Bainfield aim to do the near impossible: beat Blantyre on their carpet

But they face a daunting task as no one can quite remember the last time Blantyre lost on their home carpet. Even the star studded Midlothian line-up failed to achieve victory at Blantyre, although both Lothian clubs sit ahead of Blantyre in the B Division.

Bainfield travel without Robert Sloan, Tam Ebbs, and Brian Stoddart so team selector Paul O’Donnell brings in budding star Craig Macintosh and two veteran stalwart figures in Graeme McIntosh and Adam Brock

The Edinburgh elite enter the contest sitting second to Midlothian after five games played and are boosted by last weekend’s commanding 90-56 win at home to Abbeyview.

Bainfield:

Rink 1: Mark McIntosh, John Kidd, Danny Gormley, Robert Marshall.

Rink 2: Graham Angus, Adam Brock, Craig Paterson, Paul O’Donnell.

Rink 3: Graeme McIntosh, Stephen Pringle, Alan Brown, John  McDermott.

Rink 4: Davy McNair, Craig Mackintosh, Kevin Tennant, James Hogg.

Midlothian top the table, two points clear of Bainfield and three ahead of Blantyre and East Lothian having shown great appetite and battling qualities against neighbours East Lothian to clinch a 72-63 victory.

Today’s fixture pitches the giant figures of the strongly formed Midlothian team against relegation zoned Turriff at the Dalkeith Stadium and the expectations are that they will make it five wins out of six.

Team manager Ronnie Allan brings Jim Cullen back for Jack Macnab and, in a back-end switch, plays Graeme Archer at third to David Peacock.

Midlothian:

Rink 1: Neil Melrose, Craig Hodge, Daniel McDougall, Ronnie Duncan.

Rink 2: Ian Forbes, John Stevenson, Dougie Russell, Colin Walker.

Rink 3: Jamie Macnab, Liam McKay, Kevin McDougall, Billy Peacock.

Rink 4: Andy Caldwell, Jim Cullen, Graeme Archer, David Peacock.

East LOTHIAN are part of a highly competitive top four and, having just come off second best in an epic battle against Midlothian, know that anywhere near that form should get them back on track at home to foot-of-the-table Abbeyview (Dunfermline).

There will be concern in the home camp that leading figures Derek Oliver, Scott Kennedy, Jamie Higgins, Ewan Fallen, and Steven Morgan are all absentees but their reservoir of talent runs deep and confidence abounds.

East Lothian:

Rink 1: Aaron Betts, Alex Cormack, David Sked, Joe Mower.

Rink 2: Andy Jeffrey, Lewis Betts, Dougie Berwick, Stuart Thomson.

Rink 3: Mark Johnston, Calum Darling, Dean Riva, Billy Mellors.

Rink 4: Mark Yuill, Robbie Shields, Chris Brock, Alex Marshall.

West LOTHIAN’S 84-64 win at home to Elgin In Division 1A was a welcome second win in five games and the former PL champions hope show continued signs of a much needed revival with a win in today’s visit to West Of Scotland.

WoS bloodied the nose of WL in the opening fixture so today’s travellers have much do with a line-up that brings back Des Hagart and Connor McKendrick in place of Dougie Mitchell and Alan McCormick.

West Lothian:

Rink 1: George Sneddon, Jamie Aitken, Mark Allison, Craig Moss.

Rink 2: Richard Mark, Connor McKendrick, Gary Orr, James Speirs.

Rink 3: Darren Pearce, Raymond Logan, Cameron Greer, Calum Logan.

Rink 4: Bryan Cooper, Ian Drysdale, Des Hagart, Neil Speirs.

• EAST LOTHIAN top the Seniors East B league with their eighth win in nine games being clinched this week with a 65-48 away win over Balbardie. Midlothan won 89-48 at home to Bainfield while West Lothian triumphed 77-42 over Teviotdale at Livingston.

• MIDLOTHIAN star Lindsay Plenderleith conjured up a magic full house count of 4 to clinch a 21-19 win over Willie Wood in the Scottish Seniors Singles then beat Robert McLaughlan of Headwell, 21-13, to reach the semi-finals.