BOWLERS SET FOR COUNTY FINALS
PAG E 101
Northfield’s Brian Fulton is celebrating a third gents singles title at Ayr Bowls Week.
He followed up his 1998 and 2008 wins to beat Chris Carswell ( Kilwinning) 21- 13 in the final after leading throughout.
A three at the first end saw Brian set the tone and a run of three consecutive threes in the 7th, 8th and 9th ends saw him build a ten shot lead that he was never going to surrender.
Chris, playing his 15th match of the week, closed with timely scores of three and two to trail 13- 17 before Brian fittingly scored a last end three to claim his title hat- trick.
He joins the special company of Willie Farrell snr ( Cumnock), David Gourlay jnr ( Annbank) and David Kelly ( Stranraer) as the only three times winners of the Ayr Bowls Week gents singles.
Carswell, alongside clubmate Connor McKinnon, lost in the final of the gents pairs earlier in the day.
After scoring a last end four to beat Hugh Robertson and Keith Shuttleworth ( New Abbey) 15- 14 in the semi, they found Connor McArthur ( Maybole MP) and Allan Aitken ( Newton Park) too hot and lost on seven of the eight ends played to fall 2- 18.
Connor joins his dad, the 2007 gents singles champion Peter McArthur, in the Bowls Week roll of honour.
The ladies competitions centred around two players with Maureen Shimmons ( Annbank) and Sharon Robertson ( Ochiltree) competing in both finals.
Shimmons and Isabel McKnight ( Maidens) lifted their first ladies pairs title, beating Robertson and 1989 ladies singles champion Isobel McCulloch 13- 6.
Robertson claimed her first ever Bowls Week title after a dour battle against Shimmons in the ladies singles over a darkening Northfield Complex at 6.40pm.
The score was tied 8- 8 after 13 ends before a three from Maureen pushed her 13- 11 ahead. Sharon then won five of the next six ends to lead 18- 15.
Maureen scored in the next end but a fantastic score of three let Sharon edge it 21- 16. Former finalists Anne Brown and David Gass ( Newton Park) were looking to win the cup named after their club as mixed pairs champions when they faced Sandra Campbell ( Stranraer WE) and Bryce Greenhill ( Kirkcolm).
After nine ends, the Wigtownshire pair led 8- 5 and kept their heads in front with a one, three and one to claim the title with an end to spare.
The junior singles saw Ross Gouldstone ( Troon Portland) lift his first Bowls Week title with a 21- 15 win against Scottish youths triples winner Alan McDonald ( Kirkcudbright).
The junior girls singles title stays in the Noon household for a third consecutive year after Kirsty Noon ( Newton Park) followed in her older sister Louise’s footsteps with a 21- 15 win over Catriona Murdoch ( Brock).
In the junior pairs, Daniel Mitchell ( Maybole MP) and Scott Rowan ( unattached) scored a last end one to beat to beat Lewis Rennie and Adam Cairnie ( Stranraer WE) 10- 8.
The Tommy Campbell Senior Singles title for players aged 55 or over was won by Colin Smith ( Seafield), hot on the heels of his bronze medal in the Senior Singles at the Scottish Championships.
Colin beat Bobby McKie ( Kirkcolm) 15- 7 to complete the one day competition on Friday.
The 85th Ayr Bowls Week will again be based around Northfield Complex and will run from Monday, July 31 to Saturday, August 5.
Results: gents singles: semi- finals: Chris Carswell ( Kilwinning) 21, Darren Weir ( Prestwick) 15; Brian Fulton ( Northfield) 21, George Young ( Spittalmyre) 8; Final: Carswell 21, Fulton 13.
Gents pairs: semi- finals: Ian McAllister & Derek Smith ( Glaisnock) 12, Connor McArthur ( Maybole MP) & Allan Aitken ( Newton Park) 15; Connor McKinnon & Chris Carswell ( Kilwinning) 15, Hugh Robertson & Keith Shuttleworth ( New Abbey) 14; Final: McArthur & Aitken 18, Connor McKinnon & Chris Carswell 2.
Ladies singles : semi- finals: Margaret Kenny ( Kirkmichael) 1 2 , Ma u r e e n Shimmons ( Annbank) 21; Sharon Robertson ( Ochiltree) 21, Donna Clark ( Coylton) 19; Final: Shimmons 16, Robertson 21.
Ladies pairs: semi- finals: Samella McMath ( Forehill) & Leann Kenny ( Coylton) 3, Isobel McCulloch ( Coylton) & Sharon Robertson ( Ochiltree) 18; Grace Hay & Wilma Ogilvie ( Hawkhill) 6, Isabel McKnight ( Maidens) & Maureen Shimmons ( Annbank) 16; Final: McCulloch & Robertson 6, McKnight & Shimmons 13.
Mixed pairs: semi- finals: Sandra Campbell ( Stranraer WE) & Bryce Greenhill – Morag Campbell & David Fisher ( Anchor); Anne Brown & David Gass ( Newton Park) – Julie Callan & Craig Wilson ( Maidens)
Final – Sandra Campbell & Bryce Greenhill ( Stranraer WE) 13, Anne Brown & David Gass ( Newton Park) 5.
Junior boys’ singles: Ross Gouldstone ( Troon Por tland) 21, Alan McDonald ( Kirkcudbright) 15; Junior girls’ singles: Kirsty Noon ( Newton Park) 21, Catriona Murdoch ( Brock) 15.
Junior pairs: Daniel Mitchell ( Maybole MP) & Scott Rowan ( unat) 10, Lewis Rennie & Adam Cairnie ( Stranraer WE) 8.