Bowls: Portobello put promotion cheer on hold

Published on Tuesday 15 December 2009 08:37

PORTOBELLO are destined to gain promotion from the lowest echelons of the national indoor bowls league system although celebrations are on a respectful hold going into the seasonal break as Headwell have a miniscule chance of upsetting their apple cart.

The Dunfermline based challengers are four points off the pace and with just two fixtures to fulfil could draw level with Porty on a win two lose two theory. However, the leaders also have a massive shot advantage of 128 and that should prove impossible to overtake.

"Headwell complete their programme against the two bottom clubs so look sure to win at home to Allander and away to Fintry whilst we have it tougher away to Teviotdale and at home to Cumbernauld," said Porty spokesman Andrew Caldwell.

"Let's face it. If we were to blow this lead then someone would have to be on hand to pull the whole team and our officials out of the nearby River Forth," he added.

There are no signs of any Portobello slip-up, however, as their latest success was a commanding 94-59 home win over foot-of-the table Allander giving them a campaign record to date of seven wins from eight games in Division 2B.

David Brown went down by eight shots but good double- figure wins for the rinks skipped by Caldwell, John McDermott and Ian Fleming saw Porty coast to a bank-boosting 35-shot victory.

Caldwell and his rink of Jamie Reid, Daniel Gormley and George Johnstone bounced back from the previous week's heavy defeat to trounce G McNab by 17 shots (26-9) having zipped from 3-4 to 25-6 in a 12-end purple patch spell.

McDermott made steady headway to skip Robert Wood, Bill Ramsay and Euan Murray to a 25-10 triumph. Fleming was nip and tuck with Vic Beattie up to 12-13 but upped the game as he skipped Stuart Betts, Davy McLeod and Willie Hogg to a 28-17 win.

Brown and his rink of Kerr McKail, Andrew Davie and BJ Smith were in touch at 14-16 but slipped to a 23-15 defeat from G Cameron.

Elsewhere, Headwell beat Cumbernauld, 91-74 and Teviotdale won 82-76 away to Fintry.