By Sarah Holt BBC Sport in Melbourne

Margaret Johnston is a three-times world bowls champion

Northern Ireland bowls legend Margaret Johnston failed to land a medal at her sixth Commonwealth Games.

The Ballymoney woman, who has won two Commonwealth golds, was roundly beaten 12-6 9-4 by South African Lorna Trigwell, who claimed the bronze medal.

"I am disappointed as any medal would have done me," said the 62-year-old who had earlier lost to Siti Zalina Ahmad of Malaysia in the semi-finals.

"It is a cruel game and I can't see me being picked for another Games now."

Johnston told BBC Sport: "Nothing came right and the harder I tried the worse it got."

The 1994 women's champion holds the Northern Ireland record for Games appearances after booking her ticket to Australia.

I wouldn't want to go out there and bowl five times a week and 52 weeks a year Margaret Johnston

But by the time the next Games are staged in Delhi in 2010, Johnston will be 66 and does not know if she will be in contention, despite her peerless record.

"It is up to the selectors from here on in, if they choose me then of course I'll go," said Johnston.

"I will have to wait and see where I am in four years time. My next focus is the home internationals in Scotland in June and I have to get through the trials for those first."

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The Ballymoney bowler lost 11-2 8-4 against Malaysian Ahmad in her semi-final.

Johnston returns home on Tuesday and goes straight back to her job as a school caretaker the very next day.

None of Northern Ireland's lawn bowlers are full-time athletes and there have been calls for their lottery funding to be increased.