Vets push opponents to the end

LURGAN 1 Veterans fought hard against a strong and determined Banbridge side on the Park green on Monday afternoon to finish only two shots down to the visitors.

After five ends the home team led 11–8 but Banbridge piled on the pressure for Lurgan 1 to be six shots adrift at the midpoint; but the home side fought hard to narrow the gap with Neill’s rink needing four shots off the last end to tie the match. It was not to be. Neill tried his best but could only get two shots with victory going to Banbridge.

On Rink 1 was Melvyn Hamilton, Bobby Boness, Billy Martin and Sam Neill, skip facing the Banbridge rink skipped by Jim Hamilton. Neill’s rink made a confident start and led 6-2 after the opening five ends but then dropped a crucial five-shot when Hamilton drove at the head to take out the home rink’s lying bowls and to go into the lead for the first time by 7- 6. At the midpoint the visitors had stretched their lead to 11- 8 and although Neill’s rink kept up the fight they were unfortunate to lose another four-shot at the thirteenth end and fall further behind by 16–12. After the sixteenth end the Banbridge rink lead by eight shots and even though the home rink took another three shots off the last two ends they lost 20–15.

Ivor Mitchell, skip, was ably assisted by Vincent Devlin, Albert Houston and Declan McCabrey on Rink 2 against the Banbridge rink skipped by former Lurgan bowler, Eddie McCourt. Mitchell’s rink was three shots down by 6–3 after four ends but four shots off the next three ends took the home rink into the lead 7–6.

However at the halfway point they were trailing 10–7 and by the eleventh end McCourt’s rink had extended their lead to 13–9. Mitchell’s men responded very well and took four shots at fifteenth end to lead again 15–14. They went on to win the last two ends and the rink by 18–15.