What a Finale

Ballymena entered the last game of the season with a four point advantage, unbeaten, at home and top of the table.

They entertained defending NIPGBL champions Dunbarton who were going for their fourth successive title and who were in second place courtesy of a surprise defeat by Ewarts.

The home side needed two rink points for the trophy and end Dunbarton's run. the visitors required six points to ensure the title did not go down to shot difference.

What a game and what tension for the concluding ends yet the skill level was superb.

After 8, 8, 9, 8 ends respectively the overall scored were tied with both teams ahead on two rinks. Jim Baker was well 10 shots ahead of DJ Wilson while S Coleman trailed by 10 shots to M Greenfield. The other two games were separated by one shot.

Over the next few ends Ballymena took the lead extending it a one point to 10 shots.

With 15, 17, 18 and 15 ends completed Dunbarton had edged ahead but more importantly for the first time were ahead on two rinks and level on one, if this scenario remained then both sides would finish the season on the same number of points and the title would be decided on shot aggregate.

The scenario was short-lived for Dunbarton as Ballymena immediately lead on two rinks again. Going into the final end of match three Sammy Allen's rink had a solitary shot advantage of Cliffy Dennison. Ballymena lay shot when Paul Adamson chopped and lay for Dunbarton. A Hughes drew second, J Millar replied in kind then A Hughes drew second again. with his last delivery of the game Sammy Allen was game down, he responded for the umpteenth time under pressure and drew close. there was excitement as his bowl proceeded up the rink but it ran a fraction too far despite the protestations of his front end for second shot. All the pressure was on Cliffy Dennison, not only did he want the rink point but every shot at this stage was crucial as the overall game ebbed and flowed. He followed Sammy's line and had sufficient weight to rest out the second shot resulting in Dunbarton claiming three shots.

Dunbarton took a four shot advantage into the last end as Nigel Robinson drew shot on the twentieth end. Ballymena played very good bowls with Andy Kyle drawing two counting bowls. Conor McCartan only had one bowl remaining and the head was stacked against him, four shot down and Nigel still had a bowl to come. Conor had to make the delivery count making the situation more tense than usual, the title was on the line as Jim Baker had all but secured his rink point. Conor drew a superb bowl to lie third shot to win his game by two shots.

The two rinks left to finish were canceling each other out leaving Dunbarton narrowly in front by four shots. More drama and superb bowls were still to come. Dunbarton scored a three on rink1 thanks to a wick with which Terry Mulholland took the jack into the ditch for the visitors, Greenfield drove then drove off the closest Ballymena bowl for three. Baker drew shot in his game.

The game was now entering the last four individual ends, two on each rink and Dunbarton led by 6 shots. On rink1 Dunbarton were two shots down but with the final delivery of the end Myles Greenfield accurately hit the head and squeezed the jack out for shot. Ballymena lay two shots on rink4, DJ Wilson with his final bowl of the twentieth end trailed the jack for two shots creating a turn-a-round of four shots.

The first six bowls of the last end on rink1 were world class with R Coleman and E Campbell following each other with superb deliveries resulting in Dunbarton lying shot. S Falls then struck the head with precision to lie shot for Ballymena. Mulholland then chopped out this bowl and Greenfield drew a bowl right behind the jack. The end concluded with a four for the visitors giving them the championship. Baker's rink concluded the game scoring three shots to win by seven.

J Nicholl, R Coleman, S Falls, S Coleman 14
M Higgins, E Campbell, T Mulholland, M Greenfield 27

S Shields, G Wilson, A Kyle, N Robinson 14 
D McElroy, J Magennis, G McElroy, C McCartan 16

J Gaston, M Torrington, J Millar, S Allen 16
I Perry, P Adamson, A Hughes, C Dennison 18

D Torrington, A Bonnar, A Duncan, J Baker 27 
A Leckey, P Convery, T Bell, D Wilson 20

BALLYMENA 1pt - DUNBARTON 6pts