Season bursts into life for Eaton Park with superb win over All Saints

The rugby club side have endured a difficult opening to the Division Three campaign, struggling to field a full line-up of players in a couple of the early weeks.

There were no such worries last week, however, as Eaton Park more than doubled their points tally for the season in just one evening as they thumped All Saints by more than 30 shots to claim full points.

Bonar Hill and Gary Shaw laid the foundations for a good night for the rugby outfit with wins over Nicholas Mitchell and Eugene McReynolds prior to the tea break.

And Eaton Park second half rinks were in no mood to let the good work of their first half counterparts go to waste as they raised the standard even higher.

John Carruthers’ and George Reid’s rinks were in commanding form as they outscored the Saints quartets led by Sean Haveron and Anthony Mitchell by a combined total of 33 shots to nine.

Round Tower, another side who have struggled for form in the early weeks, recorded a very welcome victory as they hosted Maine.

The Antrim side were in the ascendancy at the interval thanks to R Walker’s win over Brie Magill, while Helen Totten and Laurence McQuillan’s rinks could not be separated in a 9-9 stalemate.

Michael Teer’s rink, so often Round Tower’s most regular points scorers, helped ensure an overall win as they saw off Paddy O’Neill, meaning that John Heffron’s rink win for Maine wasn’t enough to alter the overall shots total.

The game between Services ‘B’ and Moneyglass was called off as a mark of respect following the passing of Services ‘B’ player Sheila Smith.

Round Tower 40 (3.5), Maine 32 (1.5): H Totten 9, L McQuillan 9; R Walker 12, B Magill 7; M Teer 9, P O’Neill 4; J O’Neill 10, J Heffron 12.

Eaton Park 54 (5), All Saints 23 (0): B Hill 10, N Mitchell 6; G Shaw 11, E McReynolds 9; J carruthers 17, S Haveron 4; G Reid 16, A Mitchell 5.

DIVISION TWO

Glenravel, having consolidated their position in their debut season in Division Two last year, are looking to continue to progress and they recorded a good 10-shot win over Services ‘A’ last week, picking up three-and-a-half points in the process.

It was an outcome made even more impressive by the fact that Very Bryson’s rink lost by 13 shots to B Stewart in the first half, although Martin McKeegan’s Glenravel rink repaired some of that damage with a six shot win over Pauline Wilson.

But the complexion of the game changed after the break when Martin McKillop’s rink - assisted by two counts of four shots and one of five - overwhelmed Declan McLaughlin’s rink by 21 shots to two.

It could have even better for the Martinstown side as John McKeegan’s rink led by three shots going into the final end but Services’ Mark Shaw’s final delivery saw him claim three shots - with a measure being required - to earn a 9-9 draw and the point was shared.

Portglenone Community Centre produced a strong second half performance to come from behind to beat First Ballymena.

The church side have settled quickly in the higher division following promotion from the third tier last season and they looked on course for a good victory after winning both first half rinks thanks to father and son skips Lyle and David McQuitty.

The Bannsiders faced a 10-shot deficit going into the second half but they made light work of that hurdle as Roy Hunter and Joe McErlean’s rinks outscored the First Ballymena quartets led by Sammy McFetridge and Roland Woods by 31 shots to seven to ensure that Portglenone also collected the additional point for overall shots total.

Golf Seniors picked up three points from their home game against BPFA ‘A’.

This was also another ‘game of two halves’ with the golfers romping to a 29-7 interval lead after Ivan McMaster and Ian Lecky’s rinks saw off W Esler and Adrian McCaw, with Lecky’s rink in impressive form.

But Broughshane battled back gamely in the second half, with Adi Davison’s rink scoring a count of six shots on the second end, en route to beating John Nichols and George Davidson edged out Donald Smyth by a shot to earn a second point for BPFA.

No details were received from the Antrim IBC v Harryville Community Centre match at the time of going to press.