DON O’Neill from the host club and Temora’s Bill Robertson are the first players through to the quarter finals of the year’s Ex-Services Club Maestros following contrasting wins on Tuesday night.
Playing in the elite Major division, O’Neill ended the halt of Country Club bowls president Graham Davidson 31-25, while Robertson eliminated defending champion John Harriott.
O’Neill dropped a two on the first end, however hit back immediately with a three and was never headed for the remainder of the match.
Several times during the night he strung together multiple winning ends to lead 6-2 after four, 16-7 after 13 and 24-112 after 21.
Davidson fought back to trail by six after the 27th end however O’Neill was within two of victory two ends later at 29-20.
His opponent did well to peg back another five shots, however the early deficit proved too big.
The Robertson/Harriott match
lasted 23 ends and with ends favouring Robertson 13 to 10 you could have expected the score to be closer.
However, it was the 10 multiple counts collected by the traveller that was decisive, with six three and a four among them as he was ‘on the jack’ all night.
Harriott collected a four of his own and followed it with a two on end seven to trail by one at 9-8, however couldn’t get going in the face of some accurate draw shots from his rival.
All but one place in the round of 16 of the Minor division have been filled following another four matches on Tuesday.
Glen Mogg, who was an impressive first round winner, found out how
fickle the game can be, going from 7-1 in front against Danny Vincent to the point of shaking hands 14 ends later.
Vincent won 10 ends on the trot, including two fours and three threes, to race to a 24-7 lead and, with his rival’s confidence shot, he closed out the match in style with another four.
Rinks four and six saw local derbies between players from the home club, with Mick Ryan and John Goggin emerging victorious.
Opposed to Rod Bradley, Ryan enjoyed a purple patch between ends 11 and 18, winning all but one and turning a 10-9 deficit into a 19-11 lead.
A string of three twos pushed his advantage out to 26-15 after 25 and, while Bradley was able to win six of the next seven ends to get back within striking distance at 28-24 behind, Ryan steadied with a single and two.
After 12 ends of the Goggin/O’Toole match it was all square at nine-all, while there was only three the difference after 18 had been played with Goggin in front 15-12.
A fruitful eight end stretch in which Goggin grabbed six multiple counts to O’Toole’s two singles was the defining point of the match, racing the former ahead 29-14 and he sealed the deal four ends later.
The longest battle of the night saw Tony Curtis push last year’s Minors runner up Jack Forbutt all the
way before the more experienced Forbutt won by the narrowest of
margins 31-30.
Scores were level at 12-all after 14 and 20-all after 24. Both players won five of what proved to be the final 10 ends, the difference being Forbutt’s four multiple collects to Curtis’s two.
Draw for tonight
Majors
Brian Madden v Terry Ricketts
Scott Rush v Laurie Smith
Colin Powell v Paul Jeffrey
Minors
Keith Hampton v Terry McDonald
Jack Forbutt v Col Luck
John Goggin v Richie Larsen
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