Sport

Lurgan A narrowly defeated by Curran A in their first match of the outdoor season

Lurgan A kicked off their return to NIBA Division 1 with an away game to Curran A.

Lurgan A bowlers before their away match with Curran A

Missing four regulars gave the opportunity for Darren Lavery and Simon Maguire to be their debut and also a return to the team for Kris Matchett, former double Irish Youth Singles Champion and Youth Singles Winner at a Bangor Tournament.

The team delivered a strong all-round performance, narrowly losing by just three shots (74–71) in an exciting and tense match with the Lurgan A side fighting consistently hard across all four rinks.

Kris Matchett, Teri Millar, Doreen Wheelan and Harry Cosgrove made a great comeback on Rink 1 to scrape a draw 15–15.

While on Rink 2 Luke Donaldson, Jeff McCullough, Peter Dew and Nigel Hamilton struggled to find their rhythm on a tricky surface; eventually going down 17–22 despite a late rally in a valiant attempt to get over the line.

Neil Sloan, Peter Ruffold, Sam McCombes and John Gilliland eventually came to the fore to have a great closing few ends to secure Lurgan A’s only win on the day by 20–24.

Bowling on Rink 4 Darren Lavery, Simon Maguire, Eileen Robson and Ronan Cregan put in a valiant effort but fell just short; losing 19–21.

A Club Spokesperson summed up the team’s performance by asserting that “despite the narrow defeat, there are plenty of positives for Lurgan A to take forward. The close margins across all rinks reflect the team's fighting spirit and promise for the rest of the season.”

Rink Scores:

H Cosgrove (Draw) 15–15

N Hamilton (Lost) 17–22

J Gilliland (Won) 20–18

Ronan Cregan (Lost) 19–21