Dunnett is Master of West Lothian again
Linlithgow Bowling Club’s Andy Dunnett secured the Johnston Oils West Lothian Masters title for a third time.
The 44-year-old’s previous wins were achieved in 1999 under the Queensferry banner, then in 2007 as a member of Kirkliston.
The climax of the £4000 week-long Masters event of the West Lothian Bowling Association staged at a splendid East Calder venue pitched Dunnett, the number-four seed, against his veteran Linlithgow club-mate in the shape of 67-year-old Alastair Stenhouse.
The final outcome was a 21- 14 triumph for the richly talented and highly competitive Dunnett, having pushed on from 13- 9 to have the silverware firmly in his grip at 20-11, then trigger the victory salute with a single three ends later, the 22nd end of a thrilling encounter.
He commented: “It’s the perfect ending for me at the end of a challenging eight-game campaign as I fought my way through an excellent field.
“It caps what has been yet another successful and memorable staging of the West Lothian Masters.”
Stenhouse may not have basked in the limelight of the Masters applause but the beaten finalist won the admiration and respect of the crowd, having played three high-pressure games on Finals Day.
He came into the 20th Masters event with previous form, having reached the quarter- final last year and he reflected: “I feel both thrilled and satisfied by what I have achieved in the Masters.”
Dunnett launched Finals Day against his Linlithgow colleague Martin Byrne and was forced to conjure up a magic two, three finish to win a tough 21-17 battle in 19-ends.
Alec Allan of Newbridge – finalist in both 1991 and 2013 – presented the semi-final opposition and looked every inch the winner at 15-9 up.
However, Dunnett staged a thrilling escape to victory to win 21-15 in 22 ends.
Earlier victories in the competition came over Colin Little (Springgrove), 21-14; David Peel (West Calder), 21-9; Calum Black (East Calder), 21-10; Frank Dowling (Ratho), 21-9; and 13th seed Glenn King (West Calder), 21-5.
Meanwhile, Stenhouse had launched his day as the underdog against 15th seed Darren Pearce of Kirkliston and upset the odds with the stronger finish from 15- 14 to beat the 20- year- old Hamilton Trophy-winning star 21-19 over a testing 25-ends.
He then took to the green against his iconic club-mate Gary Smith and, having never beaten him in their clashes on the domestic scene, was massive odds against to capture the scalp of the third seed.
Smith – bidding to the reach his fourth final– was much fancied to emulate his 2010 title win, but the magic wand of The Masters was in the hands of Stenhouse.
The crowd marvelled at him blazing an incredible 15-1 trail, then sensed a dramatic transformation as Smith found his touch and closed menacingly to 11 before the underdog eventually sealed a 21-12 win in the 23rd end.
He had earlier launched his campaign with a nerve- tingling 21- 20 win over Jamie Edwards of Broxburn then accounted for Raymond Reid (Queensferry), 21-17; Derek Kerr ( Armadale) 21- 13, and Hamilton Trophy star Andrew Walker (Winchburgh), 21-14.
The other Finals Day results saw Alec Allan defeat eighth seed Thomas Mann ( Newbridge) 21- 9 in the quarter-finals and Smith finished on a double to clinch a 21- 17 thriller against 11th seed Raymond Logan of Kirkliston.