Lecale Plate final
By Phillip Woodside
St Michael’s 40 Bright 26
THIS final was a great way to finish the calendar year of local bowling as the result could have went either way until the final run of games, but in the end, St Michael’s proved the stronger to secure the Lecale Plate for the first time after three attempts.Bright put up a great fight but just fell at the last.Killyleagh was the venue for this match and on mat one, the St Michael’s quartet of Trevor Long, Thomas Walsh, Pauline McCormick and Jennifer McClure scored five shots on the third end which proved to be the difference in the game against the Bright rink of Frances and Sean Deegan, Eileen Watson and Lorna Stevenson, with the final score 9-3.On mat two, nothing could separate the rinks of Michael McCartan, John Kelly, Jim Walsh and Eugene Morgan of the Saints and the Bright four of Sylvia Flynn, Peter Kelly, John Graham and Hugh Porter, with the game locked at 5-5.
On the next run, Gary Glavin’s rink of Francie Walsh, Simon Heenan and Pam Trohear, needed two shots on their last end for a 4-4 draw against Lorna Stevenson while Eugene Morgan also needed two shots for a slim 5-4 win over Bobby Cusack, Paul Crawford, Syd Stevenson and Niall Polley.In this game, it must be said that Niall Polley played some great saving bowls to keep his side in the match.
At this point of the match, only seven shots separated the sides, most of which was the count of five in the first game, so all still to play for, but Gary Glavin’s rink came out with intent and after six ends were 14-0 up against Hugh Porter before Hugh collected two shots to finish 14-2 up.The Saints were now firmly in the driving seat although Niall Polley and his players were having a good go against Jennifer McClure and would end up winning 8-3.
After what was a good-natured match between a side from Division One against a Division Two side, it was the higher placed team and probably the favourites that would go home with the trophy.Both teams will be looking forward to more possible success in the second half of the season in their respective divisional cups.
