Ballarat finally broke a run of outs last week, but again put a dent in its finals hopes with defeat to a lowly opponent on Saturday.
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Smeaton proved the latest stumbling block for the Ballarat side, which went down by 14 shots at the weekend.
Last season’s division two premiers won three of the four rinks to secure their fifth win of the 2018-19 campaign.
Ballarat’s only rink success came from skipper Brad Fothergill.
It has been a horror start to 2019 for the Ballarat team, which had been top of the ladder at the mid-season break but has now lost five of its last six outings.
That run of poor form has cost the side a place inside the division one weekend pennant bowls top four.
Ballarat is now fifth on the table, four points behind Learmonth in fourth.
Smeaton, meanwhile, is up to seventh.
Ballarat Memorial Sports continued its red-hot form with a thumping victory over bottom side Ballarat East.
BMS was the only team to claim all 18 points this round, thrashing the Two Blues 138-69.
Skipper Ryan Bedggood scored the most emphatic victory on the day, beating Tony Driscoll and his rink by 33 shots.
BMS is now 19 points clear at the top of the ladder.
Mt Xavier has been a big mover in recent weeks and jumped to second on Saturday.
The team climbed up the standings by beating Creswick by a single shot.
Kevin McKeegan told The Courier his Mt Xavier side had led the contest by two shots overall heading into the final end of the day, which was a battle between skippers Peter Morris and Gerry Flapper.
With Mt Xavier down by only one shot on the 100th end, Morris decided not to play his last bowl, avoiding any risk of spoiling an overall 92-91 win.
Creswick is third on the ladder following Saturday’s defeat.
Central Wendouree’s hopes of making finals took a hit on the weekend.
The Bears were beaten by Webbcona, which scored a decisive 27-shot victory.
That result leaves Central Wendouree sixth and 10 shots adrift of the top four.
Saturday’s other game saw Learmonth easily defeat City Oval.
Just two more home and away rounds remain until finals get underway on March 2.