Cup run ends at Belmont

Lurgan met the Private Green League champions, Belmont last Saturday in the 3rd round of the Irish Senior Cup and although winning on two rinks went down to a 39-shot defeat.

On Rink 1 Skip Alan Briggs led his rink of Alan Roberts (third), Gordon Bell (second) and Richard McClune (lead) to a creditable win by two shots over Roy Battersby’s Rink.

After losing four shots on the first end Briggs’ Rink never lost the lead after securing a 6-5 lead after five ends. After 10 ends the lead was extended to 16-8. At this stage the score was 38-38 across the green. 15 ends saw Briggs’ rink extend their lead to 21-10. Unfortunately only one shot was added against 10 to Belmont on the last six ends for a rink win to Lurgan by two shots.

On Rink 2 Skip John Gilliland’s rink of Peter McGrail (third), Iain Ferguson (second) and Bobby Boness had a very difficult afternoon against the rink skipped by Stuart Bennett and went down 32-14.

On Rink 3 Skip Mansel Montgomery along with Jeffrey McCullough, Dan Dempsey and Ronnie McCullough at lead also found the going extremely difficult falling 33-9 toSimon Martin’s rink.

On Rink 4 Harry Cosgrove Skip, Bobby Ruddell (third), Declan McCabrey and Stephen Poots had a great tussle with Robin Horner’s Rink. Leading 11-8 at 10 endstheir lead was whittled away at 15 ends to be down 17-13.

However to their credit they won four of the last six ends to get a rink win by one shot: 20-19.

Lurgan were able to hold their own for 10 ends but the class of the Private Green champions enabled them to pull away in the second half of the game.