As we enter by far the most anticipated climax to any bowls season in my memory things are hotting up with every single team in the first division having something to play for, whether it be the title race, the battle for third or the fight to avoid relegation. Nothing has been decided yet and this is beyond exciting, and it is a shame that with the September Bowls festival on this week we have to wait until fixtures resume next week to see how things end.

With Marown A sitting out last week champions Onchan A had the chance to hit the summit and seize the initiative in the season long title race. It is yet to be seen whether their 7-3 win away at Ballaugh A will be enough the help them towards an incredible eleventh straight league title. This result puts them five points clear of Marown who play their game in hand a week tonight against a tenacious South Ramsey A side.

The final games of the season are to be played a week on Wednesday and if Marown come home from Ramsey next Monday with the five points needed to draw level I think they will end the week as Champions. Onchan arguably have the tougher finale, themselves heading to South Ramsey, but as stated in previous reports the Crosby men’s trip to Castletown B is a potential banana skin especially since the southern outfit are now locked in a relegation battle and fighting for their lives.

Whatever happens on Monday the league title race is going down to the final game of the season and the intrigue it has sparked can only be good for our sport. I am going to tip Marown to win the title but only after another twist or two in the tale as I fancy South Ramsey to beat one if not both of the title contenders next week.

As you may have gathered South Ramsey A have on paper the hardest finish to thins league campaign, with the only saving grace being that both games are at home. They have been a revelation this season and with some of their players now playing regular bowls will be a force to be reckoned with next season. They picked up a great 8-2 away win in the local derby with North Ramsey last time out and will be looking to raise a few eyebrows this week as they entertain the who’s who of local bowls. They have slipped down to fourth place, albeit only a point adrift, and whilst I now think third place is beyond them with their tricky end to the season they wont agree so watch this space!

Castletown A have moved into third place and now look odds on favourites to finish there after they picked up a maximum 10-0 win over their B team. This win not only sets the A team up for success but it leaves the B needing their own grandstand finish as they have been plunged into the depths of the relegation zone, now second from bottom in the table. With the visit of Marown looming on the horizon for Wednesday the B realistically need to pick up a win from their trip to Ballaugh A on Monday to give themselves any real chance of survival.

Douglas A have probably the easiest run in of any of the top teams with two home games and will be looking to try and pick up a position if South struggle this week, although they were made to fight for every point last week by a battling Nobles Mixed side. Douglas may have left the park with a 6-4 win but it was Mixed who left the happier with another four points on the board. Mixed only have one game left and that is next Monday at home to Port St Mary A. The home side need at least four points and then they will have to wait and see how the other games pan out midweek.

Port should be safe now whatever happens after their recent run of form and another fine 8-2 win over Peel A has left them mid table ten points above the drop. This result however was not as kind to Frank Watson’s Govags who are now bottom with two games to go. They travel to Castletown A next and any points they can pick up will be a bonus before their must win match against North Ramsey A on Wednesday.

The battle is also well and truly still on for division 2 honours and with both leaders Port Erin A and second placed Port St Mary B picking up respective 7-3 away wins last week, it is all going down to the last two games of the season with only three points separating them. Not only that but next time out they both face off at Port St Mary and if the home side can pick up a surprise 7-3 win or better they will find themselves in pole position going into their final game.

Realistically whatever happens in that game I still see Port Erin as massive favourites to the lift the title as their last match is at home to Castletown D whilst their rivals have the unenviable trip to the fortress that if Finch Hill A.

Castletown C picked up a strong 8-2 win over their D team to leave them with an outside shot at the second promotion place. They need to find seven points on the second placed outfit and will be hoping Port Erin win the top of the table clash well to leave them in with a fighting chance going into the season finale.

Division three is also looking like it will be decided with a top of the table clash as next time out second placed North Ramsey B travel to league leaders Nobles Park A in a match which will most like determine the fate of the championship trophy. Onchan C are the only team who can crash this party and they will be hoping that both teams take points off each other opening the door for them to slip through.

