Important victory for the seniors

LURGAN Seniors had an important win over bottom of the table side Londonderry Park.

The town side were looking to widen the gap at the bottom while Londonderry Park were trying to drag Lurgan into a relegation scrap.

It was Lurgan who took the win and have eased themselves away from the battle for the drop in a game they led from the start to the finish.

They were in front 22-16 after five ends which increased to 46-36 after 10 ends. The gap widened to 68-54 after 15 ends and with the match secured Lurgan slipped slightly but still won 91-79.

On rink one Bobby Boness, Pete McGrail, Seamus Skelton and skip David Beattie were 5-2 up after five ends against skip J. Marshall who, after a hesitant start, led after 10 ends.

However by three quarter distance Lurgan had taken the lead by a slender single shot leading 15-14. This rink remained tight and was level at 18 apiece going into the last end. Unfortunately for Lurgan it was Londonderry Park who secured the rink winning shot to win 19-18.

On rink two Stephen Poots, Reece Millar, Billy Martin and skip Mansell Montgomery trailed 7-5 against skip D. Mateer but they fought hard and had levelled the rink at 11 all at the halfway stage.

Montgomery inspired his rink into playing some fantastic bowls to which Mateer and his colleagues had no reply as the Lurgan rink exploded into life leading 19-13 at the three quarter distance and an impressive finish saw them canter home easily winning 32-14 securing the shots Lurgan needed to pick up the overall win.

On rink three Gareth Bunting, Alan Briggs, Eddie McCourt and skip Alan Roberts punished a sluggish start from the Londonderry Park rink skipped by M. Fay to build up an early 8-1 lead after five ends and by the halfway stage they had further punished their opponents, leading 14-3.

Fay refused to give up and by the three quarter distance had reduced Lurgan’s lead to 15-10. The home rink were rocked by this and Londonderry Park were growing in confidence with each end. By the last end the rink were all level at 16 each. The Lurgan rink, having led from the start, were not about to lose the league point in the last end and secured a single shot to win by 17-16

On rink four Ivor Mitchell, Bobby Ruddell, Kris Matchett and skip Harry Cosgrove, got off to a sluggish start and trailed 6-4 after five ends against skip Jono Marshall.

The Lurgan rink picked up a six shot end on the tenth, to lead 13-11 after 10. The rink continued to fight hard and held on to the advantage at the three quarter distance leading 19-17.

Londonderry Park picked up 13 shots in four scoring ends in the run in which was enough to allow them to collect a league point by winning the rink 30-24.