WESTLECOT’S junior team produced yet another stirring performance last weekend to march on into the semi-finals of the David Cornwell U25 Double Rink competition.

The youngsters from the Old Town club came from behind in their quarter-final tie last Saturday morning to beat Moonfleet 2000 (from Weymouth, Dorset) 39-30 on the neutral green at Five Rivers Indoor Bowls Club in Salisbury.

In a closely fought match, the Westlecot U25s were always just a couple of shots behind across the board until the three-quarter mark but they then conjured up a late surge to grab victory and a last-four spot.

Westlecot trailed 9-7 at five ends, 16-14 at ten and 23-22 at one but by 18 ends, they had turned the overall score around to lead 32-27.

They finally won by nine shots in a 39-30 success.

The main architects of the win were Mike Titcombe’s rink, who were tied 11-all at 15 ends, but they then scored seven shots without reply on the next three to move 18-11 ahead, before finally winning 21-13.

Meanwhile, Kyle Anderson’s foursome dug deep with a late flourish to snatch a hard-fought rink success.

They trailed all the way but only by a shot or two and were 16-14 down at 18 ends.

But they then pulled-in four shots and only dropped one on the last three to grab a last-gasp 18-17 triumph.

Delighted team manager Neil Smith said: “It was a really good team performance considering we've only got eight U25 players at Westlecot available to play.

“Although they are all pretty young, and can all play again next year, there’s still quite a lot of experience in the team, which helps a lot.

“If they keep up the good performances they have made so far, they have a chance.”

This is the first time a junior side from Westlecot have enjoyed such a good run in this national U25 competition.

They will now face Kent outfit Swale in the semi-finals, who were 43-27 victors over Wey Valley (from Guildford) in the quarter-finals, on a neutral green approximately halfway between each club on the weekend of February 28-March 1.

Wellingborough (Northants) and Ipswich will contest the other semi-final.

The David Cornwell final is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at Nottingham.

n THE MEN’S remaining Area 10 finals involving Westlecot players are being staged this week at MidGlos.

The quartet of Kevin Embling, Chris Cheesley, Ian Jefferies and Neil Smith faced Nathan Kitchen’s four on their own rink at Brockworth (Glos) on Wednesday evening and recorded a comfortable 24-14 success.

They progress to the inter-area final and will play the Area 15 winners - either Bletchley or Desborough (from Maidenhead) - on a neutral green on or before March 8.

Dave Snell’s hopes of becoming the Westlecot Indoor club’s first male bowler to win a national indoor title, since the club opened its doors in 1983, is still a distinct possibility.

The Wootton Bassett resident and current English men’s outdoor O55s singles champion is through to the Area 10 final in the national O60s singles and will play Jack Dempsey (MidGlos) in the area final this morning (10am), away on Dempsey’s home rink at Brockworth.

If victorious today, Snell would keep alive his dream of a senior singles double and book a place in the inter-area final against Area 15 winner Richard Kozlowski (West Berks, Newbury) in March.

Meanwhile, Westlecot’s Lucy Smith, 19, the area 10 singles champion for the second successive season, meets Area 9 champion England international Amy Stanton in the inter-area final at MidGlos next Friday - a repeat of last year’s final, which Smith won 21-18.

And Lucy, together with her younger sister Katy, 18, take on Rugby Thornfield’s Yvonne Bromfield and her partner in the inter-area final in the ladies national pairs championship today in Solihull.