Promotion on cards after impressive victory

SPORT

Paddy eventually edging two shots ahead after seven ends.

MJ fought back over the next two ends to take a one-shot lead, Paddy attacked the head in the 10th end to edge one in front and MJ played superb back-hand shots to rescue a draw from an entertaining game.

In the doubles match, also over 11 ends, Jack Howell and Peter Woods were pitted against Mary Mc Antee and Bernie Keenan, and this turned out to be a really impressive showing from Greenhills.

They took the first three ends on the trot, going three up, and were five ahead after five. Tempting as it might have been to throw in the towel, Shercock stayed positive and managed to reduce the deficit to three following the seventh end.

The gap was down to two with two ends remaining, but Jack’s team steadied the ship after that and in the last two ends they produced their best bowls to take victory by three shots.

In the trips match played over nine ends, Greenhills looked confident from the start and stormed four shots clear after five ends.

Shercock were playing poorly, finding it hard to adjust to the line of the fast mat, but their skip Paddy Kennedy produced two brilliant back-hand draw shots to the head in the sixth end, reducing the deficit down to two shots.

Greenhills skip Tom Devin’s team regained their composure in the next two ends, though, and the gap was back to four going into the last end. Shercock were under pressure to produce something special and they attacked the head at every opportunity, but it was to no avail as the hosts ran out comfortable winners by five shots.

In the rinks match played over nine ends Greenhills opened up a four-shot leaad after four ends. This was a supreme test of character for Shercock skip Gerry Roe’s team, but they came up trumps in the sixth end, trimming the tally down to one shot.

Shercock’s honest endeavour continued in the seventh end as they edged one up, but things fell apart for them after that as they took wrong options and Greenhills picked up six shots to clinch nine points overall, to Shercock’s one.

In a match played in a very sporting manner, the stand-out performers on the day were Jimmy Flood, Alan Thornberry, Gertie Griffin and Peter Woods, and the result means Greenhills are top of Division 2 by five shots with three games remaining.

Members who wish to travel to the Louth Open (February 21st to 24th) in Louth Village should put their names forward on the club noticeboard. The pick-up points are Patrick Street 7.30 and Monasterboice 7.45pm.

The Juvenile Doubles Championship will commence next Tuesday (21st) at 7.15pm. Times of play this week for juveniles are Tuesday 7 to 8pm, and for seniors Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 10.30pm.