Tongala topples flag favourite

Tongala’s extraordinary four-week run, since it lost its round-seven match to Rochester by a shot, has included the scalps of Mathoura, Moama, Deniliquin and, on Saturday, flag-favourite Echuca.

The 71-45 (15-1) scoreline came as the Tongala team reversed the round-four scoreline when it lost by 21 shots to Echuca.

Tongala has the bye on Saturday and then faces two teams outside the four in the final two home and away rounds — Rochester and Rich River.

Skips Bradley Tinning and Greg Lyon have now joined Echuca skip Dennis Compton with seven wins for the season, the Tongala pair again setting the tone for the weeekend.

Tinning beat Compton by five shots in their match, but it was the 21-shot win of Lyon — in partnership with Brad Belcher, John Riedell and Sam Lyon — which influenced the scoreline so heavily in favour of the second-ranked team.

On the remaining rink Jarryd Tinning stepped into the skip’s role, in the absence of Jack Hammond, with a 19-all tie with James Ferrier.

Rich River did itself no favours on the weekend when it suffered a seven-shot loss to Moama, which scored its first win of the season since its round-four win against Rich River.

Moama had not won a game since December 4, losing to all remaining five division one teams between rounds six and 10.

Its round 11 win has returned it to the top four, at the expense of Rich River, with next week’s match against third-ranked Deniliquin its last for the season.

It has a bye in the final home and away round.

In the final match of the division one round it was third-ranked Deniliquin that cemented its play-off status with a 31-shot win against cellar-dweller Mathoura.

Deniliquin has the toughest run to the wire of any of the top four teams, facing the rivatalised Moama, top-team Echuca and then Rich River in the final round, which could be the Rich River club’s last shot at reaching the finals.

For Moama Graeme Hinsley was the most convincing winner, in spite of Stan Barker’s return to weekend pennant competition.

Barker has been on the sidelines this season, but stepped into the skip’s role in the absence of Keith Hewitt on Saturday.

It was a 25-20 win for Hisley, which was backed up the one-shot win of Paul Newcombe — against Peter Nesbitt — and Neville Varcoe’s one-shot win opposite Jason McCloy.

It was a rare loss for McCloy, only his third defeat of the season, but he retained his fourth ranking on the skip’s ladder for season 2021-22.

∎ No surprises in Campaspe Weekend Division Two competition in a round that pitted the top four teams against the bottom four.

Echuca was the most convincing round-11 winner and retained its top billing with three rounds of competition remaining before the finals.

Echuca and Rochester are now far enough clear of its opposition to start planning for a qualifying final meeting in March, while Deniliquin and Moama round off the top four and are 32 points clear of fifth-ranked Mathoura.

A 29 shot win, 66-47 (16-nil) by the Echuca team was built on the back of Wally Fehring’s 27-16 win and Stephen McCartney’s seven-shot success.

McCartney has a 9-1 record on the season now, ranked the top player in the division two competition alongside teammates Colin Berryman and Pat Schram.

Moama had a 41-shot win against Deniliquin, Alan Jones a 20-shot winner against Jenny Tonta and Peter Walton a 26-shot winner opposite Bruce Clancy.

Deni RSL has won just the one match this season, but did walk away with one rink when when Geoff Halden was eaten 16-21 by Deniliquin’s Wayne Bradley.

In the remaining matches Deniliquin was a 14-2 (68-53) winner against Rich River, while Rochester took its match opposite Tongala 71-50 (14-2).