Players across the Goulburn Valley Playing Area’s lower bowls divisions did not let rain stand in the way at the weekend, as they embarked on their first week of finals action.
In a major upset, division two ladder-leader Shepparton Golf has been pipped at the post by Mooroopna in the semis, leaving Golf’s season on a knife’s-edge when it faces Shepparton Park in the preliminary final this weekend.
Allan Donaldson’s squad got proceedings under way nicely for the Cats, producing a 27-16 victory over Graeme Myers in rink one.
Golf swung momentum back in its favour through Robbie Betson and co, getting up 25-18.
Brett Gunning’s rink of Jeff Anselmi, Corey Turvey and Lachlan Taylor then went on to deliver a vital nine-shot victory for to Mooroopna widen its lead.
Golf’s Richard Warburton and his squad in rink four produced a clinical performance as always, but it wasn’t enough in the end, Darren Kelly’s rink only going down by four shots for Mooroopna to pinch the win.
Shepparton Park got up over East Shepparton by the narrowest of margins, one shot the difference in the 14-91 to 4-90 win.
The rinks were split across the day, with East securing the first thanks to Kevin Cox and his squad, who managed a 26-17 win.
Park bounced back on the following two rinks, Heath Mathews’ outfit managing a 30-18 win, before Kelvin Rogash and his squad came away with a slim 22-20 win.
In a game that was always going to be decided late, a valiant effort from Doug Maconachie’s rink fell just shy; its four-short victory bringing it close, but not close enough.
•Mooroopna sails into the division two grand final after its win, set to face the winner of the Sheppparton Golf-Park preliminary final this weekend.
•Results were not as shocking in division three, with wins going the way of the favourites in both semi-final bouts.
Seymour cruises through to the big dance after accounting for Shepparton Park in what proved to be a closer contest than many expected.
A dominant showing from Robert Brown had his rink take a 36-16 point win early, but a fightback from Murray Phillips’ squad stamped the Parkers’ authority on the game.
The competition’s juggernaut went on to clinch the next two rinks, Max Hammond saluting over Park’s Doug Freeman 28-23, before Graeme Flint and his squad came away with a nail-biting 24-21 win in the final game to seal Seymour’s victory.
Tallygaroopna got the job done over Shepparton Golf to seal a preliminary final encounter with Shepparton Park, 16-101 to 2-81 the final score.
•Seymour bested Kyabram in a division four upset, ending the Bombers’ season.
It was another edge-of-the-seat affair at East Shepparton Bowls Club, four shots the difference in the end.
A nine-shot win to Jan Wesselman’s (25-16) squad in the first rink proved vital for Seymour, with little separating the remaining rinks.
Nagambie awaits in the preliminary final after it suffered a tough defeat at the hands of a dominant Seymour VRI in the other semi-final match.
VRI was at its menacing best to ice the Lakers with an 18-109 to 0-75 win, securing its place in the final in a fortnight’s time.
- In division five, Tallygaroopna sailed through to the grand final after an 18-113 to 0-58 dismantling of Murchison, while Mooroopna Golf stays in the hunt with a dominant 19-110 to 0-74 victory over East Shepparton.
- Meanwhile, in division six, Kyabram and Dookie registered victories in the north to book finals dates, and in the south, it was Eildon 1 and 2 who cruised through to finals, with Alexandra to play in the preliminary after its slim five-shot loss.