Elation in abundance for Services Club's bowlers

Both the Services’ teams defied the odds in the second leg and the ‘B’ team set the scene for the week when they visited St Marys at Portglenone Community Centre and having been seven shots down from their home first leg they certainly took the game to the Bannsiders and by the time the first two games were completed they actually led overall by twelve shots.

Roy Dickson’s rink mastered Patsy Boyd’s rink by five shots while Sheila Smith’s all female rink showed no mercy on James McCann winning by fourteen shots, the pressure was now very much on the home team but their opponents did not let them get a grip as a town shot win went the way of John Smith while Eric Smyth shared eighteen shots with Kieran Adams and that was enough to see the ‘B’ team into the semi-final but they did not know who their opponents would be as their club mates had a home leg encounter with Harryville Community Centre and the ‘A’s were in arrears by nineteen shots following the away leg. The opening pair of games did not give any hint of a club semi clash as Mark Shaw won by five but George Beattie went down by three shorts to Wilson Burgess. After the tea break the game took a huge transformation with the home rink in the hands of Bill Kitson edging past Stewart Wilson by one shot and that left the game in the hands of Pauline Wilson’s rink of G. McAuley, P. Davidson and D.McNeill. Still trailing by sixteen shots was a demanding situation but by the time the eighth end was being played Wilson’s rink led by twelve shots to one. That eighth end was most decisive as the home rink collected seven shots and the ninety end produced a two and although the centre rink skipped by David Shaw got two shots on the last end the Services’ ‘A’ team had proceeded to the semi-final where the club derby game will be looked forward to with a great deal of enthusiasm.

B.U.S.E gained a clean passage into the semi-finals with a resounding home leg win by twenty five shots and by twenty five overall. The Slemish Drive based team has comprehensive wins from Jonathan Millar, Mal Norton and Bryan Magrath and the visiting Round Tower rink skipped by Michael Teer had a three shot win over Nigel Robinson. This takes the Showgrounds team into an all first division clash with Towers B.C. who eclipsed Michelin by the slender margin of five shots. An under strength Towers Team were very much indebted to having had a first leg lead of eighteen shots and although they added another five shots from the first half games, the Michelin team came back very strongly in the two second half games. The game opened with an eight all draw between Sammy Hill and Aidy Davison and this included each rink scoring four shots with the former getting their four on the Post end.

David McCullough came out with a five shot victory over Wesley Caldwell which mainly came from the fact that the Towers rink scored ten shots from the fifth to the eight ends inclusively. The second half games were tense as the Michelin fought back with Christopher Wilson ending up six shots ahead of Seamus McMath and Tom Lithco was always ahead of Ivan Craigs rink and although Ivan dropped a five on the last end, the overall results was beyond the visitors.

St Marys 24(63), Services ‘B’ 47 (79); Services ‘A’ 43(69), Harryville C.C 22(67); B.H.S.C 65 (112), Round Tower 40 (79); Towers B.C 30 (74) Michelin 43 (69)

No shocks on the plate

The League plate competitions provided no shock results with the favoured teams progressing to the next stage. Favourites B.P.F.A. ‘A’ had a twelve shot margin of victory at home to M.G and although they lost, the visitors put in a creditable performance. William Humphrey’s rink had a tight game with Brendan McCusker before he managed a two shot victory and Doran Turtle had to settle for a three shot win over Tommy Magee. The Knockan Road team were very much indebted to Alan Cahoon’s rink who dispatched Henry Marron by 15 shots. The visitors had their own winner in Kieran Teague who’s unit got the better of Robert Black by eight shots. Eaton Park got revenge in a big way when they defeated Dunclug P.T.A by thirty shots at the Rugby Club, all four Park rinks won with Gary Shaw winning by five shots, George Reid Carruthers was a five shot victor. West Church ‘A’ proved to be too strong for Maine even at the Randalstown venue. The main difference between the sides was Graham Wilson’s rink who scored seventeen shots against Mat O’Neill without reply. Matt McPeake added a four shot win for the ‘west’ side and victory from Brian Kerr. The West ‘B’ team made it a club double when they dispatched all Saints by four shots with the rink skipped by George Arthur, being the toast of the home team as they won by ten shots. Albert Henry posted a ten all draw with Martin McGarry and although Eugene Walsh won by a single shot and Jock McKay won by five, it was not enough to wipe out Arthur’s ten shot win.

1st Ballymena journeyed to Antrim Rugby Club where they opposed Enkalon and although First were in receipt of a ten shots, they did not require the same as they won by five shot on a head to head basis. Enkalon’s winners were Chris Murray by one shot and Basil Johnston by three while Brian Mackie ended all square against David McQuitty, Jean Mullin’s rink were the heroes as far as 1st Ballymena were concerned as they won by nine shots against William Moore.

B.P.F.A ‘A’ (40), M.G.B.C (28); Eaton Park (49), Dunclug P.T.A (19)