Owenbeg are on title march

Owenbeg are on title march

5 January 2022

IT was an early Christmas present for Owenbeg with a double win over St John’s to keep their Division One title hopes on track. 

The current league champions still have three outstanding matches with league leaders Banbridge, so it is still all to play for in this division. 

In Division Two, Drumaness kept their title hopes alive with their win over St John’s. However, current leaders Strangford still have outstanding matches with both clubs, so it is too close to call what way it will pan out.

OWENBEG............................7 

ST JOHN’S.............................2

OWENBEG at home are a formidable outfit and although it was a comfortable victory in the end, St John’s made them work for their wins. 

Stevie Galbraith has been in outstanding form this season and got his team off to a good start with a straight game win over Marek Shotkevitch, whose style of play is not suited to low ceilings. 

John Huyton is slowing returning to his best form with a five games victory over Peter Deeny. Martin Pickles made it 2-1 for Owenbeg with his three game win over an improving Tom Garvey, who is clearly benefiting from competing against top players. 

The Downpatrick outfit reeled off the next four games to ensure the points with St John’s’ second win of the night coming from Shotkevitch via a close four game win over Peter 

Deeny. 

In the return match two days later at Newcastle, the teams produced a similar scoreline with the home side’s two wins coming from Marek Shotkevitch over Peter Deeny and Martin Pickles.

ST JOHN’S.............................4  

DRUMANESS........................5

IN what was an entertaining Division Two match attended by the league secretary, Drumaness kept their title hopes alive in an exciting encounter that could have gone either way. 

Vincey Poland got his team off the mark with a four game win over Charlie Murray, but the consistent Hugh Scott evened the score with his four game victory over Sean Poland. 

Ann Poland has seldom played better this season and in the first of the close matches was just piped at the post in a nip and tuck fifth games against Pat Mulholland that ended 11-7. 

Vincey evened the score in another close five set game win over Pat Mulholland and Sean Poland gave another sterling performance to beat Charlie Murray 16-14 in the final game.

St John’s were now in the driving seat and looked odds on to win this match. 

Hugh Scott needed to beat Ann Poland and was relieved to get home in four games, although he lost the next match to Vincey 3-0. 

The two final games would decide the match. Pat Mulholland made it four apiece with his straight game victory over Sean Poland, with Ann Poland needing to beat Charlie Murray. It was a tense match with a relieved Murray just getting home with three points to spare.

Ann may have lost this match but gave the best performance 

of the season and rightly deserved the player of the night accolade.