‘Whitewash’ at Broughshane scuppers BIBC ‘A’s title hopes

It was the week in which three became two in the race for the Ballymena & District League title.
Members of Maine and All Saints Bowling Clubs keep a close eye on the state of play during their match. INBT11-215ACMembers of Maine and All Saints Bowling Clubs keep a close eye on the state of play during their match. INBT11-215AC
Members of Maine and All Saints Bowling Clubs keep a close eye on the state of play during their match. INBT11-215AC

Two of the would-be challengers squared up in the penultimate week of the campaign - with the outcome almost certainly determining the destination of the championship in favour of the third contender!

BIBC ‘A’, on the back of 11 straight league wins, had begun the week as leaders but their challenge unravelled completely at Broughshane ‘B’, from where they emerged empty-handed on the back of a 24-shot roasting by the defending champions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Broughshane, of course, had their own title aspirations to look after and they ensured they will be firmly in the shake-up going into the last week with a commanding performance.

Alan Cahoon, Andrew Morrison, William Morrison and David Morrison all skipped their rinks to clear-cut victories in an unexpectedly one-sided encounter.

BIBC ‘A’ can, mathematically, still win the title but they will go into the final round of matches four points behind Michelin, who took four-and-a-half points from their trip to Golf Club in their penultimate fixture.

After Grant Robinson had battled out an 8-8 tie with David McCullough, Michelin seized the initiative with wins from Wesley Caldwell, Graham Wilson and Matthew Boyd.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With a home match against JTI as their final fixture on Wednesday, it’s hard to look past Michelin replicating their 2012 success and they will know exactly how many points they need as nearest challengers Broughshane completed their programme last night (Monday) at Clough, the result of which wasn’t known at the time of going to press.

At the other end of the table, BIBC, who have propped up the division for most of the campaign, sparked a possible ‘Great Escape’ by beating Clough, for whom 2014 has been nothing short of disastrous.

Roy Torrington, David Torrington and Nigel Robinson scored the points which saw ‘BI’ leap-frog their opponents, while Clough’s lone point came from Mal Norton.

In the other game, Old Bleach eased away from the lower reaches with 30-shot win at JTI, with 24 of that margin coming about from Willie Fullerton’s 25-1 eclipse of Brian Russell.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

BPFA ‘A’ 49 (5), BIBC ‘A’ 0: A Cahoon 13, J Gaston 5; A Morrison 10, S Shields 7; W Morrison 11, B Magrath 6; D Morrison 15, A Duncan 7.

Golf Club 26 (1.5), Michelin 46 (4.5): D McCullough 8, G Robinson 8; J Jamieson 10, W Caldwell 14; J Lynn 4, G Wilson 10; S McGarry 4, M Boyd 14.

BIBC 50 (4), Clough Rangers 24 (1): R Torrington 11, J Gilchrist 4; J Coulter 8, M Norton 10; D Torrington 14, W Patton 9; N Robinson 17, R Aitcheson 1.

JTI 28 (1), Old Bleach 58 (4): T Rock 9, N McNally 13; B Russell 1,W Fullerton 25; B Lynn 7, W Scott 10; G Maybin 11, M McDonald 10.

DIVISION TWO

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As expected, Portglenone Community Centre wrapped up the second division title with a match to spare.

And they did it in some style, by taking four points from their meeting with Services’ B’.

The rinks skipped by Nicky McCaw, Gerry Mclarnon and Joe McErlean all scored 10 shots on their way to victories.

The other Portglenone rink, skipped by Jim Gaul, managed nine shots but still lost out to John Smith.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Who finishes as runners-up to the Bannsiders will be determined by a winner-takes-all encounter this week, when second-placed Broughshane Playing Fields Association ‘A’ take on third-placed Services ‘A’ in the Knockan Road clubrooms, with BPFA currently holding a two-point advantage.

Both sides won last week to set up the last-day clash, with Services cutting the gap on their rivals after taking four-and-a-half points from a home game against Antrim Indoor Bowling Club, who look destined to finish bottom and return to Division Three.

Crushing wins from Joe Stevenson and Bill Kitson, along with a win from Mark Shaw, set the Trostan Avenue side on their way to a 29-shot success.

Antrim’s only crumb of comfort came from Darren McCullough, who earned half-a-point from a 9-9 draw with B Stewart.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

BPFA were given a sterner examination as they claimed three points from an eight-shot win over Moneyglass, thus ending any lingering promotion hopes for ‘MG’.

Herbie McCullough and James Wasson’s impressive rink wins were enough to tip the overall balance in Broughshane’s favour, despite Brendan McCusker and Henry Marron leading their Moneyglass rinks to victory.

Harryville Community Centre gave themselves hope of avoiding the drop to Division Three by beating Golf Seniors, but the Wakehurst side will have to beat newly-crowned champions Portglenone in their final game if they are to avoid finishing in the bottom two.

Wilson Burgess, Harold Smyth and Joe Patterson all skipped winning rinks for Harryville, while John Nichols’ rink ‘pointed’ for the golfers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Portglenone CC 39 (4), Services ‘B’ 30 (1): N McCaw 10, E Smyth 7; G McLarnon 10, G Coulter 9; J McErlean 10, R Dickson 3; J Gaul 9, J Smith 11.

BPFA ‘B’ 36 (3), Moneyglass 28 (2): H McCullough 12, S McNeilly 9; D Kernohan 5, B McCusker 6; D Rea 5, H Marron 9; J Wasson 14, T Magee 4.

Harryville CC 42 (4), Golf Seniors 29 (1): W Burgess 11, I Lecky 8; H Smyth 16, C Wade 4; S Wilson 7, J Nichols 11; J Patterson 8, D Smyth 6.

Services ‘A’ 51 (4.5), Antrim IBC 22 (0.5): B Stewart 9, D McCullough 9; J Stevenson 19, A Rainey 6; B Kitson 14, R McCullough 2; M Shaw 9, T Evans 5.

DIVISION THREE

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All Saints took a significant step towards the third division title by beating main challengers Maine last week.

Sean Haveron, Eugene McReynolds and Paddy Martin all led their Saints rinks to wins, while Maine’s only response came from John Heffron.

It means All Saints went into their last fixture - away to West Church last night (Monday) - with a two point lead.

Maine host First Ballymena - who themselves can still win the title but only with a big win and other results going their way.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘First’ stayed in contention by beating West Church last week, taking four-and-a-half points in the process.

David McQuitty, Jim Lilley and Roland Woods were First Ballymena’s winners, while Lyle McQuitty had to settle for half a point from his rink’s meeting with Jim Rainey.

Glenravel can also still mathematically win the title after they claimed their default five points following the withdrawal of Eaton park. The Glensfolk host Round Tower in their final game.

First Ballymena 43 (4.5), West Church 31 (0.5): L McQuitty 9, J Rainey 9; D McQuitty 14, D Aicken 8; J Lilley 9, T Wilson 8; R Woods 11, M Livingstone 6.

All Saints 45 (4), Maine 28 (1): S Haveron 13, P Kerr 4; A Mitchell 7, J Heffron 11; E McReynolds 8, L McQuillan 7; P Martin 17, P Reeves 6.

Related topics: