Panthers face anxious wait... Meon on top

FAREHAM PANTHERS beat Lockswood B but still face an anxious wait to see if they make it through to the quarter-finals.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Dec 2016, 07:00 BST
Lockswood lost out to Fareham in a close battleLockswood lost out to Fareham in a close battle
Lockswood lost out to Fareham in a close battle

Meon Valley saw off Bridgemary Red and they top the table.

But Panthers will rely on the leaders doing them a favour.

Banister Park Blue are third and will hope to beat Meon in the final match of the group in January as they target a top-two spot in the race to secure an automatic place for the quarter-finals.

The side who miss out on the top two will have to see if they qualify for the final eight as one of the best two third-placed teams.

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It was a nervy and tense match between the Panthers and Lockswood.

After six ends the Panthers were leading 20-17 and after 12 ends they were still in front 43-39.

But Panthers skip Geoff Leech was having trouble trying to contain the Lockswood rink skipped by Lorraine Slater and found himself trailing 13-4 after six ends.

Lockswood ran out 30-12 winners on this rink.

Panthers skip Graham Russell led his team to a narrow 20-17 victory.

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And Gwen Mears was generally in control against the Lockswood rink skipped by John Beaumont as after 17 ends the Panthers were leading 25-13.

This rink was slightly behind the play of the other rinks who had finished their games and going into the last end, the overall situation showed Lockswood 60-57 up.

The Panthers front end managed to do the business and were holding five shots with only the skips to play.

Beaumont delivered a perfectly weighted wood into the head to take shot for Lockswood.

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Only for Mears to pick up the jack and trail it back to the Fareham woods to score five shots. That meant Fareham Panthers won this rink 30-13 and by winning the last end in style they won the game 62-60.

Meon Valley enjoyed a comprehensive 76-43 win against Bridgemary Red.

It was a close contest for the opening six ends.

Bridgemary led 19-18, however Meon took charge.

John Farley skipped his rink to a 35-10 victory.

John Travers stepped up a gear in the final six ends of his match with Audrey Sitch to win 22-14.

Adrian Booth relied on three shots on the last end to tie 19-19 with Bridgemary’s Peter Cooper.

– KEITH FLEMING