Talented juveniles put on a fine show

GREENHILLS Bowls Club was a hive of activity last Tuesday night for the Juvenile Round Robin Singles tournament.

In the first match Robert Mc Cormack took on Cian Mc Kenna and both players got off to a very slow start, sizing up each other and trying to adjust to the fast rink.

Robert took the initiative in the third end, going one up, and extended that advantage to five thanks to a good performance in the next two ends.

Cian was on the ropes at this stage but got back into contention, trimming the deficit down to three shots in the sixth end, and the gas was back to one with two ends to play.

Robert, though, and he got his act together at a crucial period in the game and took complete control of the remaining ends to take the spoils by four shots.

Caitlin Floyd was up against Noel Mc Donnell and the latter got into the game very quickly, making his intentions clear by firing into the head in the first two ends to go three up. However, the lead didn’t last long as Caitlin responded with an attack herself and got a quick brace to even the score in the fourth end. She then stepped it up another notch and found herself four up at one stage.

Noel, who had had a few chances in the previous ends but did not avail of them, made headway in the seventh end and suddenly he trailed by just one shot with two ends remaining.

The battle was on as the two players traded shot for shot until Noel produced a moment of quality which proved the difference between the two players as he took an impressive victory by three shots.

In the next match - Ciara Floyd v Diarmuid Loughman - the latter got off to a perfect start, and being familiar with the fast rink he took the lead after three ends, four up.

Ciara was not going to be outdone, though, and she upped the pressure on her opponent to reduce the deficit to two in the following two ends, only for Diarmuid to attack the head and restore his four-shot advantage.

Ciara stayed calm and composed and played a cracker of a backhand shot into the head in the seventh end to cut the deficit to two shots with two ends to play.

It was Diarmuid who was feeling the pressure from his opponent, putting bowls into the ditch, and suddenly Ciara found herself two up with just the final end to play.

Time was running out for Diarmuid as he needed two shots to draw, but he wasn’t lying down and got stuck in all guns blazing, coming up short by one in a nail-biting finish.

In the fourth match Aaron Mc Kenna was pitted against Saoirse Allen and this was a great battle between these two fine juniors as Saoirse took the first two ends on the bounce to go three up.

Aaron got the run of the rink quickly and put his stamp on the game by winning the next two ends on the spin to even the score, but Saoirse fought back and responded to the challenge quickly in the next two ends, playing brilliant bowls to take the lead three up.

Aaron steadied the ship in the next end to trim the tally down to one and turned the game in his favour in the eighth end, edging in front by two shots.

Saoirse was very confident and had great belief in her ability to take something from the game, though, and she did just that with real purpose, playing some lovely shots to the jack to secure victory in fine style by three shots.

The fifth match was Sophie Thornberry v Noel Mc Donnell and the latter continued his recent good form when taking the first two ends on the trot to go four up.

Sophie halted her opponent’s progress with some fine draw shots to the jack to cut the deficit down to one in the fourth end, and by the sixth end she held the lead by three.

Noel came storming back in the seventh end to reduce the gap to one with two ends to play, but Sophie produced her best bowls in the last two ends to turn the match in her favour and clinch the win in splendid fashion by four shots after a ding-dong battle.

The final match of the night saw Chloe Dykstra take on Tadg Reilly and the latter went three up after two ends. Chloe quickly settled, though, and after four ends she led by one. Tadg seemed rattled but stepped up to the plate in the sixth end to edge in front by two shots.

Chloe managed to weather this period of pressure, getting the deficit back down to one with two ends to play. Tadg created gilt-edge chances in the eighth end and didn’t take them, letting in his opponent to take the lead by three. Chloe went into overdrive and, showing nerves of steel, she came up trumps by four shots.

Sophie Thornberry and Tadg Reilly, who recently celebrated his 14th birthday, took part in the senior singles open in Killanny and both gave a creditable performance against the big boys.

Times of play for Seniors are Tuesday and Thursday from 8pm to 10.30pm, and for Juniors it’s Tuesday from 7 to 8.15pm.