Sighthill sweep Slateford aside and storm to title

Sighthill will reign as 1st Sixteen champions of the Water of Leith League for the third time in five years having come from off the pace with a storming late run to capture the title ahead of Bainfield, Juniper Green and defending champions Carrick Knowe.

The 18-match campaign of the ten constituent clubs climaxed with Sighthill putting the title issue beyond any doubt with a tremendous 5-0 away win over fifth-placed Slateford.

"We had everything to play for in comparison to Slateford so we had a hungrier appetite to satisfy," a reflected Sighthill team member Jason Ronaldson. John McDermott - the District 12 junior singles champion - showed the way, skipping Graeme Eddington, Stuart Smith and Paul Noble to a 19-6 win over Slateford icon figure Robert Marshall.

Jamie Gracie - a past winner of the Edinburgh Open - skipped Adam Melrose, Graham Wood and Davy Campbell to an 18-8 win over Scott Brunton while Stuart Isbister, Davy Connelly, Scott Noble and former junior cap Gary Connelly beat Ronnie Ramsay, 20-11.

Alan Trotter - a Hamilton Trophy player with E&L - completed the clean sweep by skipping James McGuinness, Ross Noble and Jason Ronaldson to a 15-9 win over Slateford champion Gordon Ramsay.

Sighthill were denied a title double when finishing runners-up to Bainfield in the 2nd Sixteen League just over six points adrift.

Play at Parkside in the quarter-finals of the Ian McKay Contracts Knockout Championships of the EBL was abandoned due to adverse weather conditions but play did take place at Whitehouse & Grange, Northern, and Wardie.

The highlight at W&G saw George McNab of Merchiston cause a form upset in the Singles with a 21-19 win over George Kirk of Blackhall having come off a 9-15 pace to take up the running with an acceleration of 2, 3, 4,2 to lead 20-15.

Pilrig also made progress in the Pairs with Willie Scott and Darren McKenny making telling space from 11-9 to 17-9 then beating John Graves and Pat Gilhooley of London Road Foundry 21-10.

Gary Stout of Maitland produced a good run from 4-4 to 18-4 in the Junior Singles and went on to clinch a 21-11 win over Ross Thomson of Mayfield in 21-ends. Hillside crushed Niddrie 19-5 in the Fours.