Saturday pennant started with gloomy skies and Monbulk 1 headed down the hill to play Ferntree Gully.
Brian Smith’s rink won five of the first seven ends and led by 4 shots. They lost the next three ends but kept these to just one shot. They then won the next 5 ends to open up a lead of ten shots and kept control to the end winning by 14 shots, 21 to 7. Karen Rice’s rink was just one shot in front after 7 ends but then won the next three ends to open up a 7 shot lead. They were able to win the majority of ends in the run home to win by 10 shots, 22 to 12.
Eric Markham’s rink started slowly, but when they picked up 4 shots on the fifth end they led by one shot. They then lost 6 of the next 7 ends to find themselves 9 shots behind. They then turned the match around winning 5 of the next 6 ends to take the lead by one shot, with 3 ends to play. The rinks then went shot for shot over the next two ends with the Monbulk rink still holding a slender one-shot lead going into the last end.
The Monbulk rink held the shot, but this was taken away by the Ferntree Gully skip with the match finishing a draw, 19 shots each.
Calvin Connell’s rink was four shots down after 7 ends, but then levelled the match by picking up 4 shots on the eighth end and going one shot ahead on the next end. They held this lead until the fifteenth end, but then lost 3 of the next 4 ends to fall behind by 4 shots with three ends to play. They were unable to make any inroads into this margin losing by 5 shots, 17 to 22.
Monbulk won the overall by 19 shots, 79 to 60 to make it two wins from two starts this season.
Monbulk 2 played Narre Warren at home looking to bounce back from the previous week’s defeat.
Don Barnetson’s rink was level after 4 ends but then lost the next 4 ends to trail by 4 shots. They then won 6 of the next 8 ends to have the scores tied after seventeen ends. Even though they lost the next end by two shots they finished strongly winning the last 3 ends to win by 3 shots, 17 to 14.
Peter Lee’s rink started well and when they picked up 4 shots on the tenth end they led by 9 shots. They increased this lead by picking up a number of multiples and eventually won by 13 shots, 27 to 14.
Graeme Goller’s rink was well placed after eleven ends leading by 3 shots. They then fell away in the second half of the game-winning just 2 of the last 10 ends to lose by 5 shots, 17 to 22.
Alan Hamilton’s rink started slowly and found themselves 7 shots down without a shot on the board after 3 ends. They then clawed their way back winning the next 7 ends to lead by two shots.
The Monbulk rink then lost the next 4 ends including a number of multiples to trail by 9 shots. They moved within 4 shots after 17 ends but were not able to further bridge the gap losing by 8 shots, 15 to 23. Monbulk was able to claim their first win of the season winning overall by 3 shots, 76 to 73.
