Last evening’s Forest League play-off round delivered a highly competitive and entertaining night of bowls, determining the two teams who will join Longhope and Forest of Dean Squirrels in next week’s final.
The opening matches proved crucial and ultimately set the tone for the evening. Woolaston Woodsiders edged past Forest of Dean Stags in dramatic fashion, snatching victory by a single shot with the final bowl of the game.
On the other mat, the two Yorkley sides battled it out in a high-scoring encounter. Locked at 8–8 going into the final end, it was Yorkley Kestrels who held their nerve to claim a narrow 9–8 win over the Falcons.
Building on that momentum, the Kestrels produced a dominant performance against the Stags, running out 9–1 winners in just six ends. Meanwhile, the Woodsiders held off a determined challenge from the Falcons to secure their second win of the night.
With both the Kestrels and Woodsiders already assured of their places in the final after two wins apiece, the final round of matches had no bearing on qualification. Nevertheless, both sides remained fully committed, with the Kestrels just edging a closely fought contest against the Woodsiders 6–5.
In the remaining game, the Falcons finished strongly, recording a convincing 12–0 victory over the Stags in just five ends.
Attention now turns to Finals Night next Thursday at Yorkley, where the Kestrels will be aiming to secure an impressive third consecutive Forest League title.
Results:
- Woodsiders 6 – Stags 5
- Kestrels 9 – Falcons 8
- Woodsiders 7 – Falcons 5
- Kestrels 9 – Stags 1
- Kestrels 6 – Woodsiders 5
- Falcons 12 – Stags 0
Mike
