Lurgan B sees off strong opposition on the Park Green

A determined Lurgan second string team faced a strong Antrim Lawn side on their home green last weekend and were hoping to secure a possible Division 3 fifth place; their best placing in years.

The Lurgan side went about the task from the start and were in control to the finish being ahead eight shots ahead on three rinks after five ends; a lead that they held to finish 19 shots up at the end of 18-end match with six league points in the bag.

Robert Kennedy, Stephen Poots, Stewart Martin and Mike Parr had another field day on Rink 1 against Stephen Smyth’s rink. The visitors had no answer to the home rink’s brilliant bowling with Parr’s rink leading 9-2 after 10 ends; only to take a six-shot off the next end to stretch their lead to 15-2.

Smyth struck back to win four ends but it was all too late to prevent the Lurgan B four finishing in style with a five-shot win on the 17th end and a single shot on the last to complete an excellent afternoon’s work and to run out 22-10.

On the adjacent Victor Masters, Trevor Gibson, Stanley Watson and Michael Bunting put up a very good performance facing Robert McCullough’s rink. They sprang into action to come from 6-12 down after eight ends. Taking five shots off the next end and another shot on 10th they squared the game at 12-12.

The lead changed again in McCullough’s favour for them to go ahead by 12-15 but they were met immediately with the home four taking the next four ends to turn the tables at 18-15. Bunting’s went into the last end leading by one shot but they took the last to win 20-17 and to do well to claim another match point.

On Rink 3 Dessie Simpson, Darren Lavery, Simon Maguire and Eamonn Quinn battled hard against Ronnie Walker’s team throughout their game to be 12-8 ahead after 13 ends but were unfortunate to lose out in closely fought heads; eventually losing marginally by 12-14.

Neil Harvey, Melvyn Hamilton, Paul Henderson and Gerard Devlin surprised seasoned skip, Tom Evans with a 12-3 lead after eight ends. The Antrim Lawn rink took five shots of the next two ends to narrow Devlin’s rink to 12-8 but they steadied themselves to lead 17-8 after the 13th end.

Evans' team bounced back to be just 4 shots behind at 17-13 but Devlin’s rink made sure of a great victory with a three-shot win on penultimate end to finish 20-14 up and to secure a fantastic Lurgan B win while making sure of fifth place in NIBA Division 3.

Lurgan B are off to meet Divis on the Falls Park Green in their last match of a most successful season in years and are hoping for a win having tied at home with them in the first half of the season.