Good recovery after set-back

Dromore B 76 (2)

Lurgan’s B team recovered from their midweek defeat by Holywood by beating Dromore B last Saturday at home by 9 shots and gaining five valuable points in an effort to finish their Division 5 league programme in the top three.

Dan Dempsey, skipping on Rink 1, with Bobby Jones, Rodney McCarthy and Vincent Devlin had a close run game against Derek Burns’ Dromore B rink but emerged worthy winners by 1 shot at 17-16 on the last end to collect a vital league point.

On Rink 2 for the home side was Wilfie McCullough, skip, Derek Henderson, Brendan Beattie and Bobby Livingstone. They were 4 shots behind at 11-7 after the 9th end but a 4-shot win on the 11th closed the gap to 12-11 in favour of Sammy Malcolmson’s rink. The Lurgan men lost the next 3 ends but responded with renewed determination and led 22–19 going into the final end but slack bowling allowed the visitors to reclaim 4 shots and win the rink 23–22.

The plaudits of the day went to Rink 3 where Sam Neill, skip, Declan McCabrey, Charlie Maguire and Neil Sloan faced Tom Sudlow’s Dromore B rink. The Lurgan four were well in the lead at 10–4 at the midpoint and after 14th end they were in an unassailable position at 21–5. Although they dropped a 6-shot at the 17th end they recovered them at the 19th and finished with a superb win by 32–14 thus securing a vital league point.

Eamonn Quinn skipped on Rink 4 for the home side with Gerry Stewart, Brian Brown and Aubrey Bell against Alan Sudlow’s rink. The visitors were determined from the start to claim a vital league point but Quinn’s rink kept in close contact and were only 2 shots adrift at 10–8 at the midpoint but losing triple and double-shot ends was costly in the second half which allowed the visitors to win 23-14.

The B Team have three matches left in their league programme: Antrim (A) this Saturday, 1st Ballymacarrett (H) on 31st and Divis B (A) on 7th September.

Lurgan B 54 (1)

Holywood 85 (6)

Lurgan B’s league challenge suffered a setback in their match against fellow contenders Holywood as they fell short by 21 shots. The home team went into the match as favourites having comprehensively defeated their opponents away from home at the start of the season. The visitors were soon in the driving seat to coast to a win by 21 shots.

On Rink 1 for Lurgan B were Eamonn Quinn, skip, Gerry Stewart, Roy Poots and Charlie Maguire. The home rink struggled with their bowling and their 4–2 lead after the 5th end soon evaporated with the opposition storming into an unassailable 21-4 lead. During the remaining ends Quinn’s rink picked 3 consolation shots but they were no match for the Holywood rink who won 26–7.

Sam Neill, skip, Rodney McCarthy, Albert Houston and Mike Parr put up a great fight on Rink 2 and came from behind to win the last end and secure the home team’s solitary point. It was all square at 5–5 after the 7th end but 4 shots from the 9th and 10th ends gave the home rink a 9–6 lead. Clarke’s rink struck back to lead 11–9 after the 13th end; all square again at 11–11 after the 14th. Neill’s rink held their nerve and collected 5 shots over the 15th to 18th ends to lead 16–13 but dropped 4 shots over the next 2 ends to go into the last end 1 shot down. A great last end and leadership from Neill produced a super 3-shot win.

Dan Dempsey on Rink 3 with Bobby Jones, Declan McCabrey and Vincent Devlin found themselves 5-1 down after 5 ends and 12–2 after 9 due to triple shots being dropped on consecutive ends against a confident Holywood rink. While they won the next three ends they could only reduce the deficit to 12–6. Another 4 shots down on 2 ends allowed Getty’s rink to settle into winning position at 16–6. Shots were divided over the second half with the visitors winning 22–12.

Wilfie McCullough, skipping on Rink 4, with Derek Henderson, Brendan Beattie and Bobby Livingstone lead 13–4 after the 10th end and were looking good for another Lurgan point with their score at 16–9 after 15 ends but some unusually slack bowling allowed the visitors to win 20–16.