St Leonard’s win back Senior skittles crown
THE 2019 South East Skittles came to an end some weeks ago with another thrilling and exciting year for the players and spectators alike.
The committee carried out their duty of organising the venues and results with precision and praise is due to them for keeping everything running so smoothly.
Seven teams took part in the senior games while six entered the Junior event.
The singles for skittler of the year drew an entry of twenty-two in the Senior class and eighteen in the Junior class. Thirteen weeks of home and away games led to the semi-finals for Senior and Junior teams.
St Leonard’s won back the Senior title. Micko’s from Taghmon are the new Junior winners.
Mick Carty continued his unbeaten record by winning the Senior singles skittler of the year contest for the fifth year running. While Luke Power is the new Junior singles champion.
The semi-finals for the Senior class was played out at Allan Morrissey’s of Cassagh. Frank Jordan’s of Rathangan were top of the league and played Paul Morrissey’s who were in fourth position.
Morrissey’s were last year’s Junior winners and put up a great performance in the Senior class with only a few points behind the other three teams going into the semi-finals.
However up against four-time winners of the league was a big task.
Nevertheless they took one game and forced a draw in the second game which Rathangan won out on a high score, a four to one win for Rathangan.
Tallaught, who were second on the score board but with only one point ahead of their opponents, St. Leonard’s, put up a fine performance and the match went down to the wire. St Leonard’s finished the seventh game ahead of Tallaught to give them their place in the final against old rivals Rathangan.
Carrig-on-Bannow was this year’s venue for the finals of both Senior and Junior games. In the Senior final Rathangan took the first game with St Leonard’s taking the second. The third game ended in a draw which then went to a high score with Rathangan topping the chart.
After winning the fourth game Rathangan were three games to one for St Leonard’s and looked on course to take the title. In the fifth game both teams got caught on the one to finish the game from a full ring a most difficult task.
John Mackey saved the day for St Leonard’s by taking out the number one from a full ring and claimed a second game for his side. This was the turning point for St Leonard’s as they went on to win the next two games to make it four wins to three to Frank Jordan’s of Rathangan. All games were very close with both teams on a finish together, the result could have went either way.
The Junior final was played at the same venue, with Micko’s A from Taghmon up against Gusserane. Micko’s won out against Tir Na Nog, Wellingtonbridge, in the semi-final while Gusserane beat near neighbours Allan Morrissey’s A.
This final went Micko’s way when they took the first four games and are the new 2019 champions. They will now move to Senior 2020 season.
The skittler of the year contest saw John Power up against reigning champion for the last four years, Mick Carty. The Rathangan man was in flying form and there was no chance of any one taking the title away from him.
Luke Power from Alan Morrissey’s team is the new champion when he beat Denise Doyle from the Tir Na Nog in the Junior singles final
Great celebrations were had in Doyle’s of Carrig afterwards with presenting of prizes to the jubilant winners and music was provided by Johnnie Ge Whizz.