Portrush travelled to Whitehead with high hopes of a good performance, and didn't disappoint - a great game took place with a little bit of everything in the mix.
On Rink 1 Marty "the Machine" McHugh played Portrush's Magician, Gary McCloy. This started off a close affair, with both sides playing good bowls. Trevor Colvin enjoyed a good start to the game as did H.McHugh. As the Portrush rink applied the early pressure, The Machine played sublime bowls converting a lot of heads with both draw and running shots. As they game developed the Whithead rink starting building good heads of their own, and both Derk Smyth and the Magician had to use all of their experience to try and hang on to the well oiled opposition rink. Going into the last end the score was 25-18 in Whitehead's favor. But there was to be a twist in the last end, when the Portrush rink built a great head to lie 6 leaving Marty a tough draw to cut down. Luckily for Portrush, Marty was just a little short and they lifted a 5 to finish 25-23. A great game during which Gazza enjoyed a few fortunate rubs of the green, and Marty showed his class throughout, but overall Portrush were happy to end up only 2 shots down.
On Rink 3 Kevin O'Neill took on Barry "Bomber" Browne from Whitehead. This was a game of three stages, with the Port rink building up a good lead of up to 9 shots at one time, only to be pulled back by a strong Whitehead fightback, but to the Portrush's rinks credit, they found a 2nd wind and kicked on again to finish 24-20 up. A good tight battle were all 4 Port players enjoyed good games, and on the balance of play deserved their 4 shot win.
On Rink 4 Ian McClure played S.Moran from the home club. Ian's rink raced into an 11 shot lead unanswered with good solid bowls. However, the home team hit back, and fought their way back into the game and took the lead themselves. The turning point in the game came when with only a few ends to go, and Whitehead 12 shots up in the overall score, Stevie Moran played a running shot down the backhand, he was slightly tight and flicked a bowl, springing the jack out to the edge of the rink, to leave Portrush lying 5. On the very next end, the Portrush Professor, with his last bowl, chopped the nearest Whitehead bowl out of the head to claim 6 shots - a magnificient bowl to reduce the team deficit to just 2 shots. In the last end Portrush lay a shot thanks to Gary Scott, but Stevie Moran pulled a bare white into the ditch to lay a single, leaving Ian a hard drive to try and get his toucher in. Ian was a little bit wide and was unfortunate to hit an opposition toucher up for a 2 to Whitehead. Final score 25-21 to Portrush.
The last game off was that of Jackie Smyth versus James Caldwell. This was a tough battle for both sides on a rink that was playing very difficult, and not helped by the strong gusts of wind. By the 2nd last end it was 25-16 to Whitehead, but the Port rink scraped a single to make the score 25-17 and reduce the overall score to 1. With Ian's rink losing a 2, it left the overall score 3 up to Whitehead, and this the only game still on the green - a nerve racking finish. John Shiels and Uel McCloy lay 3 after the front ends had delivered, with the nearest 18 inches away and the furthest still inside a yard. JR played his 1st bowl slightly heavy and was unlucky not to change the head. Ed "The Cat" Curran then played a precision draw on the swinging forehand to within 1 inch of a front toucher to lay 4 and increase the pressure on Whitehead. JR then changed to the backhand and whilst close, he got a lovely rub to finish just inside the shot bowl for 2nd. The Cat then played the backhand as well, with 2 foot of weight to nudge his own bowl and move the jack back by about 18 inches to bring all 5 shots back into it. James Caldwell then played a super draw down the tricky backhand to lie jack-high for 3rd shot. Jackie "Winky" Smyth then had to decide whether to try and draw 3rd or try and time his weight to chop the Whitehead bowl out on the dip. He went for the latter, and executed the shot superbly to remove the bowl to the jubilation of the Portrush Team. James then had no option other than to play weight down the backhand - he was very close but found a gap and ran through the head to leave Portrush claiming a 6 and the match.
So Portrush proceed to the next round, but it was a fantastic game that swung back and forward to each team on a number of occasions. The atmosphere was electric and the small crowd of spectators enjoyed a great game in fantastic sunshine all day long.
It was a great result for the Port, as they entered the game as underdogs and also without the services of Barry Moffatt.
We now look forward to Dunbarton in the Quarter Finals.
