Onchan’s Matthew Keggen was the man in form on his own green as he won the first of three men’s association singles competitions with a 21-13 win over Marown’s Dean Kipling.
Keggen and Kipling produced the best bowls of the day en route to booking their final births however it was the homester who settled first and was in command from the off.
Kipling was the only man preventing an Onchan strangle hold with Phil Kerruish and Kevin Quirk both making it to the semi-finals.
Port St Mary A put in an electrifying performance in Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One as unceremoniously cast Nobles A aside as the recorded a 10-0 white wash victory, conceding only 74 points in the process.
It is an immediate return to form for a surprise heavy defeat in their previous fixture and they will be delighted to be in third place before they sit out this week.
Marown A kept their foot on the gas and still remain out in front after another impressive showing this time away to North Ramsey A, who are playing their home games on the Nobles number 2 green this season.
A 9-1 victory leaves the Crosby men sitting pretty, but also indicates how important every point will be for the northerners this year especially as all of their games will feel like away fixtures as they don’t have the security of their own familiar patch.
Onchan A will be pleased to chalk up nine more points away at Finch Hill A as they restricted the Douglas team to only one win with Captain Merv Sayle bringing home the only point for his team.
In the southern battle Castletown A just has the edge over neighbours Port Erin A at Breagle Glenn and despite a tie on games it was the visitors who took the two extra points with a 151-144 win.
Both Douglas sides picked up respective 7-3 results in their favour however it is the B team who will be happier with their nights work. An way win on their travels to Ballaugh A will do the newly promoted outfit no harm at all as they bid to not only survive but cause a few more upsets in their maiden season in the top flight.
The A team may have notched up a victor at home but they were made to fight all the way by a plucky South Ramsey B side who are proving just how good they are with every outing. On another day this could have been a very different result as South really were in this match until the very last bowl.
Peel A are still on top of the perch in Division Two thanks to a 7-3 score line recorded at Nobles Park against North Ramsey B.
Onchan B are just one point adrift though thanks matching the Govags 7-3 win on their travels to Port StMary C. Peel and Onchan are the only two teams with their 100% records in tact after just 3 matches so that shows you how tightly contested this division will be.
Port St Mary B picked up the biggest win on the night in this division as they took down Nobles B 9-1 at home to keep their challenge alive in these early stages.
Douglas C already have a bit of daylight between them and the chasing pack in Division Three after only three matches and their 8-2 win over Nobles C has only enhanced their title credentials.
Port Erin B are in second place but were made to fight for every point away at Castletown C leaving with a 6-4 win.
Mean Machine (Glynn Hargraves, Alan Moore, Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly & Stefan Kelly) were victorious in the Income Plus Services Mixed Team Competition as South Ramsey on Sunday.
The green was in immaculate condition and exceptionally tricky to master so it was no surprise to see a home side victorious although they were made to fight all the way by Team Hungover (Janet & Rob Monk, Helen Martin and Steve Walmsley).
In the final Alan Moore & Dido Kelly won the doubles beating Helen Martin & Janet Monk 21-14, Stefan Kelly got the better of Steve Walmsley 21-8 whilst Rob Monk drew the only blood for the runners up beating Glynn Hargraves 21-13.
Thanks go to George Brew for a magnificent playing service and to Income Plus Services for their sponsorship.
The much anticipated first set of fixtures of the new Ellan Vannin Fuels men’s league got underway on Monday evening, and it more than lived up to the billing of an exciting new era for the local game.
The performance of Douglas B was on par with the exciting new partnership the Grown Green Bowls Association is forging with Ellan Vannin Fuels as the firm have agreed sponsorship support which will help promote and further the domestic game as the sport strives to reach unparalleled heights.
This ground breaking sponsorship agreement sees the Peel firm put their name to three of the associations premiere competitions in the shape of the Ellan Vannin Fuels Men’s League, Ellan Vannin Fuels Mixed League and Ellan Vannin Fuels Isle of Man Junior Championships. All of these competitions are vital for future development across all levels of our sport and we look to a fruitful partnership which I am sure will flourish for all involved.
