Priestley and Hush shock home pair

CARRICK KNOWE'S great season of success continued with ace partnership Johnny Priestley and Darren Hush turning up trumps in the Pairs final of the Water of Leith League knockout championships at Slateford.

A large crowd watched the final but league President Andrew Ramsay wasn't part of it as he had zoomed out to Canada a fortnight previously and found himself unable to zoom back as planned.

Vice president Bob Bryce and secretary Jim Muir shared presentation duties and brought the curtain down on the 2008 league activities.

The line-up in the Pairs was a top-of-the-bill attraction with the prominent Carrick Knowe partnership the underdogs against host club stars Gordon Ramsay and Robert Marshall who are usually great crowd pleasers.

However the Slateford duo were forced to play second fiddle in an 18-8 defeat from a more tuned-up opposition.

Davy Ross did the Juniper Green banner proud in the singles where he delivered the title with a 21-11 win over the younger John McDermott of Sighthill in a final that lasted 17 ends.

McDermott made a bright enough start to lead 9-8 but Ross transformed the situation with a super run of 3, 1, 1, 2 to stand 15-9 up then answered the loss of a 2 with a 1, 2, 1, 2, finish to 21.

"These are competitive championships and young John has already emerged as a leading talent in the city so all in all I am mighty pleased to get my name on the trophy," said Ross.

The destination of the Junior Singles title took on an extra dimension with the success of Dean McNeill of Balerno emulating the triumphs of his father David back in 1980 and 1983.

And the present day McNeill was upsetting the odds in great style as he powered his way to a 21-10 win over junior Scotland cap Gary Connelly of Sighthill.

It shaped up as a battle royal when peels were called at 8-8 however that became 16-8 in the blink of an eye as McNeill grabbed the initiative with two 4's and suitably fired up he answered the loss of a 2 with a 3, 2, reply to win in 15 ends.

Sighthill's agony of defeat in the two singles finals was eased when Stuart Isbister, Adam Melrose and Alan Trotter zipped to a 17-8 success in the Triples over John Gow, Stuart Wilson and Jim Coutts of Juniper Green with counts of 4, 4, to lead 13-5.

Slateford finally raised cheers from their support with Kenny McShane skipping Louis Beaton, Chris Reid and John Ramsay to a 18-8 win over Alan Brock, Peter Ramsay, John Storrier and Paul Miller of Bainfield in the Fours.