Last-end heroics guide champions to important win

The defending champions finished level on shots with visitors Michelin at the Knockan Road clubrooms - but still finished up claiming the lion’s share of the points.

As often seems to be the case with successful sides, it was Broughshane’s ability to grind out a result from a seemingly unenviable position which was the foundation for their victory.

On three separate rinks they were staring down the barrel of defeat, which would have maintained 2012 champions Michelin’s perfect start to the campaign.

When Grant Robinson’s Michelin rink scored a ‘7’ on the seventh end against Andrew Morrison, to open up a 9-5 advantage, the Woodside Road team looked in good shape, but successive counts of ‘2’ brought the scores back level before Morrison’s quartet grabbed victory with a single on the final end.

Alan Cahoon’s Broughshane rink were also on a sticky wicket before a ‘5’ on the eighth end hauled them back into contention against Wesley Caldwell before, remarkably, the BPFA foursome repeated the trick with a ‘5’ on the final end, to win by five shots.

The last end continued to be favourable towards Broughshane after the break as a single for David Morrison gave his rink a 9-8 win over Matthew Boyd.

The only Michelin rink to win on the night was that skipped by Graham Wilson and his quartet were rewarded for their efforts against Ivan Craig as not only did they secure their own point, they also managed to help level the overall shots total, meaning that point was split.

Clough Rangers are the surprise leaders after three rounds of fixtures, following an eight-shot win over JTI, which yielded four points.

Dennis McClurkin and Jimmy Gilchrist guided their rinks to first half wins to put Clough in a strong position.

Graham Maybin attempted to bring JTI back into the game after the interval with a six-shot win over Willie Patton but at the same time, Andy Armstrong’s rink were finishing off a good night’s work for Clough with a win over Billy Lynn.

Golf Club’s unbeaten start to the campaign came to halt as they were beaten at home by BIBC ‘A’.

The visitors’ victory was perhaps more clear-cut than the seven-shot margin suggests, with Jonathan Millar, James Gaston and Andy Duncan all having something to spare in their wins, while Jonny Lynn’s nine-shot win over Bryan Magrath could only repair part of the damage for the golfers.

Old Bleach claimed their first win of the season, leaving opponents BIBC still searching for their first victory since their return to the top flight.

The Randalstown side squeezed home by three shots overall, with wins from Adam Booth and Mervyn McDonald just enough to see off ‘BI’ whose wins came from father and son Roy and David Torrington.

BPFA ‘A’ 36 (3.5), Michelin 36 (1.5): A Morrison 10, G Robinson 9; A Cahoon 13, W Caldwell 8; I Craig 4, G Wilson 11; D Morrison 9, M Boyd 8.

BIBC 36 (2), Old Bleach 39 (3): R Torrington 10, W Fullerton 7; T Hill 10, A Booth 14; N Robinson 7, M McDonald 10; D Torrington 9, A Chesney 8.

Golf Club 33 (1), BIBC ‘A’ 40 (4): D McCullough 5, J Millar 8; J Jamieson 7, J Gaston 13; J Lynn 16, B Magrath 7; S McGarry 5, A Duncan 12.

Clough Rangers 41 (4), JTI 33 (1): D McClurkin 10, T Rock 8; J Gilchrist 14, B Russell 9; W Patton 4, G Maybin 10; A Armstrong 13, B Lynn 6.

DIVISION TWO

Portglenone Community Centre have sent out a strong warning that they are the team to beat and they stormed to a third straight win by taking full points against Services ‘A’, thanks to rink wins from Jim Gaul, Gerry McLarnon, Joe McErlean and Eamon Cassley.

Services’ ‘B’ team counterparts had a much more profitable evening, however, as they returned from their trip to Antrim Indoor Bowling Club with all five points, thanks to wins from Greta Coulter, Eric Smyth, Sheila Smith and Roy Dickson.

Moneyglass were also in ‘whitewash’ mode as they claimed all five points from a home game against Golf Seniors. Sean McNeilly, Kieran Teague, Tommy Magee and Henry Marron skipped the winning ‘MG’ rinks.

BPFA ‘B’, after an opening night trouncing by Portglenone, are gradually regaining form and claimed a second successive win, at the expense of Harryville Community Centre.

Herbie McCullough, Noel Graham and Joe Campbell were the winning Broughshane skips, while Stewart Wilson’s rink produced a gutsy display to claim Harryville sole point.

Portglenone Community Centre 60 (5), Services ‘A’ 26 (0): J Gaul 16, D McNeill 5; G Mclarnon 8, B Kitson 7; J McErlean 20, J Stevenson 2; E Cassley 16, M Shaw 12.

Moneyglass 52 (5), Golf Seniors 24 (0): S McNeilly 14, S Surgenor 6; K Teague 11, G McCrea 9; T Magee 16, J Nichols 2; H Marron 11, D Smyth 7.

BPFA ‘B’ 52 (4), Harryville Community Centre 37 (1): H McCullough 11, H Smyth 8; N Graham 15, W Burgess 6; D Kernohan 7, S Wilson 16; J Campbell 19, J Patterson 7.

Antrim Indoor Bowling Club 34 (0), Services ‘B’ 47 (5): R McCullough 8, G Coulter 9; A Rainey 8, E Smyth 13; T Evans 8, S Smith 13; J Logan 10, R Dickson 12.

DIVISION THREE

West Church suffered their first league defeat when they went down at Glenravel.

In a classic ‘game of two halves’ West Church were well positioned to make it three wins from three games as they led by seven shots at the break, thanks to wins from Tommy Wilson and Jim Rainey.

But the church side’s second half unit failed to spark and Martin McKeegan and John McKeegan’s rinks helped Glenravel to a 32-6 aggregate win in the two second half matches.

Round Tower remain without a win after losing by a 2-3 scoreline for the third game in a row.

Gilmore Campbell and Michael Teer led their Tower rinks to wins but they were undone by crushing wins from Saints’ Sean Haveron and Eugene McReynolds.

First Ballymena piled on the misery for Eaton Park as Roland Woods, Matt Mcpeake and Lyle McQuitty all scored wins, while a half point for John Carruthers against David McQuitty was the only response for the struggling rugby club side.

Round Tower 29 (2), All Saints 50 (3): H Totten 2, S Haveron 22; G Campbell 11, T Dillon 4; J O’Neill 6, E McReynolds 18; M Teer 10, P Martin 6.

Eaton Park 21 (0.5), First Ballymena 42 (4.5): G Shaw 6, R Woods 11; B Hill 3, M Mcpeake 11; G Reid 3, L McQuitty 11; J Carruthers 9, D McQuitty 9.

Glenravel 43 (3), West Church 24 (2): V Bryson 5, T Wilson 8; M McAuley 6, J Rainey 10; M McKeegan 14, V mahon 4; J McKeegan 18, M Livingstone 2.