-----------------DOUBLEVIEW BY THE BAREST OF MARGINS

----------------------Doubleview 84 (7) def Warwick 83 (1)

What a difference one shot makes. The Warwick “Magpies” could be contemplating finals action rather than a nagging worry about relegation had they have scored one more shot on Saturday.

Full credit to Winton Langdon and team in turning around a 30 shot hiding the week before to beat the best rink in the competition skippered by Brian Friend 25-23. Ken Screech continues to win as a skipper with a solid 24-19 win over Alan Hogarth.

Mike Coyne Doubleview (pictured) Has been a great player over many years for his club and doing a great job playing second for Ken Screech

Gary Nelson also bounced back for a win whilst Warwick’s Jeff Sheppard extended his run as a skipper to 4-0.

---------------------------- UPSET OF THE SEASON

-------------------------Morley 81 (7) def Stirling 74 (1)

Morley’s win over Stirling probably goes down as the upset of the season. It also has the secondary impact of encouraging other teams competing with Stirling for that second promotion spot that they may be vulnerable away from home.

It is all very well to have an enormous home ground advantage with the carpet but that is off set if you cannot follow it up on grass. I am not suggesting for one minute that players of the class of Krajancic, Norac, Pasalich, Golem & Tucker do not adjust to grass but they are definitely a different side away from home.

I should not take anything away from Morley who are a credit to themselves. This round they have beaten Doubleview, Scarborough at Scarborough and have now claimed the scalp of a team widely tipped to be promoted.

Whilst I have known that in some clubs players find excuses to not play when being consistently beaten my hat goes off to Msrs Hayley, Manning, Holland, Mitchell, Corrin, Driscoll, Hall et cetera for sticking it out.

----------------------NORTH BEACH DISAPPOINTING

------------------Scarborough 108 (7) def North Beach 60 (1)

For a club that had everything to play for I was disappointed with North Beach on two counts on Saturday. Firstly, they did not give a “yelp” on the green and secondly I was told by a North Beach player after the match that I would be very happy with the result, with the insinuation that North Beach would probably be demoted.

I was a little taken aback but would like to remind all present North Beach players that I played nearly 300 games for the “Blues”, served on most committees including selection and was once vice-president of the club. In short, I gave heart and soul to that club (my father being a life member) and to suggest that I would be pleased to see them suffering is just plain wrong.

Anyway, enough of that, my rink annihilated Mike Vitale 31-10; Michael Murray with John Bowker leading brilliantly paid Alan Schrauf back (on behalf of Ron Kuziela) for Alan thrashing us in the first round with a 38-10 win. A remarkable win given they were 0-7 down.

Brian Axford was too good for Geoff Devenish 27-16 whilst John Coles and team recorded a good 24-12 for the visitors to salvage a point.

---------------------------WANNEROO TOO CLASSY

---------------------Wanneroo 100 (7) def Bedford 71 (1)

As expected Wanneroo proved far too good for Bedford on Saturday and in the process all but secured top spot for the season. Once again, Derek Bowen led the charge and was ably assisted by Echo Widermanski and Doug “Mr Reliable” Watson.

Doug has been an under rated player for years but not by those who played with him as I did when he spent six or seven years at North Beach.
I always wanted him in my team in those days but as hard as it is to believe John Mather would rather have lost a dollar than Doug as his third.(Just joking John)

My selections for this week

Round 1t6

Some great and season defining games next round.

Wanneroo to account for Bedford
Doubleview to return to winners list at expense of Warwick
Stirling to press on against Morley
Scarborough at home against North Beach
Sorrento to make life hard for Osborne Park