Phil Marsden
ALTHOUGH out of contention for a finals berth. Gawler's division one metropolitan bowls team can still influence the make-up of the finals, and showed that it will continue to fight against Morphett Vale on Saturday.
In a morale boosting win, Gawler took three of the four rinks to soundly defeat Morphett Vale by 34 shots.
Leigh Roberts and his lads were outstanding in a 20-shot demolition of their rink opponents to set up the win.
With three matches to go in the season and sitting in ninth place, the team is now playing to stave off relegation.
Always close in the second half of the season, but constantly falling short by small margins, the division four side has shown plenty to suggest it is better than its place on the ladder.
Succumbing to home-side Rosewater by 12 shots, Gawler managed to win the rink of Kym Reynolds in a low scoring affair, and also grabbed a draw to score three points for the day.
Although favoured, the division five fell over the line by eight shots in a close tussle against lower ranked Prospect Broadview.
Winning the fours of Kingsley Branson and Margie May, while keeping the other rinks tight, was enough to secure the win and bank the lion's share of the points.
When play finished, the division six side found itself 25 shots adrift of home team Salisbury.
Vic Fielden guided his charges to a draw, but it was the team’s only point of the day.
In an indication of the closeness of the competition, Gawler's division one ladies lost, but moved up the ladder.
Pushing second placed Lockleys to within three shots, it can consider itself unlucky after winning the rink count 2-1.
The rink wins were strong, with the fours of Dawn Warland (eight-shots up) and Theresa Dean (12-shots up) earning the team four points that saw it leapfrog West Lakes into the top-four.
Falling behind early, the division three side mounted a comeback, but couldn't make inroads into the initial deficit, before eventually succumbing to visiting team Rosewater by 12 shots.
With a narrow win to Di Marsh's girls and a draw for Kathryne Buckley's crew, Gawler banked three valuable points that keep it off the bottom of the ladder.