Comebacks are in vogue in doubles round robin

THERE was a good turnout of members for the latest games in the Greenhills Junior Round Robin Doubles tournament as a high-quality field battled it out for crucial points.

Matches were played over nine ends and in the first of them Caitlin Floyd and Leo Mc Donnell fired into the head early on to secure a two-shot lead against Megan Devin and Lauren Dykstra. However, their opponents responded to get back on level terms after four ends and went on to dominate, eventually going four up after six ends.

A shell-shocked Caitlin and Leo rediscovered their rhythm in the nick of time and got back to within one shot going into the last end. With the momentum now in their favour, Caitlin and Leo produced that extra bit of creative skill when it mattered and went on to clinch victory by three shots as Megan and Lauren let the game slip away.

Tadg Reilly and Noel McDonnell made the early running when opening up a two-shot lead against Robert McCormack, who was playing on his own with four bowls, and eventually extended their advantage to five with six ends played.

Robert strived hard to get back into the game, though, and with nerves creeping into his opponents’ play he got the deficit down to one with one end remaining. Tadg and Noel were rattled and their best efforts in the decider were to no avail as Robert won by two shots.

In the last match of the night Ciara Floyd and Thomas Devin Healy took on Diarmuid Loughman whose partner did not turn up on the night.

Diarmuid played with four bowls and probably panicked a bit at the start, dropping four shots after three ends. He did manage to get the deficit down to one, but excellent bowls from Ciara and Thomas saws them re-establish a four-shot lead.

Diarmuid, now under considerably pressure, battled hard in the next end to reduce the gap to two shots with two ends left, but his opponents immediately restored their lead of four for the third time in the match. In the final end Diarmuid showed great resilience but came up short by two shots and could consider himself very unfortunate not to take something from the game.

Meanwhile, the Greenhills Bowls Club Senior Charity Tournament Doubles winners were Jimmy Flood and Sadie Campbell, Gertie Griffin and Val Maguire, Marie Maher and Paddy Smith, Josephine Moran and Anna Farrell, and Paddy Griffin and Alan Thornberry.

And on the Oriel Zone League scene Greenhills welcomed Louth BC and did the club proud by taking eight valuable points out of 10 as they try to hold their own in Division 1.

Times of play this week: Tuesday - Juniors 7 to 8.15pm, Seniors 8.15 to 10.30pm; Thursday - Seniors 8 to 10.30pm.