PORT Fairy Gold will meet Warrnambool Gold in a highly anticipated Western District Bowls Division (WDBD) Tuesday pennant grand final.
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A thrilling 74-73 win over City Memorial Gold at Dennington yesterday booked Port Fairy Gold the second berth in the decider.
The victors were four shots up entering the last end of the match, with Kay Miller and Dorothy Gleeson’s rinks still on the green.
City Memorial’s Gleeson was admirable in her attempt to snatch a come-from-behind win but could only pick up three shots, leaving Miller to celebrate.
The Miller-Gleeson contest finished 24-all.
Jan Norton defeated Denise Hillier 27-21 and Gill Phillips lost to Barbara Bibby 28-23.
Miller said Port Fairy Gold was ecstatic at making its first division one grand final in six seasons.
She was unsure when the club last won a top grade flag.
“We’re just so thrilled to get there,” Miller said.
“One shot is a good indication there isn’t much between the two clubs.”
Miller thought the match was a draw when Gleeson picked up three shots on the last end. But her uneasy feeling soon turned to jubilation.
“I thought we might have been all square overall. I didn’t realise we were one shot up,” she said.
“I was thinking we might have to play another end.
“It was a thrill. It’s been a while since we’ve played in a grand final.
“I started in 1999 and in that time we haven’t won a flag in division one. We’ve won flags in division two and division three, but not in division one.”
Port Fairy Gold started well and led most of the afternoon before City Memorial Gold staged a comeback which just fell short.
The result means Tuesday pennant will have its second David-versus-Goliath grand final in two seasons.
Terang flew the small-town flag in upstaging City Memorial Green 75-60 last summer, a result which few predicted pre-season.
Port Fairy Gold hopes it can do the same against Warrnambool Gold next Tuesday. But it will have to do so having conceded home-green advantage.
“We hope we can go one more step,” Miller said.
“We have to play Warrnambool at Warrnambool. That can’t be helped. That’s the way it goes.”
Port Fairy Gold and Warrnambool Gold have played each other three times this season — twice in the regular season and again in finals.
Port Fairy Gold won 71-63 at Timor Street in round seven, while Warrnambool Gold turned the tables in round 14, winning 74-70 at Port Fairy.
Warrnambool Gold repeated the result a week later in winning the second semi-final 67-64 at Dennington.
The division two grand final will be between Lawn Tennis Green and Mortlake.
Lawn Tennis Green defeated Koroit Orange 78-71 in the preliminary final.
Warrnambool Red will play Terang in the division three decider after beating Koroit Purple 51-32 in the preliminary final.