Douglas B hosted reigning champions Onchan A, in their first game in the top flight since securing promotion last season, and there were a couple of questions on everyone’s lips. Do the champions have enough fire power in their arsenal to defend their title after a couple of changes in personnel and will the newly promoted side have what it takes to avoid the dreaded drop?
Whilst last weeks match does not give us definitive answers the Villa Men’s staggering victory must at least raise a few eyebrows of everyone else in the league and the signs look good as they set sail in the unchartered territory of the first division. Douglas B should be really proud of what was a magnificent team performance as it is the win on aggregate which is truly remarkable with every single point making a difference. Similarly, an under par Onchan A will hope to put this behind them and bounce back this week as they entertain Ballaugh A.
Douglas A didn’t share the good fortune of their B team and travelled to the highly fancied South Ramsey A team who were just too strong for them on the night. South will hope to pile the pressure on early doors to show the other teams around them that they mean business and are here to stay. It really wouldn’t surprise me if we see their name on the trophy come the end of the season.
Early leaders Marown A will be hoping to put a stop to that sort of talk and their 9-1 win away from home at Ballaugh A will go some way to doing that. Marown have a settled side and are course and distance men. If Onchan don’t bounce back quickly they could be the team with the staying power required to lift a trophy.
Port St Mary A are another team that will hope to do well this season and last year’s third placed outfit were made to fight all the way for a 7-3 home victory over division 2 champions South Ramsey B.
Port Erin A will be delighted to have got off to a winning start and a 7-3 victory over Nobles A is a good performance. They have nicely balanced team this year which will make Breagle Glen a difficult place to visit this year.
There was a thriller at Finch Hill in the final first division fixture of the round with the home side taking the win on games 5-3 but losing out by one point on aggregate 146-147 for Castletown A to seal the extra points and a 5-5 draw overall.
Castletown B got off to a flyer on their return to division two and were just too strong for Ballaugh B running out 9-1 winners at the Crofts. If they want to bounce straight back up to division one results like this will do their chances no harm at all.
Peel A won the Sunset City derby beating their B team 7-3 in a close match. Peel A are another team with aspirations of promotion and picking up points in their home games will be vital to their cause.
The Onchan derby finished in a similar fashion with the B team sealing a solid 7-3 victory over their C team. Onchan B will be there or there about in the shakeup at the end of the season and they will be hoping to bring this form with them this week on their travels to Port St Mary C.
There were some big performances in the third division but none more notable than at the memorial playing fields in Crosby where the newly formed Marown C picked up a magnificent 8-2 win over Peel D, with all but 1 of their players making their competitive debuts.
It is wonderful to see a team littered with new players making an immediate impact on proceedings and it is a testament to the growth and development at Marown in recent years as only a few years ago they had to drop their B team due to a shortage of players. How times change. I wish the C team and the club every success with this initiative and I get the feeling this plucky band of newbies may turn a few heads as the season progresses.
Port Erin B and Douglas C wont let them have things their own way though and both picked up impressive 8-2 wins of their own, with Douglas topping the tree on aggregate. This has been the most exciting division in recent memory and I expect this season to be no different with the lead swapping hands more than the baton in a relay competition at the Olympics.
A total of 16 teams turned up at Port St Mary for the Jubilee Cup mixed threesomes competition once again kindly sponsored by C.Tarleton Hodgson. At the conclusion of play the team that had mastered the tricky conditions best were that of local man Trevor Quayle and his partners the Ramsey pairing of Lyn and Sid Bolton who came out on top of a close final against the team of Alan Moore, Elaine Moore and Stefan Kelly 21-18.
Losing out at the semi final were the North Ramsey team of Janet Monk, Rob Monk and Steve Parker and the South Ramsey team of Jenny Moore, James Teare and Shelley Kennish.
Club Vice-President Rob Cooil Presented the prizes after thanking the sponsors, the greenkeeper and the ladies section of the club for all the hard work without which the competitions wouldn’t be able to go ahead.
