ISLANDMAGEE Indoor Bowling Club hosted the final of the Wilson Cup and John Thompson, league chairman, welcomed the finalists Cairncastle and LB<C.
Rink 1 proved to be a very tight affair for the first 6 ends with the LB<C rink of Jean McGarel, Myrtle McAuley, Gavin Johnston and Eddie Wilson leading 3-2 but the second half of the game was all Cairncastle with Kate Mellor, Billy Hunter, Norman
McKee and Brendan Petticrew pulling out all the stops scoring 11 shots to the Bowling Clubs 2 to finish convincing winners 13-5
Rink 2 followed the same format as rink 1 for the first 6 ends with both teams sharing ends to leave the Cairncastle rink of Winston Clements, Nat Moore, Jackie Acheson and Vincent Petticrew up 5 -3. They followed this up by winning the next 4 ends to lead 14-3 after 10 however the LB<C rink of Kathleen McRandal, Hugh Russell, Jim McFaul and Joe McRandal rallied to take the last two ends to leave the final score at 14-7 to Cairncastle.
This meant Cairncastle entered the second half with a very crediitable 15-shot advantage.
The second half proved to be a more closely fought affair with excellent bowls played by both sides, but the LB<C rinks played two Cairncastle rinks at the top of their game.
On Rink 3 the Cairncastle's Jim Andrews, Tommy Stewart, John Harkin and Alex Kincaid were playing out of their skins and after 7 ends led 8 - 4 but a couple of twos orchestrated by the wily back end of Johnny Hamill and Dave McRandal brought the game level after 9 ends.
The LB<C front end of Jim Rennie and Marie Wilson tried to lay the platform for a comeback on ends 10 and 11, but to no avail as a couple of singles gave Cairncastle a 10 -8 lead and Dave very sportingly shook hands to acknowledge defeat.
The Cairncastle rink of Margery Walker, Avril Clements, Mervyn McConkey and Mervyn Walker were all having a super game and after 7 ends led 5 -4 and a 3 on end 8 gave them a sufficient buffer to finish the game winners at 9 -6 after 11 ends.
The LB<C of Harry Millar, Michael Telford, Fegie Duff and Michael Murphy did not play badly but just drew a Cairncastle rink on top of their game.
John Thompson paid tribute to both teams for a riveting final and presented the Wilson Cup for the second successive year to Cairncasle club chairman Avril Clements.
