For Webbcona, if finals are to become a reality this Ballarat Highlands Bowls Region season, it needs to claim a major scalp.

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An opportunity to do so is presented to it this weekend in the form of Linton, a side Webbcona trails by just three points on the ladder.

A win won't secure Webbcona's spot in the finals, but it would put it in a strong position heading into a winnable stretch of games that includes Learmonth, Buninyong and Ballarat.

Considering the tightness of the top six sides on the ladder, each win is vital, both for points and a side's confidence going forward in the second-half of the season.

With a lighter stretch of the schedule coming for Webbcona, a win over Linton, who has not dropped out of the top four all season, would set it up for a strong run home.

Linton is fresh from a 13-shot loss to top side Sebastopol last round.

With the ladder standing as it does right now, quick rebounds are crucial to keep a buffer between it and the chasing pack.

"It's probably the consistency (that) we need to get right," premier player Craig Grenfell said.

"We need everybody on the whole three rinks up on the day.

"I think all games are crucial. It's so even the competition, probably your Sebas and Victoria, they may have that little bit (of an) edge on everyone else, but I reckon apart from them it's open slather."

BMS is another side currently caught up in the fight for a top four spot, one that it holds heading into thye round's play.

It's opponent, Creswick, has slipped to seventh on the ladder and trails BMS by 24 points thanks to a 16-0 defeat at the hands of Victoria last round.

A loss on Saturday would drop Creswick to three games behind BMS and with six games to play, would make life awfully difficult in the quest for the top four.

However, it does still have games against Mt Xavier, Learmonth, Buninyong and Ballarat to come, all winnable.

A win over BMS makes the climb to the top four not seem so steep.

BMS' fortunes don't rest on this contest as much, but each win is crucial, with it even on points with fifth-placed Buninyong, it's positive shot differential keeping it in the top four.

The predicament that Creswick faces is one that it is not alone in. Mt Xavier, also on 70 points, need a lot to go right to qualify for the top four.

That climb is not helped by the fact that it faces second-placed Victoria this week.

Impossible? Of course not, but considering its -79 shot differential, big wins will become important as the end of the season nears.

While Linton, Webbcona and BMS face tough contests today, Buninyong has the chance to create a small buffer and possibly land itself in the top four against bottom side Ballarat.

The game won't be a walk in the park, Ballarat putting forward some competitive performances in close losses so far this season.

However, if Buninyong, who sits fifth, is to play finals in 2022, it needs to continue to win these types of games, and win them well.

It sits even on points with BMS in fourth but holds a -14 shot differential, something that needs addressing in the second-half of the season.

Sebastopol, excluding two tight wins in which it lost two rinks, has been untouchable this season.

Its opponent this round, Learmonth, has not been anywhere near as dominant, however has suffered some close losses that may have changed the fortunes of its season if they had fallen its way.

It has been proven that to beat Sebastopol, it takes three strong rink wins. Competitiveness or even two rink victories will not cut it.

It is a tough ask for a Learmonth side sitting second-last on the ladder to pull out a win, but on any given day, unexpected results can happen.

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