Bowls: Bainfield's promotion bid faces toughtest in Stirling

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 09:08

BAINFIELD are back in touch with the race for promotion from Section 1B of the indoor bowls national league system but a stiff away test at Stirling tomorrow means they will have their work cut out to maintain their newfound momentum.

"Stirling are undefeated against strong opposition at home and will be gunning to add our scalp to their list but I believe we are a team of premier league potential and to prove it we have to win games like this," said Bainfield team manager John Bell.

Having recovered from a poor start to their campaign Bainfield are now just one point adrift of leaders Alloa and could well go top if a victory over Stirling goes in tandem with a defeat for Alloa at Balbardie.

Bainfield make two changes with Bell bringing back Stuart Patterson for Derek Smith at lead to Stevie McLeod and replacing the unavailable Chris Downie with Alan Trotter at lead to Gavin Smith.

The four skips are all big guns with Robert Marshall and Paul O'Donnell joining McLeod and Smith in a strong line up that should have the measure of Stirling even on the opposition's home carpet.

Balbardie are also promotion material but following a tough opening schedule the Bathgate based team are languishing in second bottom place so will hope to show their true colours with home advantage over the current leaders.

West Lothian lost their undefeated record at Prestwick so will hope to bounce back when they entertain Auchinleck at the Inveralmond stadium in the A section of the premier league.

The home side make three changes with Paul Lynas, Des Hagart, and Stuart Johnston returning to cover the absence of David Wilson, Joey Strickland, and Richard Mark.

Lynas and Hagart form a new front-end for Raymond Logan and Thomas Mann while Johnston lines up at third to George Sneddon. The rinks skipped by Mark Allison and Neil Speirs are unchanged.

Midlothian will be in crisis if they lose at Arbroath in a foot-of-the-table clash and team manager Frank Gray hopes his team will find the killer instinct that has been missing this season.

"We have tossed games away in the late stages and we have to eradicate that weakness if our premier league status is to be preserved," said Gray.

The standing down of stalwart figure Drew Pearson and full cap Steven Currie will be seen as drastic action by Gray who brings Ian Forbes and Robert Campbell Jun back into the fold.

The four Midlothian skips are David Peacock, Graeme Archer, Colin Walker, and Billy Peacock but Gray needs them to deliver a result for him.

East Lothian are the four-in-a-row holders of the premier league title but they are four points adrift of Blantyre in the B section, so are in a must-win situation when they visit Falkirk, who are foot of the table with zero points.

Portobello sit top of the B section of Division 2 but will be toppled if they lose to chief rivals Cumbernauld who have home advantage in tomorrow's clash.

"It's a big game for us to win as we would go four points clear and create the gap we wish for," said spokesman Andrew Caldwell.

Stuart Betts misses the action and teenager Donald Forsyth is rested with Ian Fleming promoted back to skip for Betts and David McLeod recalled and former Edinburgh and Bainfield star Chris Steven given his debut at third to Caldwell.