Juniors lose out in IBA Junior Cup clash at Letterkenny

Junior Cup and were disappointed to lose by 17 shots

They got off to a sluggish nervous start to be 27 shots adrift at the halfway stage.

Fairing better in the second

half they reduced the home team’s lead to just 11 shots after 17 ends. There was some hope of a narrow win at this point but further losses across the rinks during theremaining ends increased the final deficit to 17 shots.

Peter Dew, skipping on Rink 1, with Iain Ferguson, Albert Houston and Bobby Jones at lead recovered well from being 23-8 down at the midpoint against Dan Kane’s strong home rink. Helped by a good 5-shot win on the 11th end they won the majority of wins of the remaining ends; but the original wide deficit still hampered Dew’s rink who lost 28-19.

It was a hard fought game for Dan Dempsey, skip on Rink 2, ably supported by Derek Henderson, Rodney McCarthy and Neil Sloan facing James Hegarty’s rink.

Marginally behind at 10-9 after 13 ends they surprised Hegarty’s rink by collecting 10 shots off the next 3 ends to take the lead at 19-12 but two 5-shot end losses cost them a needy rink win; eventual tying at 23 all.

Charlie Maguire, skipping on Rink 3, with Mike Parr, Tom Connolly and Mel Hamilton were unfortunate to trail 16-6 after the 12th end. It was a game decider. Maguire’s rink was lying 7 shots, and looking a potential hotshot in the face, but Rick Kirkpatrick, the Letterkenny skip sent up a brilliant bowl to claim the shot. Single and double shot wins for the Lurgan rink reduced the home rink’s lead but they still lost 22-14.

Will McCullough, skip, Gerry Stewart, Michael Steen and Milne Jones did well to tie

at 18-18 against Brendan O’Kane’s rink. They came back well from a shock 5-shot loss on the 2nd end to lead 10-9 after 8 ends and then 18-15 after the 20th but a triple shot loss on the final end denied them a victory.

After the game and thanks to the Letterkenny club the Lurgan bowlers sat down a delicious meal prior to their long journey home. They were also presented with an inscribed Letterkenny BC glass plaque by their President, Ian Tinney.

Veterans’ team, Lurgan 1’s success continues to take them within one point of Portadown at the top in Zone B Section 4. Following their six point away win at Dromore the previous week they continued their winning trend to take full points from their their home match with Rathfriland last Monday afternoon.

Alan Briggs led his rink that included Gordon Bell, Gerry Stewart and Declan McCabrey to a great 28-18 win. Having dropped 10 shots over the first three ends they recovered from the shock with a magnificent run of seven end wins to lead 20-11.

Claiming most of the remaining ends saw them home to a superb win.

Harry Cosgrove, skip, Sam Neill, Rodney McCarthy and Dan Dempsey played equally well against Herbert Malcomson’s rink. Coming from 11-7 down after 11 ends, Cosgrove and his men took control to win 18-13.

Lurgan 2 have a match in hand over the other teams in Section 4A but are presently in the bottom half.

Coming from an excellent playing surface at home Lurgan teams sometimes experience difficulty on less well maintained greens when playing away. That, indeed, was the case at Kilkeel when Lurgan 2 lost 32-23 to Esplanade Utd to take no points from the match on a very heavy green.

The Lurgan Veterans are performing well so far in this season’s Championships with most getting through to the second round of the various cup competitions.

Mansel Montgomery, Peter McGrail, Bobby Ruddell and Ronnie McCollough played a super game at Ballymena last Thursday to win through to the next round of the McCullough Fours. Coming from 17-12 down with two ends to go they produced a great finish to win 19-17.

Alan Briggs, Gordon Bell and Declan McCabrey made the long trip to Larne on the msame day to play S McKibbon’s Curran triple in the 1st Round of the Richardson Trophy Competition. After settling into the tricky playing surface they soon overcome the home rink to win magnificently by 20-9.

Unfortunately Dan Dempsey lost just by 20-18 on the home green in a tightly fought 1st Round match in the Len McMurtry Rose Bowl singles.