Golden girl Lianna drove mum out of the door

LIANNA BICHARD was the toast of the all-gold Guernsey women's team on the final day of the 'alternative' games at Hougue du Pommier yesterday. On a day when the Sarnian women completed a clean sweep of four gold medals, Bichard pulled off the most remarkable of victories against Isle of Wight's England international Lucy Beere.

She trailed 11-0, 16-4 and 20-12 before winning the final five ends to win 21-20.

Within moments of winning Bichard, 21, was joyfully on her mobile to mother Paula, laughing 'you gave up on me'. And she had.

At 11-0 down and with Lianna being outplayed, mum went home.

'It's a standing joke that I don't start playing until I've played 10 ends and mum had said you mustn't put me through it again,' said the gold medallist.

The winner also revealed that the threat of an embarrassing defeat had been behind her revival.

'That actually relaxed me.

'Lucy was playing out of her skin and I thought it was not going to me my day. I forgot about winning and simply tried to make the score closer. I forgot about all the pressure of winning.'

Even when Bichard registered a brilliantly drawn full-house to close to within four at 16-20, it still seemed just a matter of time.

But a two was followed by two singles and it was suddenly level-pegging, 20-20.

With her very final bowl and with Beere possibly holding shot, the left-hander took shot and the Isle of Wight star was too heavy with her last.

Earlier, Lianna's grandmother Mavis Richards had featured in Guernsey's successful women's fours team who beat the Isle of Wight combination 22-15 for the gold medal.

'We were always confident,' said debutant international skip when de la Mare. 'We never thought of losing,' she added.

Shirley Petit and Carol Ingrouille then completed the Sarnian sweep with a convincing win over the isle of Man pairing.