13/08/2021
🏆🥇 Champions are crowned! 🥇🏆
Congratulations to Dalzell BC on becoming winners of the 2021 Lanarkshire Triples League!
It was set up to be a fantastic game & both clubs, cheered on by a bus load of supporters each, didn’t disappoint us! The final score line of 8-4 didnt reflect just how close it was!
Dalzell started the better of the two teams, dominating early and looked to be in control around midway holding a 10-2 lead with a healthy shot advantage also. But they weren’t to have it all their own way with Overtown coming back strongly, showing the fight you’d expect from a team lead by Robert Grant!
As the game entered the final stretch it was advantage Dalzell, leading on 3 rinks and holding the bonus points for the big board as well.
First points went to Johnny Simpson as he held off a late charge from Robert Grant to secure a 17-12 win. Early ends saw both teams score multiples but it was the Dalzell triple that steadied the ship and pulled away.
Overtown drew blood in the next game off with Stuart Forrest Jr carding a fine 14 shot win over John Orr, 20 shots to 6. Agonisingly, Stuart just missed a take out on the last end for a 6 which would have turned the game on its head if it came off!
2 points all but still advantage Dalzell as they were up in 2 of the remaining games and held onto the big board courtesy of a fine performance from the triple skipped by Mark Naughton.
Good penultimate ends from the remaining Overtown triples gave them real hope going up the last. Three singles across the last three ends was enough to steal the big board and send us to an extra end. Bobby Charnley being just two shots adrift of Stuart Simpson meant that Overtown could still win it outright if Bobby could sn**ch a rink win as well!
Despite a phenomenal effort to chap and lie the Dalzell shot with his last bowl for the 3 Overtown craved, it was not to be for Bobby. Importantly though, he did manage to make the shot & in doing so he kept his teams hopes alive and piled the pressure back on Dalzell. As you’d expect from someone as decorated in the game as Stuart Simpson, the pressure didn’t tell and Stuart played one of the bowls of the match drawing the shot within inches with his last. A fine 12-9 win for Dalzell!
All eyes then turned to rink 4 as the skips were already on the mat. A great end from Mark Naughton to an off set white saw Dalzell lie a few and look to kill the game! Chris McCafferty liked his last from the hand a rightly so. He was bang in the area and looked to have played the perfect bowl to face the shot before the faintest of glances off the second shot seen his bowl fall out, only securing second shot.
In a matter of seconds the game had yet again turned and it was now very much an uphill task for Alan Haddon as he required a 5 to tie the game at 6 all. Undeterred and with the head against him, he delivered a great drive and killed the end much to the delight of the Overtown support who weren’t giving up yet!
Unfortunately, it was not to be with the replayed end going in favour of Dalzell, Kieran Doran continuing the fine form he had showed throughout the match & Fraser Simpson making it impossible for Alan to repeat his previous effort at burning the end!
Great entertainment put on by both teams and it was fantastic to see so many people on and around the green enjoying it! Well done to those involved tonight and thanks again must go to the sponsors of the league, Gibson Green Maintenance and Pro-Turfcare! Events like these don’t happen without the support from sponsors like these and we are indebted to them! 👌
