Park Seniors seek improvement in 2010

PARK SENIORS

With top half finishes in the NIPGL Senior Division League Division 2 in the 2007 and 2008 seasons Ballymena Senior Park were hoping to claim a similar finish last year.

However, it was undoubtedly a disappointing season for the Braid team, who won just three of their matches for a final league position of 12th out of 16 teams.

They were unable to record a home win during the league campaign but in fairness the team could possibly have finished higher in the league as there were four or five games in which they suffered narrow defeats and if even two or three of these had been turned in to wins, then the league table would have made much better reading.

This year the Senior Park begins their league campaign when they travel of Shaftesbury on Saturday 24th April.

The Irish Senior Cup run ended at the first hurdle with a home defeat by Carrickfergus and it was a similar story in the NIPGL Senior Cup when Willowfield claimed victory in the first round.

This year Ballymena Senior Park has received a bye in the first round of the Irish Senior Cup and they travel to Ewarts in the first round of the NIPGL Senior Cup.

PGL Senior Division Two fixtures: 24/04 - Shaftesbury (A), 1/05 - Nortel (H), 08/05 - Hilden (A), 15/05 - Bye, 22/05 - Malone (A), 5/06 - Albert Foundry (H), 12/06 - Shorts (A), 19/06 – Forthriver (H), 26/06 - Ballywalter (A), 3/07 - Ards (A), 24/07 - Cliftonville (A), 7/08 - Mossley (H), 14/08 - Cavehill (A), 21/08 - Saintfield (H) and 28/08 - Gallaher (H).

PARK JUNIORS

Stability will be the key to Ballymena Park Juniors' hopes in 2010.

Ballymena Park Juniors could not have got off to a better start last year when they scored a maximum seven points in their first game in the NIPGL Junior Division 2 away at Shaftesbury, however this victory was a false dawn as they lost six of their next seven games.

During this period the Ballymena team had some difficulties in fielding a team and this was reflected in the results, but then they managed to string together a run of six consecutive victories to eventually finish up with eight victories from 13 matches.

In 2008 the team finished sixth in their first year in existence however last year they had to settle for tenth place and given the difficulties which the team has had over the season, 2009 turned out to be a satisfactory year for the Junior Park outfit.

In the Irish Junior Cup, Ballymena Junior Park travelled to Moat Park and even though they put in a very good performance they were narrowly defeated.

This year in the IBA Junior Cup, Ballymena Junior Park has a home draw against Castle and they also enjoy a home draw in the NIPGL Junior Cup when they entertain Cliftonville.

Fixtures: 24/04 - Shaftesbury (H), 1/05 - Belfast (A), 08/05 - Hilden (H), 15/05 - Owenbeg (A), 22/05 - Comber (H), 5/06 - Albert Foundry (A), 12/06 - Shorts (H), 19/06 - Albert Foundry (A), 26/06 - Ballywalter (H), 3/07 - Salisbury (A), 24/07 - Cliftonville (H), 7/08 - Ewarts (A), 14/08 - Cavehill (H), 21/08 - Saintfield (A) and 28/08 - Gallaher (A).

BALLYMENA MIDWEEK PARK

Ballymena Midweek Park took their place in the NIPGL Midweek Division 1 for the first time in 2009 and they had a great season which well exceeded expectations when they scored 60.5 points from their 15 games winning 10 and losing five.

They finished behind Belmont and Ulster Transport, both of whom they beat during the league campaign, and they also finished ahead of seasoned Midweek teams such as Cliftonville, Falls and Ards.

In the NIPGL Midweek Cup they had a decent run but were beaten by Belmont at the quarter final stages. This year Ballymena Midweek Park is involved in a first round game when they travel to PSNI on Thursday 3rd June.

PGL Midweek Division One fixtures: 05/05 - Cliftonville (H), 12/05 - Mossley (A), 19/05 - Ards (H), 26/05 - Dunbarton (A), 2/06 - Pickie (H), 09/06 - Ulster Transport (A), 16/06 - Forthriver (H), 23/06 - Larne (A), 30/06 - Magheradroll (H), 07/07 - Willowfield (A), 28/07 - Knock (A), 4/08 - Falls (H), 11/08 - Downpatrick (A), 18/08 - Ewarts (H) and 25/08 - Ewarts (A).

BALLYMENA VETERANS

Ballymena veterans may not have had the best season in 2009 from a results point of view but each week the teams have gone out and enjoyed their bowls.

