BRYAN COOPER of Bathgate produced a spectacular performance to crush holder and No.1 seed Andrew Dunnett 21-3 in last night's fifth-round action of the £5000 West Lothian Bowls Masters, sponsored by the White Knights of the WLBA.
Dunnett – also the inaugural Master in 1999 – has mounted a strong challenge in search of a record-making treble but the 34-year old suffered devastation in just 14 ends at the hands of the 26-year old No.16 seed.
Cooper was a hot number having
just won the WLBA Junior Open title in a swift bounce back from a heart-breaking 21-20 defeat in the final of the County singles proper.
The section finals claimed three more seeds in the shape Ewan Shearer, the 2001 Master (No.4) from Bo'ness, internationalist Thomas Mann (No.9) of Newbridge, and 2005 finalist Steven Fleming (No.14) of Linlithgow.
Shearer's wings were well and truly clipped by fellow County player Mark Allison of Broxburn, who opened strongly to lead 9-3 then from 16-11 hit 21 with a 1, 1, 2, 1, finish to triumph in 18 ends.
Mann looked well equipped to cope with the challenge of non-seed Davy Ross of Glenmavis (Bathgate) with leads of 4-1 and 9-8 giving him the early edge but the 27-year-old's challenge collapsed over the next six ends. Ross became the boss with a purple patch run of 4, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, to cross 19-9 and, three ends later, the former Fauldhouse (now defunct) star dealt a 21-10 exit to the seed.
Fleming clashed with No.3 seed John Aitken of Kirkliston and the 36-year old was soon desperately snapping at the heels of the 53-year old Cheesetown Boy, who raced into an 11-1 lead.
Aitken, the Masters champion in 2004 and 2006, did come under a bit of pressure at 12-7 but responded with a hot streak run of 1, 2, 1, 4, to 20 and, three ends later, clinched a 21-11 win in 19 ends.
Kirkliston have provided the last four winners of the Green Jacket and, although losing Dunnett, the club saw two others join Aitken in tomorrow's last eight, in the shape of Neil Speirs and Steven Forrest. Speirs, the 29-year old No.2 seed has an impressive Masters record having reached three finals – winning in 2002 – and his latest challenge was continued at the 21-17 expense of Oakbank teenager Andrew Semple.
Semple gave an excellent account of himself with peels called at 9, 13, and 16 but Speirs proved to be the sharper of the two and reached 21 with a 1, 2, (1), 1, 2, finish to triumph 21-17.
Forrest met club-mate and fellow non-seed Alan (Val) Jenkins and won 21-7 in 16 ends having made the telling break from 7-5 to 17-5 with a run of 2, 3, 2, 1, 2.
Alec Allan, the 46-year old No.12 seed from Newbridge and holder of the County singles title and past British Isles Pairs champion, was relentless in his 21-3 demolition of non seed Scott Mushet of Philpstoun in 15 ends.
Graeme Byrne of Linlithgow, a 2006 Masters finalist, stepped up his challenge with a 21-14 win over Gary Culbert of Kinneil.
The final day's play takes place at Pumpherston tomorrow and the quarter-final line up (11am) is, Cooper v Ross; Allan v Allison; Aitken v Forrest; Byrne v Speirs. Semi finals are at 1.-30pm and final at 4pm.
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