1st - 3rd End

In the first few ends Gill's team were playing fantastic bowls and especially her lead Catherine McArdle. Nearly every end she had at least one toucher. Gill ran into a 7-1 lead after three ends and any risk of this rink not playing well together disappeared. Rachel’s team were in stark contrast to Gill's, she had her ever present 3rd Mary O'Hare and her normal 2nd lead. This rink was getting it very tight for the first three ends and could not be split at 2-2. Margaret Carroll’s confidence seemed knocked in the first few ends and after three ends her game was 4-1 down. Very little in it so far!

4th - 7th End

Gill's rink continued their relentless pressure on the Mid-Down quartet and not alone was keeping her advantage but actually extending it. Any firing shots that needed to be played, Sadie was up to the task. They seemed like a combination that had played together a long time rather than a first outing. After seven ends Gill had an 11-2 lead. Rachel’s rink also kicked into gear and wouldn’t drop a shot in this run of ends by picking up counts of three and a two in the 5th and 6th end to lead 9-2. Margaret steadied the ship after her shaky start and started to play the way we all know she can and after seven ends had cut the lead to 7-5. This stretch of ends took Oriel into a big lead. Margaret’s front end was starting to click and Vera's firing was starting to connect. Mary O'Hare was playing wonderful bowls for Rachel also.

8th-10th End

Mid Down picked up a shot in the 8th end to reduce the lead against Gill, but once again her rink was up to the challenge and picked up an incredible seven shots in the 9th end. Although she dropped one in the last the memories of Sadie and Gill both losing heavily against Armagh were evaporated. Margaret’s rink was having a great tussle with her counterpart and in the end had an unfortunate loss at 9-11 but after three ends it looked like it could have been so much worse. Rachel dropped a shot in the 8th and 10th end, but more than made up for it by picking up a count of four in the 9th and took her match 13-4.

Analysis

Oriels’ first half played some wonderful bowls and if the second half could just maintain the score line they would cruise through to the semis. There were many players that played fantastically well. Catherine McArdle was incredible as was Mary O'Hare. Margaret played serious bowls after the first few ends and Sadie was back to her best. Hopefully the 2nd half could deliver!

1st - 3rd end

 

Imelda, playing with two new additions to the team in Louise Duff and Maureen Conlon, had a very strange first couple of ends. The score was 0-0 after two ends and in the 3rd she picked up a single. Carol was having a tough battle against one of Mid-Downs best skips. Unfortunately just before the game Patricia fell and this certainly rattled her for the first few ends. Tracey Martin was also making her bow to the ladies team and began well. Carol was 2-2 after three ends. Unlike the other two rinks Michelle started sensationally well picking up counts in every end to lead 8-0 after three ends. Marion looked like she was always on the team and never put a foot wrong and Michelle was proving that she was made for the position of skip.

4th-7th End

Imelda's run of very tight heads was ended in the 4th end when she picked up a count of five. This end was only the catalyst however, as Imelda surged into an unassailable 11-2 lead. Michelle was still being relentless on her opposition picking up two counts of 2's, a 3 and finally dropped two shot in the 7th end to lead to stretch her lead to 15-2. Both Michelle’s front ends were playing extremely well but on her debut Marion was just phenomenal. Carol's rink was beginning to get the upper-hand of her opposition to lead 6-2. This was a fantastic game that could still go either way. Patricia had regained her composure and was starting form a tasty backend combination with Carol.

Analysis

Oriel needed to change the team after last year to spring some life into the team and it definitely worked. While they may come across much stiffer competition, it must be remembered that there were four debut's on the team and every single one of them played well. It is very hard to pick a woman of the match as so many performed well. But if I had to choose one I would just give it to Marion Martin. For a few reasons, while many played very well on the day, she was making her debut and she was thrown into the deep end to play the second half and got every shot she played for and her rink ended up with the largest score. Anyway the semi-finals next Saturday in Cooley at 2 and we want a large support there to cheer our Ladies hopefully to the final.