Mahon Cup in trophy cabinet at Drumaness

Mahon Cup in trophy cabinet at Drumaness

19 November 2014

HAVING come through the earlier two rounds by the skin of their teeth, league leaders Drumaness were hoping to avoid a repeat against St Michael’s A in the Mahon Cup final.

However, Seamus McGivern and his charges almost needed smelling salts as the final also went down to the wire in a nailbiter at the St Patrick’s centre in Newtownards.

McGivern was first up against Gareth McKeever and would acknowledge that he had the lion’s share of the running as he emerged a 200-48 point winner.

The Drumaness man had breaks of 18, 24 and 25 as a nervous McKeever simply couldn’t get going.

On the other table, previously unbeaten Stephen Byrne was playing Bobby Douglas and what a game this turned out to be.

The result was impossible to predict as Douglas’ early breaks of 15 and 22 were matched by similar efforts from Byrne.

At the three-quarter way stage there was only one point in it as Byrne led 146-145. However, Douglas finished the stronger and with further breaks of 18 and 25 ran out a 200-181 winner. It was to be Byrne’s first defeat this year.

The combined results from the first two matches and the team handicaps saw St Michael’s marginally ahead by seven points going into the last match, featuring Marty Singh and Micky O’Donnell.

Singh had the better of the early exchanges and with a number of small contributions led 57-14.

O’Donnell rallied at the half-way stage and when a typically speedy 43 break took him 37 points ahead on the board at 161-124, the Drumaness faithful were getting nervous. However Singh wasn’t about to roll over and a nice 24 break saw him edge back into the contest. O’Donnell tried to respond but it was Singh instead who found his mojo and a lovely 37 break saw him breach the 190 mark.

With both players within a few points of the winning line, it was anybody’s game, but O’Donnell missed a pot red at the vital moment to hand Singh the final chance he needed and a two-point cannon saw him over the line.

League treasurer Robert Pollock did the presentation honours, handing the trophy to a relieved Seamus McGivern, who congratulated St Michael’s on a sporting match in defeat and the St Patrick’s club for hosting the final.

ST. MICHAEL’S A 436

DRUMANESS 441