EAST LOTHIAN'S well-earned reputation as the strongest team in Scottish Indoor bowling was certainly enhanced by their 95-71 away victory over Coatbridge in the B section of the Premier League.
Both teams came into the match undefeated after four games played so to beat the joint leaders on their own carpet and by a convincing margin represents another fine performance from the Garden County.
The visitors of course received a massive pr
e-match boost with exits from the Scottish International Open at Perth allowing world stage stars Alex Marshall MBE and Paul Foster to pull on an East Lothian jersey.
And given that the giants of the World Indoor Singles Championship were joining up with international skips Willie Wood MBE and Graham Robertson at the head of affairs one can imagine the pre-match trepidation in the Coatbridge camp.
Coatbridge though did make the better start albeit their edge on the first seven-end phase was just four shots (28-24) and the home team also held the upper hand on the final phase (28-21) but were overwhelmed 50-15 in an amazing second phase.
The final outcome was almost a clean sweep for East Lothian with wins for the rinks skipped by Wood, Marshall, and Robertson and a single-shot defeat for Foster. Wood skipped Mark Johnston, Dougie Berwick and Derek Oliver to an inspiring 27-9 win and in spectacular fashion against Robert Murphy.
Wood and Co opened with a 4 then added a 2 before answering the loss of 3 with a whirlwind run of 1, 1, 1, 1, 3 and 4 to storm into a 17-3 lead then the loss of two singles sparked a 1, 4, 1 and 2 response to stand 25-5 up.
Marshall trailed Jim McLarrie 5-0 before skipping Stuart Wyllie, James Hogg and Andrew Jeffrey into a 20-13 lead that included two mighty counts of 5 but later conceded a 5 and settled for a battling 27-23 win. Robertson trailed Scott Bishop 4-0, 7-3 and 10-9 before turning the tide over the second half with counts of 4 (1), 1, 4 to cross 18-11 then hold on to skip Jamie Higgins, David Oliver and Brian Wyllie to a 19-16 win.
Foster also found himself against the collar early doors to trail Jim McHutchison, 9-3 and 14-7 but his rink rallied to 20-14 before being pipped at the post 23-22.
"This win at the expense of our chief rivals puts us two points clear and in the driving seat at the halfway stage so the challenge facing us is to keep our foot on the accelerator," said EL captain Jamie Higgins.
The full article contains 462 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