As we enter the final furlong of a season-long two horse race Marown A just have their nose in front of Oncan A, who have come from behind in recent weeks to be within striking distance going into the closing stages. Both teams have been so evenly matched all season and whilst Marown made all of the running early on Onchan have fought for their lives to be ominously close, just two points adrift with two games to play. Neither team gave and inch last week matching each others results as they both picked up strong 9-1 home wins, with the challengers seeing off Ballaugh A and the perennial champions taking down North Ramsey A.

It is more about what lies ahead than what they have left behind them, and whilst they should not forget about what it has taken to get them here, what’s done is done. They must now focus on finishing off the closest title race for years which is almost certainly going down to the wire to be decided by a photo finish. With no games this week there is a rare chance to catch our breath and look at what lies ahead when we resume a week today.

Onchan have the chance to seize the initiative a week on Monday as they travel away to face Ballaugh A, as Marown sit out. Barring the biggest upset since David beat Goliath they will return to the top and will be looking to heap the pressure onto Marown, prior to sitting out themselves the following week. The Crosby men will then have the unenviable task of a trip to South Ramsey A to try and undo any damage done by Peter Slinger’s side.

These two fixtures are vital and will probably decide the fate of the championship trophy. If Marown can come out of them at worst level I think they should be able to finish off a successful campaign away at Castletown B on the Wednesday, with the champions heading up north to Ramsey to take on South, who are scrapping for the highly coveted third spot. That said Marown’s game will be far from a formality against a tenacious town B side who will be fighting for their top flight survival. It really is too close to call and which ever team ends up on top a week on Wednesday will be worthy champions, and this will without doubt have been the closest title race in over a decade.

South Ramsey still occupy third place but only by a solitary point after they slipped up at home to a fast finishing Castletown A side 7-3. It is a brilliant result for Town and with three games left they will now be odds on favourites to overtake the northerners, who have by far the hardest run in of any team in the league. In fact South will do well to hang onto fourth place as Douglas A found the form that had eluded them in recent weeks to beat Port St Mary A 8-2 and close the gap between themselves and third to just five points.

It is below Douglas where things get interesting with only seven points separating the remaining six teams, and a big slip up by any of them could cost them their first division status. Nobles Mixed had a great result away at Castletown B picking up a 6-4 win, but as the only team in the relegation fight with only two games left I fear it could be a case of too little too late. Just like the top the relegation race is too close to call, but if I had to stick my neck out I think Mixed and Peel A will fall just short of survival.

The battle for second division honours has been just as hard fought all season and Port Erin A put in a breathtaking display to pick up a maximum 10-0 win over Finch Hill B to give themselves some breathing space at the top. Second placed Port St Mary B are only three points behind however after they beat Douglas B 7-3. Port St Mary definitely have the harder run in as they still have to host Port Erin in their penultimate game before a dangerous trip to Finch Hill A, so I think Port Erin A will see the title out, as long as they avoid a large defeat in the looming top of the table clash.

Castletown C, Finch Hill A and Onchan B come next in the table and mathematically they all have a chance of promotion after good wins last week. It will probably take a massive slip up from Port B to open the door for them, but if they keep winning and winning big you just never know. Relegation in this division is not so closely fought with Port St Mary C and Peel C all but down at the bottom as the closest team to them is some 18 points above the drop zone.

The third division is also getting very interesting at the top. League leaders Noble Park A lost 7-3 at home to third place Onchan B but remain at the summit despite second placed North Ramsey B putting in a gargantuan performance to beat Nobles Park B 10-0. This maximum closes North to within just two points of Park and with both teams still to go head to head its still all to play for. Onchan are only five points behind the Ramsey outfit so promotion is not out of the question, however I think it will now prove difficult. I am going to throw it out there and tip North Ramsey B to win the title in the inaugural season in league bowls with Park to finish second.

Report by Mark Kneen

League leaders Marown A had to fight for their lives to overcome a battling Douglas A side 6-4 at the memorial playing fields on Monday. Douglas, the only side to defeat Marown this season, got so agonisingly close to picking up a famous win in almost a carbon copy of this year’s Rayner Shield final.

