Four players remain in the hunt for doubles title

FOUR players are now in the hunt for the Greenhills Summer League Doubles title following an exciting penultimate round of matches last Thursday night.

In the first match in Category A Josephine Moran and Karl Thornberry went three up after two ends against Tommy McGuinness and Sean Donnelly, but for some reason they then lost their momentum and McGuinness/Donnelly turned it around to lead by one after four ends.

Moran/Thornberry eventually found their rhythm in the fifth end to go two up, but in this rollercoaster match McGuinness/Donnelly immediately responded to edge one in front going into the last end.

Moran/Thornberry held their nerve, though, and ran out victorious by two shots.

Match two in Category A saw a very nervous start by Eugene McKenna and Alan Thornberry as their first four bowls went into the ditch, allowing Gertie Griffin and John Hurley go four up after two ends.

McKenna/Thornberry continued to struggle and eventually went six down before sustained pressure in the fifth end saw the deficit reduced to three.

With their confidence boosted, McKenna/Thornberry won the penultimate end as well and they now trailed by just one, but Griffin/ Hurley stopped the rot in the last end and some fantastic backhand draw shots to the jack to secure victory by two shots.

In the final match in Category A Tom Devin and Megan Devin hit a brace in the third end to lead by two against Peter Woods and Jimmy Flood. The Devins pressed home their superiority by picking up a further shot in the fourth end, only for Woods/Flood to cut the deficit to one after firing into a packed head.

One end later it was all square and that’s the way the match finished after both teams produced their best bowls in the last end.

The Category B matches began with Jack Howell and Paddy Griffin going five up after three ends against Tony Lacken and Val Haggins.

The latter pair picked up two in the fourth end and then another as their confidence increased, but Howell/Griffin responded with real purpose as they took the last two ends in quick succession to secure a comfortable win.

In the second match in Category B Claire Woods and Alice Leonard were up against Sophie Thornberry and Ciara Floyd, and it was the former pair who went three up after the second end.

Floyd/Thornberry made their intentions clear when taking the next three ends on the bounce to lead by two shots.

However, Woods/Leonard regained their composure in the next end and showed great mental strength to square the match with one end remaining.

Skips Woods and Floyd took on each other in a tactical battle in that last end, trading shot for shot, but ultimately Woods’ vast experience showed as her team prevailed by two shots.

In the final match in Category B Sadie Campbell and Tony Lacken were pitted against Karl Thornberry and Gertie Griffin. There was little to choose between the two teams until Lacken’s brilliant backhand draw shot jack high in the third end, going two up.

Thornberry/Griffin hit back immediately to square the match before edging one up, only for Lacken/Campbell to fight back and take the next two ends on the bounce and complete a nail-biting two-shot victory.

Times of play at Greenhills are Thursdays from 7 to 8pm for juveniles, 8 to 10.30pm for seniors.