Bainfield hoping Alloa can do them a favour

BAINFIELD face a day of reckoning tomorrow in their roller-coaster campaign to win promotion to the indoor bowls Premier League but they are underdogs to Division 1B leaders Balbardie, who hold a two-point lead going into the final round of fixtures.

"We play Stirling in a must-win game on our home territory but we need Balbardie to lose," said team manager John Bell.

"Our camp takes some comfort from the fact the leaders face a difficult task at Alloa, where the home team has a strong record."

Bainfield should have ample firepower to destroy the challenge of third-placed Stirling at the Hutchison Crossway Stadium and can be further inspired by the knowledge that Balbardie have been poor travellers with their only win coming over foot-of-the-table Whiteinch.

Bell has reacted to Bainfield's previous match defeat away to Balbardie by shuffling his pack but retaining faith with the same 16 players.

Jamie Gracie is promoted to skip in place of Stevie McLeod, who is switched to play third to Paul O'Donnell while team captain Craig Moss is switched from lead to play third to Gracie and stalwart figure Alan Brown moves down to second.

Alan Trotter follows Moss from the rink of O'Donnell to play lead to Gracie, so O'Donnell is given a new front-end in Craig Paterson and Stuart Patterson. The rinks skipped by Gavin Smith and Robert Marshall remain unchanged.

"This remains a powerful looking side on paper and I believe they can do the business and, if so, then there will be anxious moments as we await the news from Alloa," added Bell.

East Lothian trail Blantyre by one point in the B section of the Premier League so the four-in-a-row defending champions also need a massive favour to keep alive their ambition of stretching it to five.

Alex Marshall MBE and Paul Foster are competing at the Welsh Open so will miss the action against relegation-zoned Falkirk at the Meadowmill Stadium but former captain Jamie Higgins is expected to return and a home win is expected.

Blantyre also finish with a home fixture and it is a tough one against third placed Coatbridge but the leaders are undefeated on their own carpet so it is a forlorn hope in the East Lothian camp that their challenge will prevail.

There is more potential drama as West Lothian retain an outside chance of stealing the qualifying honours in the A section of the Premier League.

WL trail leaders Lanarkshire by two points and face a challenging task away to an Auchinleck team fighting to avoid the automatic drop but it is in the away sides favour that the league leaders are fighting to win in the lions den that is Prestwick.

Midlothian introduce teenager Andrew Kelly at second to Graeme Archer and he makes his debut against Arbroath at Dalkeith.

Portobello finish at home to Cumbernauld and an unchanged team is in a strong position to clinch the promotion honours from Division 2B as they lead Headwell by two points and 77 shots.