B team regain second place

LURGAN B team have regained second spot in their league section.

They had a convincing 25 shot win against Rathfriland B in their NIBA Division 6 match in the Park last Saturday afternoon and re-established themselves in runner-up position to Warrenpoint who are well ahead at present.

The home team, having made a slow start, were down six shots after five ends but with rinks one and four overcoming their opponents this enabled Lurgan B to move into a 15 shot lead at the halfway point.

They maintained the overall lead for the remainder of the game and eventually were up on three rinks to win the match and take six valuable league points.

Bobby Jones skipped rink one well throughout the match and was ably supported by Dan Dempsey, Jeffrey McCullough and Aubrey Bell against Jim McConville’s Rathfriland rink.

Having been a shot behind after the fifth end, they took an 8-4 lead after the seventh end and were well ahead 18-4 after the twelfth. While the visiting rink made some in-roads they were never allowed to be in contention and with Jones’ rink taking triple shots off the last three ends the home rink won their game 30-17.

David Millar, who has established himself in skip position over the last few matches, was on rink two along with Eamonn Quinn, Declan McCabrey and Gerry Stewart.

They faced a determined rink skipped by Ian Gibbons. Although the rink score was close at times Millar’s team remained determined and never lost sight of the need to win their game. His rink was four shots down after the seventh end and over the next few ends the lead was exchanged such that after the fourteenth end the score was all square at 9-9. However the home rink collected a triple shot on the fifteenth end and took a 12-9 lead, and while it was still very tight over the next few ends Millar’s rink held on and emerged winners by 17-12.

Sam Neill (skip), Derek Henderson, Rodney McCarthy and Melvyn Hamilton were on rink three against David Donaldson’s Rathfriland rink.

The home rink made a shaky start and were 8-1 down after six ends. However they upped their game and took six shots off the next two ends, followed by a five-shot at the eleventh to take the lead 12-10. That was shortlived with the determined Rathfriland rink responding by winning the next four ends and going into a commanding nine shot lead at 21-12.

Neill’s rink suffered from this setback and while they lifted another six shots over the remaining ends and were getting closer their fate was sealed when they dropped a six on the twentieth end to lose 29-18.

Rink-win of the day was achieved by Gordon Bell’s rink, which included Wilfie McCullough, Charlie Maguire and Vincent Devlin.

They faced Damian Redmond’s Rathfriland rink and stamped their authority on their game from the start with a magnificent five-shot win at the first end, and then had a great run from the sixth to the tenth ends during which they helped themselves to 10 shots and a good lead of 18-5. Having taken another five shots at the thirteenth end, followed by triple shots on the fifteenth and sixteenth ends, Bell had taken his rink to an unassailable lead. Although the visitors’ rink tried to come back Bell’s rink recorded an eighteen shot win: 33-15.

While Lurgan B is conscious of the task ahead they still remain confident considering that the league leaders have some difficult away matches including one against the Lurgan side later in the season.