Back with a vengeance
EASTERN Park put the Premier bowls mid-season break to good use with a series of practice sessions aimed at lifting its form in the run to the finals.
Coach Nathan Bush said the club had expected to perform better this season and Saturday’s 15-shot upset win over top side Ocean Grove could prove the catalyst for a strong finish.
Bush said his side had put in a lot of effort during the break, using multiple practice sessions to focus on the games to come where it hopes to push towards the top four.
Adam Martin was back on the mat after missing the last game before Christmas and produced a four-shot win over Tony Joel.
The match fluctuated during the day with Ocean Grove a narrow leader at the break.
The decisive move came from Stewart Williams’s rink which fought back after trailing 2/11 against Leigh McIlvenny to win by 10 shots.
Bush said he was very impressed with the Williams rink’s performance in the postbreak session, noting the great game from Stephen Ryan who was leading and was all over the jack on the fast 16.5-second green.
Bush said the whole side refocused after the break to move away from the Grove side and finish the game off.
Eastern Park’s last six games see it play two sides above them and four below, giving it a strong chance to press for finals.
Meanwhile, Bareena regained top spot on the ladder from Ocean Grove by four points, following a 24-shot win over Highton.
Reigning premier Queenscliff produced an important eight-shot, three-rink win at Sebastopol.
Led by Steve Sullivan’s 18shot win over Glenn Sargent, Queenscliff (fourth) moved within two points of Sebastopol on the ladder as it looks for a big finish to the season.
Lara (fifth) kept its finals chances well and truly alive with a 17-shot win over Buninyong to stay just eight points out of the four, but facing a huge task at Bareena next Saturday.
Another key clash is at Ocean Grove, which hosts Sebastopol, with the visitors desperate for a win to keep Queenscliff and Lara from breathing down its neck.