Commonwealth Games bowls: Heartache for Scots

THERE was heartache for Scotland at the lawn bowls today when Kevin Wallace, Billy Allan and Michael Simpson lost their bronze medal match with England in the para open triples.

Billy Allan in action for Scotland. Picture: SNS

A tense, tight, absorbing game went to an extra end and a scrabble in the ditch.

Scotland were best-placed until England skip Paul Brown knocked the jack off the green. This left his opposite number Wallace having to hit the mark but unfortunately he ended up in the ditch as well, England winning 16-12.

“It was a very hard shot,” said Simpson. “If Kevin’s bowl had sat I fancy we might have been lying. He was looking to catch their bowl more solid but he just got half of it unfortunately. He was looking to put them in the ditch and they we would have lay the shot. But with it falling he was very unlucky.

“We’re very disappointed to miss out on the bronze. We were always leading in the game but every time we tried to pull away they stuck with us. It was nip and tuck all the way and they just pipped us. We didn’t play bad but their skip had some cracking bowls, absolutely cracking. Fair play to them.”

In the morning’s other match with Scottish interest Darren Burnett beat Northern Ireland’s Martin McHugh 21-20 in the men’s singles quarter-finals. “I’m delighted to have qualified for a medal game,” he said.

“Martin dominated the early stage and I just tried to hang in there. Near the end when it got to 20-16 for him I started to worry but I’m renowned for my battling. Folk who know me know that my matches are never an easy ride!”