BMS' good form of late hit its peak at the weekend as it pulled out a four-shot win over reigning premiers Victoria.
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Despite Victoria claiming two rink wins by one and five shots respectively, BMS were able to rally in the other, winning 28-18 and taking home 12 points in the process.
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It wasn't the consistent rink performance that president Kevin McLean had talked about last week in terms of wins, however the fact that the rink losses were competitive ones, meant that BMS remained in the game.
The rink skippered by Ryan Bedggood did the rest, winners by 10 shots.
BMS has now won three-straight games at home after an opening week loss to Mt Xavier.
The victory over Victoria keeps BMS in fifth on the ladder, 12 points behind fourth-placed Buninyong.
Victoria is impacted little by the loss when it comes to ladder position, remaining in second.
It has, however, seen its lead over the chasing pack dwindle, Linton and Buninyong now just four and six points behind respectively and BMS, in fifth, 18 points behind.
Buninyong hold off brave Learmonth
This was a danger game for the much improved Buninyong, with the weight of expectation on it and a competitive Learmonth awaiting it.
It was close, but Buninyong did what it needed to do, pulling out a two-shot win and claiming 14 points.
Learmonth's rink skippered by William Rowe managed to claim a two-shot win to get Learmonth rolling.
The other two rinks were close (one and three shots the difference respectively) and while Buninyong would have been sweating on the result, it got what it needed, a win.
The result means Buninyong head into 2022 in the top four, 12 points clear of BMS in fifth.
The loss is the story of Learmonth's season to date. Competitive, in the contest, but unable to pull it together across three rinks to claim victory.
Despite sitting last, it has the fourth-best shot differential of the sides outside the top four, a sign that a win is on the horizon.
Linton back to its dominant best
Linton has broken out of its form slump with an impressive 14-shot win over Ballarat.
It had suffered through some poor form over the last three weeks but was back to its best, which saw it sit near the top of the ladder through the first three weeks.
The rink skippered by Craig Grenfell was dominant, winners 34 shots to 12.
The rink skippered by Brendan Williams was impressive also, winners 22-11.
Ballarat was able to take home two points thanks to a 28-19 win in the other rink.
The win was an important one for Linton to one, keep it entrenched in the top four heading into 2022 and two, to lift its shot differential to +20 after being towards 0 the last few rounds.
Webbcona rebound in style
Webbcona was back in the winning books against Creswick following a disappointing loss to Victoria last time out.
It pulled out a 23-shot victory and claimed 14 points to remain within striking distance of the top four heading into 2022.
The game was an important one for both sides, who headed into the round separated by just three points.
Now, Creswick has slipped down to seventh on 70 points, trailing fourth-placed Buninyong by 22 points.
It's certainly not a gap that isn't fixable in the second-half of the season, but it adds an extra layer of pressure to Creswick's first two to three games in the new year.
Webbcona sits 13 points behind Buninyong in fourth and seems poised to have a good run at the top four next year.
Sebastopol stamp its authority
Early on in Sebastopol's clash with Mt Xavier it was a tightly contested battle, Mt Xavier taking it up the top side.
The second-half of the game was all Sebastopol, however, who ran away 37-shot winners, 16 points going its way as well.
Mt Xavier, rightly, went into contest confident, fresh from dominating Ballarat in round nine.
Add to that the fact that Sebastopol had lost two rinks in two of its last three games, and Mt Xavier could smell an upset.
Sebastopol put that hope to bed with two dominant rink wins. The rink skippered by Ian Warner was too strong 26 shots to 10, while Murray Gannon's rink claimed a 28-9 victory.
The rink skippered by Scott Roberts pulled out a clutch two-shot win to help Sebastopol to 16 points for the first time this season.
Thanks to Victoria's loss, Sebastopol enter the new year undefeated and 17 points clear on top of the ladder.
RESULTS
PREMIER
Creswick 42 (2) def by Webbcona 65 (14)
Dale Chalmers, Trevor Booth, Geoff Antonio, Stephen Hepworth 10 lt Ross Brown, David Anderton, Nathan Mahoney, Ben McArthur 24; Rebecca Cooper, Stephen (steve) Pope, Gerry Flapper, Alan Annear 15 lt Sarah Braybrook, Alistair Van der Ploeg, Matthew Collins, Gary Johnson 26; Dean Cooper, Jarrod Matthews, Michael Booth, Travis Hedger 17 d Chris Steenhuis, Harold Worsley, Anthony Lange, Matthew Blackburn 15
Learmonth 58 (2) def by Buninyong 60 (14)
Gregory Ross, David Ryan, Friedrich (fred) Lennecke, Brendan Pym 20 lt Norman Hand, Jeffrey Douglass, Graeme Nicholson, Peter Aldred 21; Gary Moy, Ross Powell, Michael (mick) Casey, William Rowe 19 d Kevin Lee, Terry McDonald, Keith Chapman, Graeme Simpson 17; James Greenwood, Timothy Griffin, Craig Findlay, David Kelly 19 lt Ian McGregor, Phillip (john) Nunn, Stephen Gollan, Brian Wilcock 22
Mt Xavier 31 (0) def by Sebastopol 68 (16)
Stacey Forrest, Ben McDonald, Malcolm Sargent, Chris McDonald 12 lt William Matthews, David Cassells, Robert (rob) Baker, Scott Roberts 14; Darryl Boyd, Frank Duggan, Daryl Lamb, Paul Forrest 10 lt Noel Sutherland, Tim Beacham, Paul Lovell, Ian Warner 26; Ray Bellingham, Lynden Henderson, Kevin McKeegan, Phillip McGrath 9 lt Frederick (fred) Reus, John Cameron, John Garvin, Murray Gannon 28
BMS 63 (12) def Victoria 59 (4)
Graeme Inglis, Craig Hurdsfield, Robert Dickinson, Philip Clamp 19 lt Paul Tudorovic, Darren Britt, Barry Clark, Shane Pongho 20; Daniel Vagg, Lindsay Trounce, David Berry, Ryan Bedggood 28 d Kane Silbereisen, Jesse (jess) Austin, Marc Oswin, Craig Ford 18; Adam McLean, Keith Urch, David Schreenan, Michael Storey 16 lt Kevin Coad, Shaun O'Loughlin, Wayne Lynch, Shaun Clark 21
Linton 75 (14) def Ballarat 51 (2)
Glenn Landers, Eugene Grigg, Brendan Vandenberg, Craig Grenfell 34 d Lionel Calf, Bruce Sutherland, Greg Stewart, Taylor Stewart 12; Ray Wilson, Timothy Wilson, Rodney Hetherington, Peter Wilson 19 lt Lisa Tung, Colin (david) Eastman, Dean Campbell, Zachary (zac) Stewart 28; Edward (stewart) Williams, Danny Pridham, Craig Williams, Brendan Williams 22 d John Crawford, Ben Horwood, Andrew Dalgleish, Paul Slater 11
LADDER
SEBASTOPOL +92 shots, 115 points
VICTORIA +59, 98
LINTON +20, 94
BUNINYONG +6, 92
BMS +32, 80
Webbcona -1, 79
Creswick -23, 70
Mt Xavier -57, 68
Ballarat -85, 53
Learmonth -39, 51
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