BOWLS (KWWIBA)

Donard/Glen had the home advantage in their Division 3 Round 4 game against near neighbours Hollywood played on Friday, October 27.

Hollywood hovering around the mid-table position would be expected to come away with a couple of points at least to maintain their challenge to the leaders.

While on the other hand the home side were hoping to win all five points to drag them up from the near bottom of the table.

Even with home advantage this was not a certainty, as they haven’t been producing the form of the previous season.

In actual fact apart from their opening game of the campaign, which they won rather easily, their form since then has been a bit of a mixed bag.

On Mat 1: The visitors got of to a dream start recording a score of two, but that was the one and only time they led in the match.

Donard/Glen from then on just seem to be able score continually at will, except for the odd intermittent score from the opposition this game was well an truly finished by the half way mark, with the home team completely dominating the exchanges and leading by 18/5.

It was only a matter of interest what the final score would be as there was no let up or easing back by Donard/Glen, but in fairness to Hollywood they kept fighting to the finish, and were rewarded with scores in the last three ends, to at least make the scoreboard a little more respectful, alas too little to late.

Overall it has to be said that this was a poor performance by the visitors. Final scoreline: Donard/ Glen 25, Hollywood 14.

Donard/Glen: Michael O’Reilly, Michael Cummins, Helen Jones and Billy Jones.

Hollywood: Carmel Tutty, Seamus Doyle, Kevin Byrne and Padraig Metcalfe.

Mat 2: Mat 1 may have been a tame affair but there was a stark difference on Mat 2 as we had a very competitive battle in this one. With the visitors starting off very well and on the first three ends raced into a lead of five to nil, it looked like it would be a reversal of the previous mat.

Donard/Glen on the next end opened their scoring to reduce the deficit to three.

But again Hollywood increased their lead to four on the next end. This game was turning into a battle royal as the home side once again reduced the margin within a couple of ends, this time to the minimum of margins.

Indeed the home side would be ahead comfortably enough at this stage instead of trailing only for Tony Hogan the Hollywood skip who thwarted them time and time again.

On the ninth end the home team took the lead for the first time in the game and opened up a gap of three.

Hollywood came fighting back to narrow the gap to one score, again thanks to Hogan.

That was as good as it got for the visitors for on the last three ends it was all Donard/Glen, even the brilliant Hogan was powerless to do anything about it as his team mates failed to give him the required assistance when the game was in the balance.