TWO members of Abbeyview Bowling Club have created history by becoming the first pair to hold two national indoor titles in the same season.

Stuart Pagan and Paul Brown have described their achievement in claiming the Scottish Indoor Bowling Association (SIBA) Two Bowl and Four Bowl Pairs trophies as "surreal" after sealing the improbable double at the end of March.

Abbeyview, whose indoor rink opened in 2003, have become just the third club – after Stirling in 1998/99, and East Lothian in 2012/13 – to have won both competitions in the same year, but Stuart and Paul are the first-ever to hold both at the same time.

Their path to unprecedented glory began in October last year with victory over Tweedbank in the preliminary round of the two-ball competition, which was followed by successes over Balbardie, Perth and Midlothian, on their way to the last four.

The duo saw off Glasgow pair George McCartney and Ryan Langdon's challenge to set up a January final with Stonehaven, which they won to clinch the title.

By then, they had also reached the semi-finals of the four-bowl – defeating Berwickshire, East Lothian, Headwell and Bainfield along the way – before seeing off Elgin in Arbroath on March 30 to reach the final 24 hours later.

Taking on West Lothian's Cameron Greer and Calum Logan, Stuart and Paul made the ideal start by scoring a four, but lost the next four ends to trail 6-4.

However, it was then their turn to dominate, winning six of the next seven to lead 13-8 and, although their opponents fought back to lead 15-14 with four ends remaining, a four for Abbeyview in the 18th end gave them the advantage.

They went on to seal a 23-15 victory – and a place at the British Isles Championships in Wales next March as Scotland's representatives – and a thrilled Stuart said: "It took a wee while to sink in.

"To get one is brilliant, but to get two in the space of two months is quite remarkable, especially as it's never been done before.

"The four-bowl was the one we wanted more, because that leads to the British, so when we won I was delighted. The club has won national titles before, but were always age related, and not a full title.

"They're like London buses – you wait 15 years with none, and then two come along in tow months!"

Paul commented: "I've been trying for a few years and have got quite close, only then to get pipped. It's unexpected to get two in the one year - it's a bit surreal and, at the time, it was a bit of fuzz.

"We're a small-ish club so it's a big thing to get one, never mind two, and we assumed that others had won them both before. We didn't know, so I'm really chuffed.

"The two-bowl seems like ages ago. As it was first, we were hyped up for it, so it was huge. The way we won it was a one in 100 shot, so we had to go away and compose ourselves.

"It gives you confidence and, in the four-bowl, we were up against two good teams, but we're a good team and we both played well.

"When we won it, it was just as sweet."

Stuart Roxburgh, club secretary, added: "The club has won at senior and junior level in terms of Scottish titles, but this is the first time in the gents.

"It's massive and puts their names, and the club, on the map."

Anyone wishing to get involved and join the club is more than welcome and, for more information, you can find them on Facebook.