WESTLECOT’S hopes off adding to their four Wessex League titles are over for another season.

The Old Town club’s men’s team were pipped at the post on the very last end in their first round Wessex League play-off match last Sunday morning, losing 67-66 to Plymouth.

Westlecot led the match until the 84th and final end, conceding a single on that end to lose out to the former winners.

It was a disappointing finish to the match for Westlecot as they appeared on course for the quarter-finals.

They took the first end across the board to lead 3-2 and by five were 16-7 up and had extended that advantage to 35-18 at 10.

Plymouth hit back across the board to cut the gap to 46-42 at 15 ends but at 18 Westlecot had settled down again and still looked in control as they were leading 59-50.

However, the wheels then came off as Plymouth produced a mighty surge to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat.

Plymouth collected 17 shots to Westlecot’s seven on those last three ends across the board to snatch a last gasp 67-66 victory, which included a crucial eight shots against nil on the last end of each of the four games.

“It was extremely disappointing to lose the way we did on the day,” said team manager Jeff Nichols. “They (Plymouth) only went in front for the first time on the 21st end of the last match.

“But we must look to the future as there were plenty of positives and it was valuable experience for the younger players and newer members of the team.

“We seemed to be in control but it started to get tight around 14 ends. We needed a big score of four or five to gives us a lift across the green.”

Nicholls continued: “We needed a rub of the green but having said that Plymouth were a good side and stuck at it and took the momentum from 17 ends onwards.”