AMY Monkhouse bounced back to mount an assault on the national women's triples title – after the disappointment of losing so heavily in the Bowls England Champion of Champions final.

Joined by Tracy Dent, and Amy's mum Christine Gowshall, Monkhouse was determined to finish the championships at Royal Leamington Spa on a high note. And she skipped the Cleethorpes trio to an impressive 24-16 win over Irene Everett, Dorothy Counsell and Eleanor Benvie from Bolton in Lancashire.

But there was more disappointment in store for the Lincolnshire champions, who came up against Heather Stapleford, Rose Castle and Shirley Page, from Baldock in Hertfordshire, in the second round.

Page, who will be 70 in December, helped her county win the Johns Trophy at the start of these championships, and defeated Monkhouse in the semi-finals of the two-wood singles on Wednesday, so the encounter gave the Grimsby ace an early chance of revenge.

It was not to be – although Cleethorpes took a 5-1 lead after five ends, and looked good when they led, 9-4, after eleven, Baldock hit back with a vengeance, scoring 13 shots to one over the next six ends – a haul that included a disastrous count of six on the 15th end.

It was Cleethorpes' turn to show defiance, but, although they reduced the deficit over the last three ends, they were unable to secure the count that would have enabled them to draw level, and the Herts trio moved through to the third round with a 16-13 victory.

Monkhouse, pictured right, who finished with a flourish, conjuring up two shots on the last end, said: "Of course it's disappointing, because that was our last chance of winning anything this year, but, when you look at what we have done in eight days, it hasn't been a total disaster."

She continued: "When all's said and done, I got to the final of the Champion of Champions, and mum and I lost in the final of the Mother-&-Daughter pairs – plus there were two semi finals, in the fours and two-wood singles, and mum got to the third round in the over 55 singles."