Ballymena Vets3 had the best league performance of the four teams, finishing fourth in their league, while none of the teams got past the first round of any of the cups.

n Zone A Section 1 Ballymena Bowling Club had two teams competing. Ballymena Vets1 finished 12th in the league having played 14 matches and scoring a total of 60 points (Won 8 – Draw 0 – Lost 6). Ballymena Vets2 finished one place better in 11th place having played 14 matches and scoring a total of 63 points (Won 5 – Draw 1 – Lost 8).

In Zone A Section 2, Ballymena Vets3 finished an excellent 4th place having played 13 matches and scoring a total of 76 points (Won 7 – Draw 6 – Lost 6). Ballymena Vets4 had a disappointing season finishing in 13th place having played 11 matches and scoring a total of 40 points (Won 2 – Draw 0 – Lost 9).

In the Hatch cup Ballymena Vets (combined team) made an early exit, losing in the first round to Newcastle. In the preliminary round of the Lyttle Cup Ballymena Vets1 lost at Newcastle, Ballymena Vets2 defeated Antrim Lawn2 at home and Ballymena Vets3 were defeated away at Curran. In the first round proper, Ballymena Vets2 lost at home to Ulster Transport while Ballymena Vets4 also lost away at Curran.

Ballymena Vets 1 Fixtures: 10/05 - Falls (H), 17/05 - Ballymena2 (A), 24/05 - Glengormley (H), 31/05 - Newtownabbey (A), 7/06 - Ulster Transport (H), 14/06 - Whitehead (A), 21/06 - Nortel (H), 28/06 - Old Bleach (A), 05/07 - Castleton (H), 26/07 - Carrickfergus (H), 02/08 - Larne (A), 9/08 - Forthriver (H), 16/08 - Curran (A), 23/08 - Divis (H) and 30/08 - Mossley (A).

Ballymena Vets 2 fixtures: 10/05 - Old Bleach (A), 17/05 - Ballymena2 (H), 24/05 - Carrickfergus (A), 31/05 - Larne (H), 7/06 - Forth River (A), 14/06 - Curran (H), 21/06 - Divis (A), 28/06 - Mossley (H), 05/07 - Falls (A), 26/07 - Castleton (A), 02/08 - Glengormley (H), 9/08 - Newtownabbey (A), 16/08 - Ulster Transport (H), 23/08 - Whitehead (A) and 30/08 - Nortel (H).

Ballymena Vets 3 Fixtures: 10/05 - Carrickfergus3 (A), 17/05 - Ballymena4 (H), 24/05 - Glengormley2 (A), 31/05 - Newtownabbey2 (H), 7/06 - Ulster Transport2 (A), 14/06 - Whitehead2 (H), 21/06 - Glengormley3 (A), 28/06 - Bye (H), 05/07 - Bye (A), 26/07 - Carrickfergus2 (A), 02/08 - Antrim Lawn (H), 9/08 - Forthriver2 (A), 16/08 - Curran2 (H), 23/08 - Divis2 (A) and 30/08 - Mossley2 (H).

Ballymena Vets 4 Fixtures: 10/05 - Bye (H), 17/05 - Ballymena3 (A), 24/05 - Carrickfergus2 (H), 31/05 - Antrim Lawn (A), 7/06 - Forth River2 (H), 14/06 - Curran2 (A), 21/06 - Divis2 (H), 28/06 - Mossley2 (A), 05/07 - Carrickfergus3 (H), 26/07 - Bye (H), 02/08 - Glengormley2 (A), 9/08 - Newtownabbey2 (H), 16/08 - Ulster Transport2 (A), 23/08 - Whitehead2 (H) and 30/08 - Glengormley3 (A).

LADIES 'B'

Ballymena Ladies ‘B’ play in a league of only four teams - Portrush, Ballycastle and Kilrea - with each team playing each other on four occasions.

The ladies had a mixed season with several good victories, but unfortunately they have at times found the going tough.

They played 12 games in total collecting a total of 17 points, finishing bottom of their league and made an early exit in the PTWBA Junior Cup, but the ladies went out each week and give of their best.

PTWBA Junior League fixtures: 05/05 - Portrush (A), 12/05 - Ballycastle (H), 19/05 - Kilrea (A), 26/05 - Portrush (H), 09/06 - Ballycastle (A), 16/06 - Kilrea (H), 30/06 - Portrush (A), 07/07 - Ballycastle (H), 21/07 - Kilrea (A), 28/07 - Portrush (H), 4/08 - Ballycastle (A), 18/08 - Kilrea (H)

FRIENDLIES

Three friendly matches have been arranged for this Saturday, April 17.

Ballymena Seniors travel to Portrush, Ballymena Juniors host Coleraine and Ballymena Senior Park make the short journey to Portglenone. Reports on these matches will appear next week.