Wade survives scare to reach finals’ night

John Ashton

BOWLS:  

JOHN Wade, Green Final Bowling Handicap champion in 2006, is on the trail of glory in the Oldham Evening Chronicle-sponsored competition.

Wade survived a 21-20 first-round scare against Wilf Flanagan at Royton before powering to a 21-5

victory over competition president John Lord, and 21-11 success against last year’s runner-up, Matt Gillies.

Three-times champion Steve Copeland was a 21-19 first-round casualty against Geoff Woolley at Crompton, and it was the Moorside man who qualified for the finals. Woolley overcame Ian Gorbutt 21-9 and Colin Lane 21-14.

Darren Mountford had reached the third round seven times without taking the extra step needed to get to the finals, but he put that right at Nimble Nook.

Mountford defeated Alan Bidwell 21-19, having seen off Lee Schofield 21-9 and Bob Carr 21-14.

John Ashton, a beaten semi-finalist last year, is through to finals’ night again.

He qualified comfortably at Moorside, beating Ben Stapleton 21-10, Graham Stanley 21-11 and Alan Whiteley 21-7.



DRAW for finals night at North Chadderton Social and Bowling Club on Saturday, July 5 (6.30pm) is —

Neil Armstrong v Ben Gledhill; John Ashton v Dene Hibbert; John Wade v Darren Mountford; Geoff Woolley v Steve Fieldhouse.