BLACKHEATH & Greenwich Bowls Club lost 3-2 to Milton Regis in the area semi-final of the Bowls England Top Club.

Milton started better by wining both singles matches.

Tony Kirby, replacing the injured Pat Puttnam, lost to Lewis King 15-8 and Milton’s Lee Shoebridge followed the young star’s example with a 21-8 against Steve Marratt.

But B&G were still in the match with the fours and triples starting well.

Andy Thomson had a disastrous start in the pairs, losing 10 shots in the first three ends.

With James King, he managed to take a 14-10 lead then dropped a single followed by six shots to Sean Coyle and Mark Johnson.

At this stage Milton held the advantage as their triple, skipped by Paul Barnicott, scored a six against Paul Field to lead by two. Neil Hornsby had built up a six shot lead in the fours, which he maintained to the end.

Thomson fought back but could not shake Johnson off his tail and he went into the last end leading 21-20 before picking up three shots to score B&G’s first point.

The result was now all square and the outcome lay with the triples.

Field had levelled the score but Barnicott raced ahead again 19-13 with two ends to play, which he held to win 22-14.

Elsewhere, second-placed B&G took on the bottom club Bromley in the NWK league and just managed a 4-2 victory, with Michael Goord’s triple winning 16-14 for Bromley’s only points.

The LX league team won their eighth straight game to keep up the pressure on the leaders Bromley Town.