Annalong Bowling Club

WHAT A WAY TO FINISH THE SEASON!

Annalong Bowling Club welcomed Whitehead B for our final NIBA League match of the year — and somehow the outdoor season is over already. It feels like we only got the bowls out!

On Rink 1, skipped by Jim Stevenson, Annalong flew out of the blocks and even picked up a HOTSHOT on the 5th end! They kept the pressure on from there and finished with an excellent 26–9 victory. Some bowling!

Rink 2, skipped by Jim McConnell, also started brightly and led 6–5 after 8 ends. Then came one of those spells bowlers would rather forget, dropping 15 shots over four ends! They battled back well with a 3 and a 2 and kept fighting right to the finish, eventually going down 18–13. With Whitehead playing as a three-person rink, it was actually much closer than the scoreboard suggests.

On Rink 3, skipped by Joey Chambers, things were fairly even early on with Annalong holding a narrow lead until the 8th end. Then somebody obviously flicked the switch! They took off, never looked back and powered home to a superb 25–9 win. Annalong were again playing against a three-person rink.

Rink 4, skipped by James Wilson, took a little while to get warmed up, staying just a shot or two behind in the early stages. Around halfway, though, they found another gear and stormed home to a convincing 22–11 victory.

FINAL SCORE
ANNALONG 86–47 WHITEHEAD B
6 POINTS FOR ANNALONG

A brilliant result and a cracking way to bring the outdoor season to a close. Well done to everyone who played, not just today but throughout the whole season.

A massive thank you as well to all our sponsors for their continued support, to Patricia Russell for keeping the kettle on the boil and sorting the food throughout the season, and to Wilfie for making sure there was always a steady supply of cold drinks!

That’s the outdoor season wrapped up — and what a way to finish it.

Well done, Annalong! 🌟⭐🎉🎉

Annalong bowling club NIBA league match at home to rathfriland. The match got underway at 1.30 and rink one of
John mc culla
Pearl perry
Henry Madowell
And James Wilson got off to a slow start but quickly caught up and by the halfway point were 5 shots ahead
Then getting stuck for 3 end’s rathfriland secured 7 shots and they went ahead by 2, from there it was neck in neck and the home side went into the last end one up but dropped a single to finish on a tie 17 all
Rink 2
Patricia Russell
Anne mc Connell
Jennifer mc Clure
Jim mc Connell
This rink dropped 8 shots on the first 2 ends then picked up 6 but this was short lived and dropped shots most of the way but picked up 9 shots here and there to help with the overall score and finished 15 - 32 down
Rink 3
John mc cannless
Ian graham
Norman gordon
Jim Stevenson
This rink dropped 1 on the first end but soon settled in and kept going steady building a good lead all the way to finish 22-9 up. With an 11 shot lead this leaves annalong just 6 down overall. So on to rink 4
Frank mc bride
James newel
David and Joey chambers
This rink got a great start with a 4 and a 1 then dropped a 4 but thankfully the home side got their ducks all in a row and quickly steamed ahead and only conceded a further 6 ends to finish well up on a score of 31-15 and securing Annalong an overall win and 5.5 points, this now leaves Annalong safe in the division with two matches left to play

Congratulations to John Mccandles,Jim McConnell,Joey Chambers and skip Jim Stevenson who have reached the final of the NIBA Senior 4s Championships to be played in Bangor.

Updated NIBA Division 3 Table

After back-to-back league victories, Annalong have climbed to 5th place in Division 3 on 31.5 points.

The run started with an excellent 69-57 victory over second-placed Lisnagarvey, earning 5.5 points. That was followed on Tuesday 9th July with another strong team performance away to B.E.T.S., where Annalong won 86-77 to claim 5 points, with B.E.T.S. taking 2 points.

With four league matches still to play, there's plenty to play for and every point will be vital.

Remaining Fixtures

Saturday 25 July
Home v North Down

Saturday 8 August
Home v Rathfriland

Tuesday 25 August – 6.30pm
Away v Banbridge B (rearranged fixture)

Saturday 29 August
Home v Whitehead B

Three of the final four matches are at home. We'd love to see plenty of support around the green as the team looks to finish the season strongly.

Come along and get behind Annalong BC.

Annalong bowling club IBA cup match
Annalong were host to culrathain from Coleraine on Saturday past for the third round of the IBA cup.
It all started off in annalongs favour and at the halfway stage the home side were 9 shots up and looked to be playing well, but the visitors knuckled down as they got to grips with the green started to catch up and eventually went ahead in the last few ends to leave Annalong grappling for shots but it wasn’t to be and lost out by 11 shots. Having been knocked out of the NIBA cup semi final two weeks ago it’s now down to concentrating on the league matches, the next being away to BETS in Bangor on Tuesday night

NIBA Division 3 League Match.
Dromore 66 6pts
Annalong 52 1pt.
Tuesday 23rd June saw Annalong travel to Dromore on what was the warmest evening of the year so far with temperatures reaching 26 degrees on arrival in Dromore.Across the rinks Annalong made a steady start and after six ends were five shots up.At twelve ends the rink skipped by Jim Stevenson were playing some great bowls and were 11/4 up,also the rink skipped by James Wilson were keeping the score tight and were 11/10 ahead.The remaining two rinks skipped by Jim McConnell and Joey Chambers were 12/11 and 17/8 down respectfully but leaving the overall score 43 each so match was still all to play for.Unfortunately for the visitors the last six ends didn't go in their favour with the Dromore side just edging forward on 3 out of the four rinks to take the overall score and the match 66/52.Giving them 6 points to Annalongs 1 point with the Stevenson rink earning Annalongs only point with a 14/9 win.Was a tough match in the heat with Annalong just not able to finish out over the last few ends.

