Battling Marshall secures fifth gold

Bowler becomes Team Scotland’s golden boy with victory in fours

Alex Marshall became the most successful athlete in Scotland’s Commonwealth Games history after leading his men’s fours team to a dramatic lawn bowls victory over hosts Australia on the Gold Coast.

Marshall and his team-mates Ronald Duncan, Derek Oliver and Paul Foster drew four shots on the final end to reverse a two-shot deficit and triumph 15-13, sealing his fifth career gold medal.

The 51-year-old Marshall, who also won a silver medal in the men’s pairs earlier in the Games, moves ahead of Allan Wells, who won four golds in a total of six Commonwealth Games medals between 1978 and 1982, and Para-cyclist Neil Fachie.

Marshall said: “I said to the boys, ‘we’ve got to battle away and battle away’ and I knew we could do it.”

Scotland were holding three when Marshall was about to roll in the last end.

“There was no point in going near the three because that would have just made the target bigger for Australia to drive it away,” he said.

“I was wanting to go behind the jack, but I didn’t have enough weight, didn’t have enough grass and it ended up making the target bigger for the opposing skip. I did exactly what I didn’t want to do.

“I thought, ‘that’s our chances blown’, and I’m sure these guys would have given me a kicking. They were worrying times. You can see me with my hands on my head.

“I thought it was gone, but thankfully they missed the drive by a fraction. If they’d killed it at the end I would have been very upset with myself.”

On the piece of Scottish sporting history he has just claimed, Marshall added: “To get five is a dream.

“In the beginning, all I ever wished for was one.

“There are so many people to thank along the way. And I’m not finished yet. I’ve got a few more years left in me.”

Earlier, there was more bowls success for Scotland as Fife’s Lesley Doig and her partner Claire Johnston won bronze in the women’s pairs with an 18-10 win over Canada. It was Doig’s first Commonwealth medal.

The Games ended in disappointment for Arbroath’s Darren Burnett who lost his singles semi-final to Canada and then the bronze medal match to England.

He does, of course, already have a gold from the triples.

And there was another medal for Angus in the shape of a bronze for middleweight boxer John Docherty.

His competition ended in semi-final defeat to his opponent from Cameroon, however.

Docherty said: “Bronze feels good but to be honest I’m sick. I’ve trained hard for that gold medal and I’m so disappointed not to get it. I tried to box him, but he was too long in reach and awkward.

“After that I had to take it to him. I’ve had four hard fights and I felt it in there tonight. I’ve beaten some good boys on the way but I know I could have done better tonight.”

Reece Mcfadden emulated his Glasgow 2014 bronze after he lost out in a split decision to Northern Ireland’s Brendan Irvine in their 52kg semi-final.

Seonaid Mcintosh won her second shooting medal of the Gold Coast Games.

The 22-year-old from Edinburgh secured bronze in the women’s 50m three rifle positions event.

The six medals yesterday – including Grace Reid’s gold medal in the 1m springboard diving final (see right) – increased the Scots’ record overseas Games medal haul to 41. The previous best was 29 at Melbourne 2006.

The nation’s highest ever medal tally came in Glasgow four years ago when Scots took home 53 medals.

Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban are into the semi-finals of the men’s doubles squash after seeing off Malaysia 2-1.

Scotland’s men’s hockey team lost 2-1 to Malaysia to finish sixth. Alan Forsyth scored the goal.

On the track, Chris O’hare and Jake Wightman both made it through to the 1,500m final, while Eilish Mccolgan will end her Games today in the 5k final.

England’skatarinajohnson-thompson played down her hopes of a golden treble after winning the heptathlon title.

The 25-year-old wrapped up the Commonwealth crown to add to her World Indoor pentathlon gold, despite battling a calf problem.

Hampered by injury, favourite Johnson-thompson was nowhere near her best but still comfortably finished 122 points ahead of Canada’s Nina Schultz with a total of 6255.

Johnson-thompson is now eyeing August’s European Championships in Berlin.

She said: “I’m two-thirds of the way there. The treble is a big ask. I said that I wanted to win two golds, I’ve done that.

“I want to win three medals. I don’t want to pile loads of pressure on myself. It is really a big ask but I believe in myself.”

Johnson-thompson is yet to face world and Olympic champion Nafi Thiam, Carolin Schafer and Anouk Vetter – who completed the top three at the 2017 World Championships – this year. All are due to be in Berlin.

Caster Semenya collected her second title of the week when she won the 800m in a Games record of one minute 56.68.

Elsewhere, England’s James Arnott won the T47 100m title and Holly Bradshaw came fourth in the pole vault.