Seniors 'Rock' on in Irish Cup

BALLYMENA Seniors faced top Bowling League of Ireland team, Blackrock in the last 16 of this year's Irish Senior Cup at the Old Ballymoney Road green on Saturday.

The Braid men made a steady start and in the end they ran out comfortable winners by over 30 shots, 90-56.

There was a strange game on rink 1 where David Duncan, Graham Wilson, Andrew Morrison and Nigel Robinson took on I Gillen.

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The Ballymena men led by 5 shots after 7 ends, but then the visitors won the next six ends to lead by 15 shots to 8.

That was as good as it got for the Blackrock rink as the Braid men moved up a gear to win all but one of the remaining ends to claim victory by 27 shots to 17.

Steven Falls, JR Nicholl, Andrew Kyle and Steven Coleman were always in control of their match against J Murphy on rink 2.

The Ballymena men were always ahead in this game. They scored 6 shots over the first 3 ends and the visitors could never get in to the game with the Braid men winning 14 of the 21 ends to record a fine 27-9 victory.

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David Torrington, Andrew Bonnar, Andrew Duncan and Jim Baker made a slow start against the Blackrock rink skipped by B Somers.

The home rink trailed by 7 shots to 1 after only 5 ends but Baker's men hit back to win the next 4 ends to get their noses in front by 4 shots.

The lead changed hands on several occasions over the next few ends and after 18 ends the visitors held a one shot lead, but the Ballymena rink had the final say, winning the last 3 ends to emerge victorious by 20 shots to 17.

The game on rink 4 was a low scoring affair with James Gaston, Jimmy Hodges, Mark Torrington and Sammy Allen drawn against C Murphy and with the help of two scores of 3 shots over the first 10 ends the home rink lead by 10 shots to 4.

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The margin had increased to 8 shots after 17 ends and although the visitors won the last 4 ends it was the Braid rink who won by 16 shots to 13.

Tonight (Tuesday) night the Seniors have a home match against Salisbury and on Saturday they travel to Willowfield. Sandwiched in between these league games is a NIPGL Senior Cup quarter final tie at home to Belmont on Thursday night.

JUNIORS

Ballymena Juniors received a walk over in the Irish Junior Cup and they also have three matches this week. Tonight (Tuesday) they make the long trip to Ards in the NIPGL Junior League Division 1 and also on Saturday they entertain Willowfield. In between this they travel to Belmont Park in the quarter final of the NIPGL Junior Cup.

Ballymena Senior Park also had no match last Saturday and their next match is away to Ballywalter in the NIPGL Senior League Division 2.

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