NIBA League Div 3

Annalong BC 69-57 Lisnagarvey BC
Annalong win 5.5 points

There was a real sense of occasion at Annalong on Saturday. Lisnagarvey arrived sitting second in the league, while the home side knew they badly needed a result. With the relegation battle tightening, every point mattered.

By the end of the afternoon, Annalong had produced one of their best performances of the season.

All four rinks played their part as the home side finished 69-57 winners on shots and claimed 5.5 of the 6 points on offer. Against one of the strongest teams in the division, that was no small achievement.

Rink 1 saw Patricia, Anne, Jennifer and Jim McConnell make a steady start. Lisnagarvey gradually worked their way back into the match and by the 11th end the score stood at 9-8. It could have gone either way. Instead, Annalong found another gear, won the big ends and pulled clear for a deserved 19-11 victory.

Rink 2 had plenty of drama. John, John, W***y John and Jim Stevenson couldn't have asked for a tougher opening as they slipped 6-0 behind after four ends. That might have knocked the confidence of some teams, but not this one. Two fours and a two completely changed the game. From there they looked in control and finished with an excellent 22-14 win.

Rink 3 featured Jordan, Pearl, Henry and James. It was tight from the first bowl to the last. Neither side managed to build much of a lead and every shot had to be earned. A 12-12 draw was probably a fair reflection of a closely fought contest.

Rink 4 looked to have everything under control. Wilfie, Eddie, David and Joey built a healthy 12-6 lead after 12 ends and seemed to be heading for another victory. Then the game turned on its head. Lisnagarvey picked up 14 shots in the next four ends, leaving everyone watching wondering what had just happened. To their credit, Annalong regrouped and finished strongly, but they eventually went down 20-16.

A special word should go to Lisnagarvey's 83-year-old lead. He gave a masterclass in drawing, repeatedly putting bowls exactly where his skip wanted them. The Annalong leads had to work hard all afternoon to match his consistency.

The final result was exactly what Annalong needed. It keeps the fight against relegation very much alive and gives the whole club a lift heading into another big week.

Attention now turns to the IBA Junior Cup quarter-final next Saturday. Annalong are at home once again as they welcome Culrathain from Coleraine. If Saturday's performance is anything to go by, it promises to be another entertaining afternoon. All support will be very welcome.

Annalong bowling club NIBA cup semi final.
The club maid the long journey away to whitehead again on Wednesday night to play the cup semi final.
All rinks were faring well for a while but unfortunately it was always an uphill challenge against a club who hadn’t lost this season and in the end Annalong fell well short of hope and shots to finish 86-66 down. The next match is a league game at home to lisnagarvey on sat 27 th where they are very much in need of a win as they are dangerously close to the bottom of the league

Annalong bowling club IBA cup match at home to Warrenpoint.
After a wet few days the sun finally made an appearance as Annalong bowling club played host to Warrenpoint. All the home rinks got of to a good start with some toing and frowing here and there except for rink 3 of Liz Ron Pearl and Joey who commanded a strong lead all the way to finish 18 up. Rink 4 of John mc Canless Ian W***y John and Jim had a good lead at the start but then the point came back well and went ahead, not to be done out the home side won all but 1 of the last 4 ends and took the lead back to finish 2 up. Rink 1 of Patricia Anne Jennifer and Jim also had a good game with a 14 shot win.
On the second rink was Roy wilfie Henry and James w who temporarily fell behind but quickly got ahead again to finish 7 up, so all in all a good day at the races for annalong finishing 41 up overall. Fortunately for Annalong they are home again in the next round to culrathian (Coleraine)which saves a long trip if it had of been an away draw.

Annalong bowling club NIBA Match away to white head Saturday 13th June.
Annalong made the long trip to whitehead with no great success against the hosts who haven’t lost any matches in the first half of the season. 3 of the Annalong rinks all had a bad start in the opening ends except for the mc Connell rink who kinda held their own for the first half. Then the other Annalong rinks started to pull up and even went in front at times until at the 18 th end they were only 3 shots behind on the overall with 2 rinks up and 2 just down by a shot or two, but the last 3 ends for the visitors proved disastrous dropping a total of 20 shots which left them going home with nothing other than a 7-0 defeat.
Annalong have a cup match away to whitehead again next week and would need to sharpen every pencil they have to have any chance of staying in the running for the cup