BOTTOM markers Portobello did second-placed Bainfield no favours when they dished out a 61-52 defeat to their city rivals in yesterday's indoor bowls clash in the East B section of the Seniors League Cup.
It was only Porty's second win in eight games and Bainfield's second defeat in seven but all the more damaging for the Hutchison Crossway outfit as table-toppers East Lothian suffered a shock defeat at home to Midlothian.
Midlothian's 58-51 victor
y inflicted a first defeat on East Lothian but the losers' five-point cushion, from one game more played, over Bainfield remains intact.
Porty celebrations were sparked by wins for the rinks skipped by Tony McLaren, Alex Walker and Ronnie Douglas.
The home team were good value for their 34-29 lead after ten ends and kept their nerve to edge the run-in 27-23.
McLaren was again an inspiration for Porty with the former club champion taking a 10-2 lead then including a run of 2, 2, 3 as he went on to skip John Moodie Jim McLeod and Adam Davidson to a 19-9 win over Mike Marshall.
Walker skipped Bob Cranston, George Combe and John Fraser into an 11-4 lead but came under pressure at 11-10 before adding 3, 1, 1, to clinch a 16-10 win over Alex Hunter, Jim Piercey, Tony Abernethy and Bill Little.
Douglas and Andy Irvine, Stuart Shaw, and George Gray were 13-3 down but cruised to an 18-14 win over Jim MacNab, Les Nicholson, Charlie Adamson and Bill Kerr.
Bainfield's John Summers skipped John Pryde, Bill Herd and Willie McIntosh to a 19-8 win over Ramsay Stewart, Con Grealis, Eddie Tomany and Jimmy Marshall.
• BAINFIELD'S elite bowlers are languishing at the foot of the Premier League's A section after their fifth defeat on the trot against Lanarkshire at Wishaw.
Paul O'Donnell was on the end of a 25-14 thumping from R Gordon and Robert Marshall lost 20-14 against J Simpson while Steve McLeod went down 22-19 to J Meikle. But Gavin Smith managed a 17-17 peel with R Grant.
BAINFIELD LADIES crushed Tweedbank 90-57 to notch up their fourth win from five games in the D section of the Scottish League Cup.
Kathryn Crombie skipped Aimee Robertson, Jeanette Crawford and Hazel Crombie to a 24-12 win over Mary Martin. Anne Watson (22-11), Mandy O'Donnell (25-16) and Anna Anderson (10-18) also won.
