Banbridge trail at Junior Cowdy's halfway stage

BANBRIDGE played Castleblaney in the first leg of the Junior Cowdy Cup final last Sunday.

Over their home course, team captain, Tom Fee, was hoping for, at least, a 3-1 victory.

Castleblaney are always a tough team to beat at any handicap category and this match was no exception. Their team were all very experienced campaigners and they were not overawed by the occasion.

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On the other hand Banbridge had a number of players who were appearing in their first final. There was a very large crowd of supporters and, naturally enough, they were a little nervous.

It was a wonderful match, played in the best sporting traditions of the game. Unfortunately, Banbridge came off second best.

Shane Crossan and Aidan Barry started off like a train against Ciaran Pronty and Pat McNeill and they were three up after five holes. The ‘Blaney boys hit back to square the match after nine holes.

It was nip and tuck after that with the advantage swinging one-way and then the other. It finished all square and maybe that was a fair result.

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Game number two pitted Gerry Blevins and Barrie McCoy against Joe McGrath and Ronnie Dignam. Gerry and Barrie were both in top form and they needed to be because their opponents were both strong players. Banbridge won this game by 3 and 1.

Up to this point, everything was going according to plan. But then the tide turned and the advantage went to Castleblaney.

Carson Clegg and Jonathan Kerr were up against James King and PJ Harte and they came off second best. Carson and Jonathan made a few mistakes here and there and paid dearly for them. They did not deserve to lose 6 and 5 but that is exactly what happened.

Could James Bryson and Cecil Wilson rescue the situation? That was the question all the Banbridge supporters were asking. Sad to say, the answer was “No”.

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James and Cecil, believe it or not, played remarkably well but their opponents, Paul Mulligan and Paddy King, played better. James and Cecil lost by 4 and 3.

So, at the halfway stage of the final, Castleblaney lead by two and a half to one and a half.

The advantage is very much with Castleblaney but golf is a very unpredictable game and anything can happen.

Concra Wood, the venue for the second leg, is a beautiful course. It is a very long course, which just might suit the Banbridge players more than Castleblaney. Suffice to say, the match is far from over. Banbridge need to win three games and they are well capable of doing so.

All will be revealed next Sunday.

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