PALMERSTON'S prospects of retaining the Bramley Bowl as Hampshire League champions all but vanished in a 7-1 (88-75) defeat by East Dorset.

It all went wrong for the Fareham club in the closing stages at Christchurch, where Andy McKain dropped ten shots over the last three ends to Martyn Sekjer and Tony Grant plunged from 18-8 up at 15 ends to lose 20-19 to Terry Chivers.

McKain's late fade-out allowed Sekjer to move from 22-18 to a final score of 32-18.

Neil O'Donovan gained the Palmerston point on his home carpet, 24-11 against Bob Tappin but, alongside, Roy Reader fell 25-14 to Mike Grimsdale as East Dorset gained revenge for their whitewash by the Fareham men on the opening day of the campaign.

The title race now looks a two-horse affair between Victory and 2003 champions Rushmoor. The gap between them at the top was slashed to 2.5 points after Rushmoor, like East Dorset, avenged a 7-1 reverse by the Portsmouth club in October.

Convincing home displays from Terry Cuming (26-17 against Phil Penn) and Leo May (25-16 against Alan Jones) did the trick for Rushmoor, who also triumphed at Portsmouth thanks to Keith Langfield (24-23 against Nick Fairall).

Gary Starks (22-16 against Colin Moore) recorded the Victory consolation in Rushmoor's 7-1 (91-78) win.

Banister Park's chances of avoiding the drop are still in the balance after their 6-2 (86-63) triumph against Chawton Park, who are doomed to an immediate return to Division 2.

The win at least enabled Banister Park to keep in touch with East Dorset, the team immediately above them, though the crunch will be this Saturday when the teams meet in a match the Eastleigh men cannot afford to lose.

The Banister Park rink of Andrew Herring, Charlie Benjamin, Keith Bridgeman and Stuart Martin took the honours with a 30-16 dazzler against Dave Turner at Stoneham Lane.

Their other home rink of Roger Penney, Eric Williams, Neville Scovell and John Halliday won 20-18 against Dave Sims.

The games at Chawton Park were just as tight but Banister Park were pipped in both, Nigel Peaty, Bernie Falla, Raj Kapur and George Churcher falling 20-19 to John Blair and Martin Gay, Malcolm Comley, Ken Foulkes and Brian Barber going down 19-17 to John Kellow.

Results: Chawton Park 63 (2) Banister Park 86 (6), Palmerston 75 (1) East Dorset 88 (7), Victory 78 (1) Rushmoor 91 (7).

Points: (all played six) Victory 38.5, Rushmoor 36, Palmerston 25, East Dorset 21.5, Banister Park 17, Chawton Park 6.

Saturday's fixtures: East Dorset v Banister Park, Rushmoor v Palmerston, Victory v Chawton Park.