Ercall sentenced to play-off fight

Childs Ercall are teetering on the Furrows Shropshire Premier Bowls League's trapdoor after finishing bottom of the table - by a single point.

Their best return at Wrockwardine Wood in six years, a 10-4 defeat (agg 48), counted for nothing as Bylet beat new champions Castlefields with five winners to pick up seven points and jump a point above them.

So it's Ercall who will face the play-off crunch on Friday, October 2, against either Prees, Burway or possibly Hadley USC.

Devastated Ercall skipper John Breeze said: "It all depends on who we face now and who handles the pressure better on the night."

But he can take heart from a battling show by the villagers last night, Graham Farmer winning 21-19 from 17-6 down to Andy Stevens in the first four while Robin Clarke lay game on, only to be 21-20 pipped by a heart-breakingÊtoucher by Rob Jones.

Breeze won 21-17 in the middle on a Wrockwardine green that was as quick as it has been all season and Jonathan Martin (21-10) and Dave Brown (21-15) weighed in at the back.

But by then the news coming from Bridgnorth had taken a turn for the worse as Bylet eroded Ercall's two point advantage going into the final night.

Scott Harries' awesome 21-1 win over Glyn Herbert early on gave the Islanders a great platform against a Fields side without Simon Parsonage due to illness and Callum Wraight, who opted to play in a competition in Yorkshire.

Status

Clay Flattley and Rich Goddard won 21-20 games for the visitors who were 6-3 ahead at one stage, but the Islanders were always just ahead on aggregate.

And late 21-10 wins by Simon Rhodes against Fields skipper Keith Walton and Russ Morris over late call-up Gary Walker got them over the line for a Premier status saving 7-7 (agg 19) scoreline.

Worried Archibald Worthington kept out of danger with an 11-3 (agg 47) home win over Ifton that featured Alan Ball's 21-6 card.

And Ford skipper Nigel Bound led by example with 21-7 as they ended their fears 10-4 (agg 53) against visiting Bowring.

St Georges were the only away winners on the night, 10-4 (agg 23) at Meole Brace, but it was not enough to deny Chester Road second place, despite the Whitchurch side losing 9-5 (agg 33) at the Bayley.

County champion Alan Davidson won 21-1 as Newport beat Wem USC 9-5 (agg 82), but all thoughts now turn to the pre play-off games, the schedule for which will be sorted over the weekend.