Kristofor is narrowly beaten

The reigning NIBA and IBA Youth Singles Champion, saw off stern opposition in the prestigious annual Bangor Tournament Youth Singles at the Ward Park green to met Connor Burns of the Shaftsbury Club in the final.

Matchett was narrowly beaten by a single shot in a game which went to a tie end.

Matchett took a few ends to settle and control his weight, and with Burns drawing well he was down 5-1 after six ends of the sixteen-end match. However at the seventh end Matchett came good with a close bowl to put Burns under pressure and although he moved the jack with his first bowl Matchett still held shot. He produced a brilliant third bowl to draw the second shot and was unfortunate not to connect with an opposition bowl to collect three shots, the score being 5-2 to Burns.

The eighth end was a good one for Matchett which resulted in him bowling three brilliant bowls to which Burns had no answer and to square the match at 5-5. However Burns went on the attack and claimed two shots off the next end to leave Matchett two shots adrift at 7-5. The tenth end was a closely fought one with Matchett being unlucky to not draw the shot bowl – 8-5 to Burns.

On the eleventh end Matchett bowled a great third bowl to draw the shot and was just short with his last bowl to get a second. Burns’ fourth bowl was on a tight line and he missed the head to leave Matchett still lying shot and move within two shots of his opponent and to reduce Burns’ lead to 8-6.

Matchett took another shot off the next end. Bowling to a long jack, Matchett gained a toucher with his second bowl and while Burns replied with weight to take one of Matchett’s bowls out the toucher still remained in position for him to win a crucial end – 8-7 to Burns.

The 14th end also went in Matchett’s favour for the match to be squared at 8-8. He went close at the 15th when he was lying two shots, but Burns drew an excellent shot to take the end away from Matchett, who was unlucky when he just skimmed the jack –

9-8 to Burns.

Burns challenged Lurgan’s Matchett with a long jack which resulted in Matchett dropping another two shots to go into the last end three down at 11-8.

However the match was not over for Matchett. On the last end he rose to the occasion and bowled three terrific bowls to take the score to 11-11 and a tie end which unfortunately went to Burns by one shot..