Mixed bag of results for veterans' teams

On rink 2 Eddie Leckey, Alan O’Loan, Alex Wilson and John Millar were involved in a high scoring game against I Cullen. The visitors settled down straight away winning 8 of the first 10 ends to open up a 15 shot lead.

The Ballymena men had the better of the remaining ends but the damage had already been done as the Divis rink eventually ran out winners by 26 shots to 15.

There was an interesting game on rink 3 where Jimmy Shields, Robert Mark, Sammy Watson and Davy Balmer took on C Williams. Scores were tied at 5-5 after 7 ends but the Braid men then won the next 5 ends to open up a 7 shot lead.

The visitors then hit back and outscored the home rink by 9 shots to 2 over the next 4 ends to level the match. Each rink scored a single shot over the final 2 ends to leave the final score 15-15.

Ballymena Veterans III 28, Divis Veterans II 26: Ballymena Vets 3 travelled to Divis last Wednesday. Both teams had a rink win but it was the Ballymena men who claimed the extra points for the overall score.

There were never more than 3 or 4 shots in the game between Rowly Woods, Bill Wood, Lyle McQuitty and Don McKee and the Divis rink skipped by G McKenna on rink 4.

A count of 3 shots on the third end gave the Ballymena rink an early lead and they kept their noses in front right up until the sixteenth end when they themselves conceded a count of 3 shots to trail by a single shot. The home rink then scored 2 singles over the final ends to claim a hard fought 14-11 victory.

Scores were level at 6-6 after 8 ends on rink 5 where the Ballymena rink of Joe Kyle, Keith Burnett, Robert McCready and Billy Scullion took on F Caldwell.

Seven shots over the next 5 ends gave the Braid men the edge and even though the Divis rink fought back over the remaining ends they could not stop the visitors from recording a 17-12 victory.

Ballymena Veterans IV 23, Whitehead Veterans II 36: Ballymena Vets 3 entertained Whitehead Vets last week and again both teams had a rink win but it was the visitors who claimed the extra points on offer.

Tommy Glass, Clifford Duncan, Roy Kernohan and Jackie Barr had a tough day against E Croft on rink 4. The Ballymena men won 2 of the first 3 ends to lead by 2 shots to 1 but it was the twelfth end before they could score again and by that time the visitors had opened by a 15 shot lead.

The remaining ends were closer but the Braid men never really got over their poor start and it was the Whitehead rink who claimed victory by 22 shots to 6.

Sammy Rainey, Jim Maybin, Joe McKernan and Jim Cameron were involved in quite a tussle on rink 5 against W Barclay. Scores were level at 7-7 after 8 ends and 14-14 after 15 ends, however the Braid rink scored 3 singles over the remaining three ends to register a 17-14 victory.