 1 League Positions are; Maitland 59½; Craigentinny 57; Parkside 53½; Tandfield 47; Hillside 45; Northern 40½; Queensberry 38½; Pilrig 19.
Good double figure wins for Alan Trotter and Gary Stout combined to capture the bonus point for a Maitland team that came close to achieving a 7-2 win over Craigentinny but were denied a third win when Daniel Gormley carded a single at the last to clinch a 15-15 peel with Allan Smith. Trotter had set the Maitland greenside alight with a scorching start to lead 14-0 then remained hot to skip George Trotter, Billy Clark and Jim Robertson to a 23-6 win over Scott Rogers. Stout skipped Ryan Taylor, Stuart Clark, and Gordon Clark to a 22-6 win having raced into a 16-2 lead over Andy Caldwell however Graeme McIntosh suffered a punishing 22-10 defeat from Andrew Jeffrey.
Other rink scores- Queensberry v Parkside: Jordan Davidson 18 Paul Veitch 12; Brian pollard 12 Kevin Boyd 11; Frank O’reilly 10 Robert Donaldson 15; Scott Walker 7 Neil Watson 20. Northern v Hillside : John Barr 20 BJ Smith 12; Gordon Wilson Jnr 25 Colin Hairs 9; Andy Reid 17 Dougie Robinson 18; Davy Scott 9 Colin Bell 21. Tanfield v Pilrig: Robert White 14 Graeme Gow 11; Stuart Campbell 22 Darren McKenny 16; Liam McKay 21 Euan Craig 10; Mal Higgenbotham 11 Darren McCardle 12.