Lurgan Seniors faced tough opposition on home green

Lurgan’s A Team were under the pressure last weekend facing a Whitehead A side with an eye on an away league victory from the start of the match. Sticking to the task they finished 26 shots ahead and went home with 6 points in the bag.

The home side were clearly shocked when they were 10 shots adrift after 5 ends and then to go 19 shots behind at the halfway point.

With winning the match drifting away from them, they tried their best and pulled back shots across the rinks to come within 12 shots of the visitors at the three-quarter stage.

However, a further loss of 14 shots across the rinks in the remaining ends sounded the death for the Lurgan team who eventually lost by 26 shots – the only winning rink being Nigel Hamilton’s whose stars were Teri Millar and Doreen Whelan, just fresh from winning through to the NIWBA Pairs and the Triples Finals with Shirley Dew.

The solitary Lurgan point was gained by a defiant effort led by Nigel Hamilton facing the strong rink skipped by seasoned bowler, James Caldwell. Well supported by Teri Millar, Jeff McCullough, Doreen Whelan, Hamilton’s rink fought back with vigour from 1-10 down after 6 ends to be just 9-12 behind at the midpoint.

Having dropped 2 shots on the next 2 ends Hamilton’s rink found themselves 9-14 behind but with some magnificent bowling by his support and drawing shots by himself they gradually gained control to lead 17-14 after the 16th end – a lead that they kept to see them through to a superb, but close, 21-18 win.

Ivor Mitchell, Richard McClune, Harry Cosgrove and Alan Roberts took the early initiative against Ryan McKeown, to lead 9-2 after 7 ends and then went on to hold the lead to be 17-8 ahead after 15 ends with victory in sight.

McKeown urged his men into action to win the remaining six ends. The Lurgan Four collapsed under the pressure that included a disastrous 6-shot loss on the 18th end for the home rink to lose by 17-28.

On the end rink, Neil Sloan, Eileen Robson, Sam McCombes and John Gilliland had an initially difficult afternoon facing Colin Todd’s rink to be 7-24 down after 17 ends but they won three of last 4 ends to finish 16-25 behind.

Daren Lavery, Peter Ruffold, Alan Briggs and Ronan Cregan suffered a similar fate at the hands of Stephen Moran and his men. Having taken an early 7-2 lead after the 6th end, things looked promising for Lurgan Four but Moran’s rink responded to tie at 8-8 after 9 ends.

A costly 9-shot loss over the next 2 ends took the visitors into a 8-17 lead; one which they held onto to run out 15-24 winners and deny the Lurgan Four another league point.

The Lurgan A Team have series of home matches during which they hope to improve their performances and turn them into necessary wins with next Saturday’s match being at home to Dundonald.

Lurgan’s B Team resume their programme next Saturday away to local rivals, Portadown with the match starting at 2pm.