Lively Laughlin is treble winner at Edengrove finals

Lively Laughlin is treble winner at Edengrove finals

16 January 2013

EDENGROVE Church Hall, Ballynahinch, was packed for last week’s Mid Down Zone Bowls finals.

A number of bowlers had reached more than one final including Colin Wilson, Don McNamara, Paul McNamara and Alan Laughlin of Spa Golf Club and Emma McNamara of First Ballynahinch.

Alan Laughlin was successful in the National Singles, Pairs and Triples while Colin Wilson qualified for the National Pairs and Triples.

In the National Fours final it was a Spa Golf Club versus Downpatrick Golf Club clash as the holders, Colin Wilson, Don McNamara, Paul McNamara and Alan Laughlin, from Spa, played Olive McCashin, who was substituting for the holidaying David Gibson, Colin Gibson, Ashley Gibson and Paul Fitzsimons. This was a high quality match that went down to the last bowl. Alan’s rink scored one shot on the opening end, but Paul immediately hit back with 4 shots on the second end to take an early lead.

With the help of two shots on ends three and four, Alan had taken a slender 5-4 lead. Two singles were exchanged to leave the score line 6-5 in Alan’s favour.

The turning point came in the seventh end when Paul’s rink collected five shots to lead by four with just two ends to go. Two shots to Alan on the eighth end halved the deficit. On the final end Alan lay three shots to win the match, but Paul play a magnificent weighted bowl to spring the jack to a Downpatrick Golf Club bowl to win the game 11-8.

In the National Triples final it was an all Spa Golf Club affair with Colin Wilson, Paul McNamara and Alan Laughlin defending their title against Cyril Cromie, Artie Rice and Don McNamara.

Alan won the opening end with one shot, but Don immediately replied with two shots on the second end. On the third end Alan played a perfectly weighted bowl to turn the jack for three shots.

Two singles were exchanged to leave the score line 5-3 in Alan’s favour after five ends, but three shots to Alan’s triple on the sixth end seemed to have sealed the victory.

However, two shots to Don on the seventh end gave him a glimmer of a chance at 8-5 down with two ends to go. Indeed, the fightback looked to be on when Don lay two shots with only one bowl to come. Alan, however, showed all his class when he trailed the jack for three shots to make the score line 11-5. A further single to Alan on the last end secured the title by 12-5.

The National Pairs final was between Nicky Duggan and Richard Cathcart of St. Mary’s, Killyleagh, and Colin Wilson and Alan Laughlin of Spa Golf Club.

The St. Mary’s pair opened brightly scoring two shots on the opening end. After three ends, Nicky and Richard held a 3-1 advantage. Colin and Alan then seem to come to terms with the mat and won the next five ends to take a 10-3 lead after eight ends. Although Richard collected two shots on the ninth end to make the score 10-5, it was not enough to force the game into a final end.

The singles final was a tight affair with Spa Golf Club’s Alan Laughlin, who was playing his fourth final of the evening against Derek McCann of Seaforde YFC.

Indeed, it looked like tiredness was getting the better of Alan with Derek making a confident start to lead 4-1 after four ends. On the fifth end Alan drew two magnificent shots with his last two bowls to collect three shots to level the score.

Alan scored one shot on the next end to edge ahead, but Derek immediately replied with three shots to lead 7-5 with three ends to go. Alan cut the lead to one shot on the next end, but it looked almost all over on the ninth end when Derek was holding a shot with his last bowl to come. He tried to remove Alan’s second shot, but only succeeded in springing the jack to Alan’s back bowl.

It was all to play for in the last end and Alan held the early advantage. Derek narrowly failed with his third bowl to get the shot. Alan threw a blocker with his last bowl. Derek tried to promote his own bowl in for shot, but was slightly narrow so the singles title belonged to Alan by 8-7. Both Alan and Derek have qualified for the Irish finals in Shaw’s Bridge having won their respective sections.