THE race for the Western District Bowls Division top grade weekend pennant is now down to four teams.
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Defending champions Warrnambool Gold, City Red, City Gold and Koroit Blue are the last four teams left standing this season.
City Red and Warrnambool Gold will play each other for second week in a row in the first semi-final after battling it out at Warrnambool Bowls Club in the final round on Saturday.
Gold took away the points on this occasion with an eight-shot win and simultaneously leap-frogged Red to claim the minor premiership in the last game of the season.
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The two teams finished on 110 points but Gold's superior score percentage of 126.12 edged out their cross-town rivals' 121.86.
City Gold and Koroit Blue will face off in the sudden-death second semi-final. Gold finished the regular season in third with Blue rounding out the top four.
Gold lost its final round match to Warrnambool Blue by four shots while Koroit finished strongly with a 13-shot win over Mortlake Blue.
The winner of the first semi-final will go straight to the grand final while the loser will face the winner of the second semi.
City Red skip Mathew Solly, who has been playing bowls for 15 years, said he and his teammates were ready to get into finals action.
"We are confident and we have been building all year," the 36-year-old told The Standard.
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"We have given ourselves the opportunity but it is anyone's game come finals."
Solly, who has been skipping in one of Red's rinks for the past five weeks, said this year's final series would be a tight one.
"It's super competitive," the former Portland resident said.
"Every week you turn up anyone can win so there is no doubt whoever plays the best for the next four weeks will become champions.
"I'd expect every game to come down right to the last couple of ends."
In other games Terang Green finished its season off with a nail-biting one-shot win over Dennington Jets while Port Fairy Red had a 14-shot victory over Timboon Gold.
Mid-week pennant starts its final series this Tuesday with Warrnambool Gold and City Gold vying for a spot in the top-grade grand final.
Port Fairy Gold and Timboon Maroon are fighting to keep their title chances alive in a sudden-death semi-final.
In division two Lawn Tennis Green and City Pink battle for a grand final spot and Port Fairy Green and Lawn Tennis Blue clash for survival.
Terang Red and Dennington Rays will clash for a spot in the division three decider while Lawn Tennis Red and City Purple aim to progress.
The final mid-week pennant round was abandoned due to the recent statewide coronavirus lockdown.
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
