Slight slip up by B Team

Warrenpoint 84 (5 pts) Lurgan B 75 (1 pts)
Albert Houston.Albert Houston.
Albert Houston.

Second placed Lurgan’s B team met Division 5 League leaders Warrenpoint last Saturday afternoon in an early season top of the league clash and secured two vital points in a tough and tension-filled match on a tricky slow green.

Lurgan B was 15 shots up after five ends and was hopeful of a favourable result to take them to the top of their league and was still 10 shots ahead at the midpoint.

The second half was a different story with the home side taking the initiative by controlling the jack at crucial stages to reduce Lurgan B’s lead to just two shots after the 15th end.

They upped their game and eventually Lurgan B lost by nine shots.

On Rink 1 Albert Houston, Charlie Maguire, Bobby Jones and Sam Neill, skip, found the green to be unpredictable against the forceful Warrenpoint rink skipped by E McLoughlin and were 16-2 down at the halfway point.

Although they fought hard to gain shots they eventually went down 26-8.

David Millar, skipping on Rink 2, and aided by Wilfie McCullough, Derek Henderson and Melvyn Hamilton brought the mat up after winning the first end, frustrating C Quinn’s rink and storming into a 24-1 lead after nine ends.

Some errant bowling by Millar’s rink allowed the opposition to take five shots off the 10th end and to bowl long jacks to their clear advantage.

Millar’s rink won only single shots off two ends in the second half but held on to win 26-19.

On Rink 3 Mike Parr, Brian Brown, Gordon Bell and Michael Bunting, skip went into an early lead of 8-3 after the 7th end but by losing the next three ends it was 10-8 in S Gibney’s Warrenpoint rink with the home rink’s lead being extended to 14-9 after the 12th end. Bunting’s rink sprung into action to even the score at 16-16 after the 18th end and a super four-shot win on the 20th end give the visitors a 20-18 lead going into the last end.

Tragedy struck with Bunting’s rink dropping five shots to unfortunately lose 23-20.

Eamonn Quinn, skipping on Rink 4 with Gerry Stewart, Rodney McCarthy and Dick McClune secured another vital league point with an inspiring 21-16 win against R Aiken’s rink.

They were 9-0 ahead after nine ends but were hampered by losing the next three ends to have their lead reduced to 9-7.

By good focused bowling they extended their lead to 13-8 after the 13th end and maintained their five-shot lead by the 16th end; eventually winning the rink.

Lurgan B need not be dismayed at losing at Warrenpoint, which is acknowledged by all in the game to be a very difficult place to secure a win.

To come home with two league points is no mean achievement on the team’s part, having been beaten by 39 shots on the same visit last season.

They are still in the hunt for League honours!

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