Sport
10 March, 2021
Cockies fall agonisingly short
ONE shot proved to be the difference between Cobden making this season’s Corangamite Bowl Division pennant finals.
ONE shot proved to be the difference between Cobden making this season’s Corangamite Bowl Division pennant finals.
The Cockatoos needed a victory and results to fall its way to edge into the top four ahead of its clash with Apollo Bay on Saturday.
The results fell its way but Cobden agonisingly went down 89-88 despite winning three rinks.
Skippers Ben Robertson (26-18), Darren Mulgrew (22-18) and Nick Kemp (27-21) claimed rink wins for Cobden, but the overall result was determined by Damian Riches’ 32-13 defeat to Michael Harrison.
They finished the year with three wins and five losses in sixth place after a slow start to the season.
Cobden worked its way into finals calculations but the final round loss left the Cockatoos just five points shy of a finals berth, with Colac Central claiming the last position despite a 92-89 loss to Camperdown.
Kemp said his side was disappointed with the result after it led the Wolves by 26 shots at afternoon tea.
“We were all over the top of them early,” he said.
“We treated it like a final and wanted to make them and win the game but after the break we lost our mojo and momentum and they got it and ran over the top of us.
“It was a very good and interesting finish because it was close but we were pretty flat to come out losing by a shot for the third time this season.”
Ahead of the final round, Cobden needed results to work in its favour as did other clubs.
In a strange turn of events, those clubs in contention all lost their matches and ultimately their seasons.
Lorne went down 105-91 to minor premier Colac (1), Simpson was beaten by Colac (2) 91-77 and Golf fell short of Colac City 99-92.
“As I said last week we were confident going into it,” Kemp said.
“We wanted to win and make finals but as it turned out we were our own worst enemy in the end.
“We just weren’t good enough.”
Kemp said he was confident his side could bounce back next season, adding his club was pleased to remain in division one.
The division two and three sides will drop back a grade after finishing on the bottom of the ladder in both grades but Kemp is confident they too can win games in the lower grade.
“We’re obviously young in division one but we’re getting games into players and getting more consistency into them,” he said.
“It’s like any sport, the more you play in the top grade the better you get and on a positive note I think we’ll retain 95 per cent of the group.
“Hopefully we can pick up one or two more to fill a few gaps that need to be filled.”
Simpson’s loss capped off a disappointing campaign for last year’s grand finalist.
The side won only three matches, however it showed it could still match it with the best when it defeated Colac (1) in round three.
However, a three game losing streak coupled with the round seven abandonment ultimately made it difficult for the Tigers to reach the top four.
The final series will start this weekend, with Colac (1) facing City and Camperdown taking on Central with both games to be played at Camperdown Golf.
In division two, Winchelsea plays Apollo Bay at Lorne, while Colac City (2) and Birregurra square off at Colac Central.
Cobden will host the division three finals between Derrinallum and Camperdown Golf and Colac City (3) and Colac (4).
The division four finals will be split between Colac Central and Lorne, with Skipton to face Cressy and Birregurra to play Colac (5).
Meanwhile, Timboon Maroon was facing Warrnambool Gold in western District Bowls Division’s midweek division one pennant grand final when the Cobden Timboon Coast Times went to print on Tuesday afternoon.