OH SO CLOSE - South Bendigo pipped by two shots in weekend pennant state final

SOUTH Bendigo fell anogisingly short of capping its season with Bowls Victoria's weekend pennant state title on Sunday.

Taking on Melbourne in the final at Moama, the Diggers were pipped 47-45 in a cracking encounter that went down to the final bowl.

"It basically came down to the last four bowls... we were holding the game, then they were, then we had the chance to get it back, but unfortunately, we came up just short," South Bendigo coach Brad Holland said on Monday.

"It was a great game of bowls and nothing in it for the last 10 to 15 ends.

"We had it, but just couldn't quite get there in the end. Melbourne is obviously a good side and that's the way the game goes."

Momentum ebbed and flowed throughout the 54-end final, which South Bendigo qualified for by winning four and drawing one of its five round robin games.

Had the Diggers taken out the state title, it would have been the icing on the cake for a season in which it won back-to-back BBD weekend pennant premierships.

"Last year we didn't have the chance to play at this level (state finals cancelled due to COVID); I think the weekend shows that we would have been able to give it a good crack last year," Holland said.

"It has been a massive effort by a lot of people to get to where we have got to over the past few years."

When Holland took over as coach of South Bendigo in May of 2016 the Diggers had just come off the BBD's wooden spoon.

In the five years since the Diggers have played off in three grand finals and won two premierships.

The victorious Melbourne team featured former Bendigo East player Tom Lester, who played third in the rink skipped by Matthew Ellul.

MATCH DETAILS:

South Bendigo 45 lt Melbourne 47.

Brad Holland 11 lt Brett Spurr 19.

Luke Hoskin 19 def Matthew Ellul 10.

Max Rowley 15 lt Ben Fearn 18.

Meanwhile, Kangaroo Flat began its campaign in the midweek pennant state finals, also being played at Moama, on Monday.

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