League Cup takes centre stage again

The second round line-up was completed last week with Harryville Community Centre beating Dunclug PTA by six shots on aggregate to set up a second round meeting with Services ‘A’.

Already four shots up from the first leg, Harryville looked to be cantering towards victory as wins from Harold Smyth and Wilson Burgess, against Noel Clarke and George Davidson, enabled Harryville to establish a 28-12 lead at the interval of the second leg.

Fast forward a couple of hours, however, and there might well have been a bit of fingernail-chewing among the home ranks as comfortable wins for Alistair Hamill and Bertie Dunlop against the home rinks skipped by Bertie McBride and Stewart Wilson whittled the difference down to just two shots on the night and six overall.

There was an even closer finish to the Moneyglass v Eaton Park tie played the previous week, with the two-legged encounter being decided in the rugby club’s favour by one shot and with the very last bowl of the night.

George Reid was the Eaton hero when, in the last end of his match with Harold Graham and with four shots lying against him, he produced a superb delivery to overturn the situation and claim one shot for his team.

His 15-4 win helped Eaton Park win by 83 shots to 82 overall and they now play Clough Rangers.

The very obvious pick of the ties sees holders BUSC take on fellow first division side BPFA ‘A’ with the first leg in Broughshane this Wednesday evening.

The full second round draw reads: West Church v Old Bleach; Portglenone CC v Golf Seniors; St Mary’s Portglenone v First Ballymena; Harryville CC v Services ‘A’; BPFA ‘A’ v BUSC; CLough Rangers v Enkalon; Michelin v JTI; All Saints v Enkalon.