Spa remain team to beat

Spa remain team to beat

8 December 2021

ST MARY’S K’LEAGH..10 (51) 

MARINA........................0 (24)

ALTHOUGH this result may seem as if it was a one-sided affair, Marina forced their hosts to work very hard for this win as a couple of games were not decided until the last couple of ends. 

Once again Tony Ward, with the help of Donna Raybould and Terry Quinn, was playing good bowls against Jimmy Graham, David Bryans and James Newell, who were an equal of them as the shot would change almost with each bowl. 

However, after Tony had scored four shots on the first end the rest of the game would see only counts of four singles and a double for the game to finish 10-4 in favour of the home triple. 

Over on the other mat, Tommy Patterson, Meghan McCabe and Paddy Murray won the first two ends to go 4-0 up. 

This lead was stripped back when they then lost the next four ends against H and J Wilson and John Cummings, who went a shot up and perhaps thought they had broken the home side. 

However. over the final four ends Paddy finished stronger lifting counts of two fives and a three to finish winners by 17-6. 

The match continued in this fashion in the second half as Philip Woodside, David Anderson and Neil Brown were going into the last two ends all square against Patricia Russell, Roy McKibben and Joey Chambers. 

Once again the home players put the pressure on and ended with a five and three to get the win 15-6. 

Another game that would go all the way to the final bowl was the tussle between Stevie Brown, Kieran McMullan and Ricky Cathcart and Marina’s Isobel Cunningham, Henry McDowell and Billy Collom. 

Ricky and Billy were in top form as they turned heads around end after end and going into the last end, the home triple held a three shot lead. 

Billy tried his best to level the game up but just came up short by scoring two shots to finish 9-8 down.

The home side will be very happy with the full haul of points but Marina must feel they should have taken something from the match.

SEAFORDE YFC.............7 (47)

DROMARA.....................3 (31)

DROMARA put in probably their best performance this season as they managed to leave Seaforde with a hard-earned three points. 

The home side got off to the best start as Bobby Curlette, Eric Kennedy and Hugh Burns scored six shots on their first end and a five on the fourth as they went on to secure a 15-8 win over Michael McGreevy. 

On the other mat, scores of five threes were shared between the triples of Alan Bleue and Kirsty and Paddy Burns, against A Cunningham and Liam and Damian Furphy. 

In the end, they couldn’t be separated and finished sharing the points with an 11-11 draw. 

After the break Dromara’s Brian and Ann Marie O’Hare, along with skip James McKinney, were having a good close game against Anne Maguire, Teresa Rogan and Trevor Perry, and would come out on top with a 9-8 win. 

The final game had a very unusual start as the first two ends between Collie Brown, John Ruddle and Joe Kennedy, who were against Paul Kelly, Denis Kane and Eamon Kelly, were tied ends with no one scoring. 

The home triple took control over the other eight ends to run out winners by 13-3 to secure the overall points for Seaforde. 

SPA GC.........................10 (61) OWENBEG.....................0 (23)

ONCE again another visiting team left Spa Golf Club without a point as the continued their dominance on their own mats. 

To be fair, Owenbeg did manage to score a few more shots than other teams who have also struggled here. 

Adam Gilmour, along with Cyril Cromie and Robin Horner, set the tone as they scored steadily over the ends and would end up winning 18-6 against Damian Mageean, Mark Crothers and David Gibson. 

The game on the other mat would be the closest match-up as Nathan Tumelty, Liam Higgins and Damian Tumelty would find themselves leading by a shot playing the last end against Frances McCann, Davy Vance and Derek McCann. 

However, they allowed the home side to score two shots to win the game 10-9, leaving them so close to a well-earned point. 

After the break Alan Loughlin, along with Davy Cavan and Don McNamara, only would lose one end as they scored heavily over the other ends to run out 22-1 winners over Collie Gibson. 

The away triple of Imelda and Dermot Rooney with Sean Toman were unlucky in their game against Rose Marie Wylie, Hilary Cavan and Peter Christie as they ped five shots on the fifth end. 

That would prove the difference in the score as they lost by 11-7 having won six of the ten ends. 

Yet another emphatic performance from Spa. Who can stop them as they remain unbeaten this season?

This week’s fixtures: Dromara v St Mary’s K/leagh, Owenbeg v Seaforde YFC, St Macartan’s v Spa GC, Marina bye.