Marown moved into a 3-1 lead at the half way stage before the Villa men fought back to lead 4-3 with one game left on the green, John Gelling was always in control of the final match for the home side, but it was all about the aggregate points. Ken William’s dug in for his team but fell just short with Marown picking up the two bonus points by just two points.

Onchan A had to win big to keep the pressure on the leaders and they performed this task magnificently picking up another maximum win this time against Castletown B. There are now only two points separating them and Marown with three games to go, and both teams will be looking to pick up maximum points at home tonight to keep their title bids on track. A slip up from either side at this stage would open the door for the other to walk through and grasp the league trophy.

Third placed South Ramsey sat out on Monday but played a rearranged fixture against Ballaugh A on Wednesday and picked up a solid 7-3 home win. This leaves them firmly in the driving seat for the minor places as they now lead 4th placed Castletown by five points. South have four games left to play and although three of them are at home they couldn’t be any harder as the are yet to entertain Castletown A, Marown A and Onchan A and their results here will be instrumental in deciding the destination of top honours.

Ballaugh A had started the week in better form, picking up a vitally important 7-3 win over Peel A to move them out of the relegation zone and towards relative safety. They face a trip to the leaders tonight so are far from safe. North Ramsey A and Ports St Mary A had a mammoth battle at Mooragh park last week with the home side just edging it 6-4 to keep both teams on track for a mid table finish.

Castletown A had a good week to remain in fourth place and they added to the woes of Nobles Mixed A defeating them 9-1 at the Crofts. This result keeps momentum going for the towners and leave Mixed dead bottom of the table. Mixed travel to Castletown B tonight and with both teams firmly locked in a relegation battle this result couldn’t be more important, with a big win required for either side to drag them out of the mire. A heavy loss, however, will almost certainly see the recipients playing their bowls in the second division next term.

Second division league leaders Port Erin A suffered a shock 6-4 home defeat at the hands of Finch Hill A but still remain on top of the table now level on points with second placed Port St Mary B. Port St Mary B never had it all their own way either but managed to scrap to a 6-4 win over their C team to close the gap at the top.

Castletown C still have a lot to do if they want to get promoted but a 6-4 win away at Douglas B will go someway to helping them. They are 8 points off the pace with four games to go and will be hoping to claw back some of this tonight as they travel to Ballaugh B.

Finch Hill A and Onchan B are the only other teams realistically in with a shout of catching the leaders and are 13 and 13 points of top spot respectively. I don’t see them catching the leaders but this division has been full of shock results this season, and one unexpected big win for any of the top 5 would certainly throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

Nobles Park A are now odds on to win the third division title after a massive 9-1 away win over Douglas C sees them nine points clear at the top of the table. North Ramsey B have now moved into second place after a hard fought local derby win over South Ramsey A last week. If North do hang on an get promoted it will be a truly remarkable achievement when you think that this is only their first season in the league. Onchan C are the only team who can stop them just two points behind them after a shock 8-2 defeat away at Ballaugh C, however they will need to pull out all the stops as they travel to league leaders Nobles Park A this week.

Second division outfit Finch Hill A had their day in the sun lad weekend as the defeated first division Peel A by 18 chalks at Marown Bowling Green to win the coveted Rayner plate competition. They didn’t have it all their own way however as Peel fought hard to claw back the 40 handicap points they conceded winning 6-3 on games but falling short, only clawing back 22 points.

Fank Watson’s boys from the sunset City started well picking up wins in all of the first three games to reduce the starting deficit to 22 points and trail 63-85. Just when it looked like momentum was swinging in favour of topflight outfit, Bill Cairn’s Finch Hill men answered the rallying call to win the next 3 and move into an unassailable 41 point lead with just three games remaining.

Billy Wilson did a lot of the damage as he defeated Peel’s Ian Christian 21-9 however for me man of the match for Finch must be Paul Dougherty who put in a monumental effort to beat Tom McMeiiken 21-20 in an epic tussle.

Although Peel regained supremacy and closed out all of the games still on the green it was a case of too little too late as they were not able to claw back enough points to win this highly entertaining closely matched encounter. Thanks must go to Ron Williams for his continued sponsorship of the event and to Marown for their hospitality in hosting the final.

Report by Mark Kneen