THE last game in the minor round of the Friday Pennant season was played in warm, but damp conditions last week.
At the Mount Gambier RSL venue, a heavy shower of rain brought a halt to bowling for a short time in the mid-morning, which was followed by a minor delay.
The RSL has now qualified for the finals in two divisions, with Division 1 to travel to play its Port MacDonnell hosts and Division 2 will play Naracoorte RSL at Millicent.
Division 1
Mount Gambier RSL Red 58/14 d Mount Gambier 34/0
THE Mount Gambier RSL Red side played Mount Gambier at home, recording a solid win to earn itself second position on the ladder.
Both RSL rinks had established handy leads of 14 and 12 shots by the lunch break and these margins were maintained throughout the afternoon.
Jenny Bowering, Nancye Wilson, Karen Doman and Beryl Messenger played Gaylene Leggett, Jane-Lee Caleja, Margaret Marshall and Beryl Versluis.
The RSL dominated and held a 27-8 lead by the 18th end.
Mount Gambier then scored a run of ends which tightened the gap, but Messenger’s four continued to bowl with confidence.
They notched up their fifth consecutive win with a 31-21 result.
Val Anderson, Jenny Waugh and Veronica Opie played Bev Neave, Jan McCarthy Barb Butchart and Leanne Hentschke.
The home team combined well and had Mount Gambier’s skipper under pressure on most ends.
Hentschke saved many shots, but could not score in game-changing numbers, resulting in a 30-17 win for Opie’s four.
Millicent 58/14 d Mount Gambier RSL Blue 34/0
THE RSL Blue side has not been able to maintain the strong form it had in the first half of the season.
The team played at Millicent on Friday, with the host’s claiming an overwhelming win to claim fourth position on the ladder.
Kath Hearne, Barb Winterfield, Shirley Gifford and Merna Whitehead could find no answers against Ros Varcoe, Faye Hill, Mary Campbell and Carleen Godden, with the match going the way of the Millicent rink 36-14.
A closer game was had by Jane Crowder, Kym Franklin, Di Adams and Shirley McIntyre, who were competitive early against Carol Gibbs, Heather Carthew, Dawn Bellman and Andrea Radley.
However, the RSL had a flat afternoon, which was lifted only by collecting six shots on the last two ends to close the gap for a 20-22 defeat.
Division 2
Mount Gambier RSL 43/13 d Millicent Blue 40/1
A CONTEST worthy of a final was had when Mount Gambier RSL and Millicent Blue clashed in the Division 2 competition.
With the winner set to progress into the top four, it was the RSL which claimed the honours by a narrow three shots.
Ron Cook, Wynne Turner, Pam Klem and Lyn Chirgwin played Shirley Thiele, Rosalee Burden, Liz Carnellor and Lurline Reinders, with the match resulting in a 21-all draw.
This left the weight on the shoulders of Graeme Smith, Carmel McQuade, Barb Smith and Eileen Cruise, as they battled against Maureen Elton, Therese Kent, Jan Buhlmann and Margaret Fennell.
With Millicent hitting hard at the finish on both rinks, the RSL held enough of a buffer for Cruise’s four to win 22-19, sealing the overall honours and a grand final berth for the team.
Division 3
Beachport Red 52/14 d Mount Gambier RSL 41/0
IN the Division 3 competition the Mount Gambier RSL suffered a defeat when it travelled to play Beachport Red.
Helen Moulden’s four played Janet Lawrie’s rink, while Liz Schroder’s combination faced off against Janet McArthur.
Both rinks went toe to toe in the morning, but the game turned after the break.
Schroder’s four dropped 11 shots in just a few ends and despite regaining control were unable to claw their way back.
They lost 21-24 in a credible result for Schroder’s first game as skipper.
Moulden’s rink lost a four and then a six on consecutive ends and without time to recover they lost 20-28.
This loss marked the end of the Division 3’s season.