On Rink 1 Marty "the Machine" McHugh played Portrush's Magician, Gary McCloy. This started off a close affair, with both sides playing good bowls. Trevor Colvin enjoyed a good start to the game as did H.McHugh. As the Portrush rink applied the early pressure, The Machine played sublime bowls converting a lot of heads with both draw and running shots. As they game developed the Whithead rink starting building good heads of their own, and both Derk Smyth and the Magician had to use all of their experience to try and hang on to the well oiled opposition rink. Going into the last end the score was 25-18 in Whitehead's favor. But there was to be a twist in the last end, when the Portrush rink built a great head to lie 6 leaving Marty a tough draw to cut down. Luckily for Portrush, Marty was just a little short and they lifted a 5 to finish 25-23. A great game during which Gazza enjoyed a few fortunate rubs of the green, and Marty showed his class throughout, but overall Portrush were happy to end up only 2 shots down.
On Rink 3 Kevin O'Neill took on Barry "Bomber" Browne from Whitehead. This was a game of three stages, with the Port rink building up a good lead of up to 9 shots at one time, only to be pulled back by a strong Whitehead fightback, but to the Portrush's rinks credit, they found a 2nd wind and kicked on again to finish 24-20 up. A good tight battle were all 4 Port players enjoyed good games, and on the balance of play deserved their 4 shot win.
On Rink 4 Ian McClure played S.Moran from the home club. Ian's rink raced into an 11 shot lead unanswered with good solid bowls. However, the home team hit back, and fought their way back into the game and took the lead themselves. The turning point in the game came when with only a few ends to go, and Whitehead 12 shots up in the overall score, Stevie Moran played a running shot down the backhand, he was slightly tight and flicked a bowl, springing the jack out to the edge of the rink, to leave Portrush lying 5. On the very next end, the Portrush Professor, with his last bowl, chopped the nearest Whitehead bowl out of the head to claim 6 shots - a magnificient bowl to reduce the team deficit to just 2 shots. In the last end Portrush lay a shot thanks to Gary Scott, but Stevie Moran pulled a bare white into the ditch to lay a single, leaving Ian a hard drive to try and get his toucher in. Ian was a little bit wide and was unfortunate to hit an opposition toucher up for a 2 to Whitehead. Final score 25-21 to Portrush.
The last game off was that of Jackie Smyth versus James Caldwell. This was a tough battle for both sides on a rink that was playing very difficult, and not helped by the strong gusts of wind. By the 2nd last end it was 25-16 to Whitehead, but the Port rink scraped a single to make the score 25-17 and reduce the overall score to 1. With Ian's rink losing a 2, it left the overall score 3 up to Whitehead, and this the only game still on the green - a nerve racking finish. John Shiels and Uel McCloy lay 3 after the front ends had delivered, with the nearest 18 inches away and the furthest still inside a yard. JR played his 1st bowl slightly heavy and was unlucky not to change the head. Ed "The Cat" Curran then played a precision draw on the swinging forehand to within 1 inch of a front toucher to lay 4 and increase the pressure on Whitehead. JR then changed to the backhand and whilst close, he got a lovely rub to finish just inside the shot bowl for 2nd. The Cat then played the backhand as well, with 2 foot of weight to nudge his own bowl and move the jack back by about 18 inches to bring all 5 shots back into it. James Caldwell then played a super draw down the tricky backhand to lie jack-high for 3rd shot. Jackie "Winky" Smyth then had to decide whether to try and draw 3rd or try and time his weight to chop the Whitehead bowl out on the dip. He went for the latter, and executed the shot superbly to remove the bowl to the jubilation of the Portrush Team. James then had no option other than to play weight down the backhand - he was very close but found a gap and ran through the head to leave Portrush claiming a 6 and the match.
So Portrush proceed to the next round, but it was a fantastic game that swung back and forward to each team on a number of occasions. The atmosphere was electric and the small crowd of spectators enjoyed a great game in fantastic sunshine all day long.
It was a great result for the Port, as they entered the game as underdogs and also without the services of Barry Moffatt.
We now look forward to Dunbarton in the Quarter Finals.
Portrush v Whitehead
(Irish Cup, Sat-19-June-2010)
(Irish Cup, Sat-19-June-2010)
