Bay City Bowlers get their first win

The team who hail from Carrick Bowling Club joined the league in 2022. Most of their players had never played in a team or a league before. They were learning the rules as they went along. They play for the enjoyment and the love of the game but but desperately wanted to break the duck.

Last year the Bay City Bowlers received the wooden spoon last season for bottom place in the league.

Last week they dug deep and got their first ever draw. This week they had an emphatic 5-9 win against Rockets To Be in the Whiteabbey Legion.

They started well and led 3-4 at half time. The second half was all Bowlers and their man of the match was Ryan Ward winning 3/3 (in photo) but well done to the entire team and backroom staff and coaches. If at first you don't succeed Try and Try again.

Third placed Whitehead Spartanshosted Rab and T’s Rockets in what many believed would be tight match. Those predictions proved to be correct as after 14 frames there was nothing to separate the teams.

The Rockets started strongly with Davy Blair and Andy Arbuthnott giving them a two-frame lead. Spartans Paddy Graham stopped their momentum with an important win. Kevin Mullen restored The Rockets two-frame lead with a hard fought victory.

The Spartans rallied and took the next 3 frames through Mark Millar, Robert Hawkins and Kenny English to lead 4-3 at the break. Spartans captain Trevor Whiteside started the second session with a break and dish which was quickly backed up by a win from Kenny English.

After The Spartans winning five in a row it was now over to The Rockets to show their class and they obliged by winning the next 4 through Rab Butler (x2), Tristan Scott-Heyes and Davy Blair. Kenny English completed his hat trick and made sure that the points were split. A hard fought match and a fair result on the night of 7-7.

Q Club entertained defending champions Scorpions on Tuesday night in what turned out to be a cracker of a battle. Both teams put out strong panels and it was the Larne men who got themselves into a 3-1 lead courtesy of messers A Johnston, R Scott and R McKillop.

However the champions are made of stern stuff and a five-rame blitz in the middle of the match saw them take a commanding 6-3 lead. However Q Club got back to a unlikely 6-6 with another three frames in a row, shout to Ryan Scott who completed a fine double and Andrew Ferguson who came in from the cold in frame 11 to take out a very good 5 ball clearance.

With the champions toiling and knowing they could ill afford to lose anymore ground to the Galacticos, it was Darren Whiteside who stepped up in frame 13 with finish of the match with a 1 visit finish. There was still work to do in the final frame and for a moment it looked like Ian McCalmont would snatch the hosts a draw however an unfortunate kick gave Chris Carson the one opportunity he needed and Carson took out a precision 6 ball clearance to keep the champions alive in the SKC Gaming Carrick and District pool league.

In the Greenisland Derby Colts took on Galacticos.

The first frame was nip and tuck. Chris McCurry snookered himself on the black and got out of it well before league veteran Paul Harris bumped in a huge long red to leave himself a couple of tap ins to give the Galacticos the lead. Colts’ Colin Beckinsale was unfortunate not to respond with a break and dish after kicking out the black a smidgen too far.

A kick cost Gee Crawley a clearance and Colin equalised. Roger Smyth held his nerve in a testy affair before another tight frame went the way of the Galacticos giving them a 3-1 lead. Aaron Watters hung the black for a reverse dish in the next but League champion Gary Wallace failed to capitalise and the Colts pulled one back.

Roger Smyth took the last in the first session to give the Galacticos a 5-2 half time lead. Old Man Harris put the Galacticos further ahead with another cagey win before Roger Smyth eliminated the Hawk's nemesis Joseph Patton after three hours and forty seven minutes of textbook pool to put the Galacticos on the hill.

Gee Crawley took out a pinpoint finish to give the Galacticos all three points in the next. Colts rolled out three of the last four but, alas, it was too little too late for Colts but enough to cement top spot for the Galacticos.

The Blues welcomed the Trojans to the Railway Bar on Tuesday night! Trojans started well winning the first two frames Ricky Moulds and Andy Quinn giving them the lead. Sammy Duff and Graham Cahoon made it 2-2 but it was the Trojans who lead 4-3 at the break. Wins from Girvan Fleming and Ricky Moulds for the Trojans and Robin Kerr for the Blues.

After the break Ricky Moulds made it 3/3 for himself with another clever finish. The game ebbed and flowed with the trojans staying in control for the majority of it. Wins from Robin Kerr and Robert Craig made it 6-5 with 3 frames to play but the Trojans turned it on winning all three, Steven Hamilton, Gordon McCormick and Girvan Fleming securing the 9-5 victory

In other matches

Tigers 4 – 10 QE2 Cubs