Onchan had already won the Isle of Man Bank Men’s division one title going into the final fixtures and the only thing left to work out was the margin of their impressive victory.
They signed off a very impressive campaign with an 8-2 win over Nobles A to finish twenty one points ahead of runners up Marown A. I have already used almost every superlative in the dictionary to describe this great team, however I have saved a couple for club stalwart Kevin Quirk.
Less than eighteen months after we were left wondering if he would ever play the game to the best of his ability again, due to a series of major health scares, he not only goes and wins the division one merit but he wins all of his 24 games in his first full season back. There as so many descriptive words I could use to sum up Quirk and this achievement but I will simply go with courageous, deserved and magnificent. It’s great to see you back at your best.
Nobles will have been delighted with their two points as they finished above Peel A by the same number of points three places off the bottom, safe o rom the drop.
Marown A signed off in style with a 10-0 maximum victory over Castletown B, and the first outing for their innovative electronic scoreboard. They will be left pondering what they need to do to stop Onchan next term as they found themselves in no man’s land with fifteen points between them and the third placed outfit but a way off the top.
Castletown B were not as lucky as Nobles as a hard run in left them firmly rooted to the bottom of the tree with division two bowls looming next year.
Port St Mary A won the season long battle for third place by a solitary point over South Ramsey A. Both teams have been battling it out all season and Port will take a little satisfaction from getting one over on the team that beat them in the Rayner Shield.
It had been neck and neck all season in the battle for Division Two champions however in the final few games South Ramsey B turned on the style and challengers Douglas B just couldn’t live with their end of season form.
In the end South finished eight points clear of the men from the Villa with Port St Mary B completing the top three just four points further back.
Castletown C finished bottom after really struggling this season, there were encouraging signs from a couple of new players and I am sure after a period of rebuilding in division three they will be back in the higher echelons of the local game. Despite a good 7-3 win in their final fixture Nobles B finished second bottom just two points adrift of Port St Mary C.
The closest battle actually came in division three with Onchan C taking the silverware by just one point between them and runners up Peel C.
Both teams were on opposite ends of 7-3 results and despite a spirited win by the Govags away from home at Finch Hill B it just wasn’t to be, with Onchan emulating the success of their A team.
All in all it has been a magnificent season for bowls all round both in terms of the league, development and other initiatives that are really thrusting the sport to the fore. The IOMCCGBA would like to thank the Isle of Man Bank for their continues support of the Men’s leagues and it is hoped that this partnership can continue for many years to come.
Onchan A have done it, they have retained the Isle of Man Bank Men’s division one title with a game to spare after another couple of superb results.
A 9-1 win at Catletown A followed by a 10-0 home win over North Ramsey A really did reiterate how dominant this fantastic team is.
After losing out in the title race two years ago, and battling to win it back last year I was yet to be convinced that this team had the desire and hunger to remain on top but their devastating form has proved me wrong.
Whilst I genuinely believe the three of four teams below them in the league have enough in their arsenal to defeat them on any given day I don’t believe that anyone has the strength in depth to challenge them over a full season, especially an extended one like this year.
Bowls, however, is a fickle sport and if one player was to leave or if other top five teams were to strengthen it could be a very different story but if things remain the same the ending could be the same for quite a few years to come.
Marown A have all but secured second place with a gutsy performance in the one game they had last week. They travelled to and inform Douglas A, who were fresh off the back of a 10-0 win over Port Erin A, and at 3-0 down looked like they were down for the count. This wasn’t the case though and they showed great resolve to win all of the remaining games and take a 7-3 victory as the only team to beat the Villa men on their own patch all season.
Third place Port St Mary A also only had one game last week and impressed with a 10-0 maximum win over Peel A to keep on track for a good third place finish.
South Ramsey A are the only team who could take third place of Port and two 9-1 wins have left them needing to overturn two point deficit in two games.
It is far from all done and dusted in the race for the division two title with South Ramsey B leapfrogging Douglas B into top spot and they are now two points ahead of their closest rivals with two games to go.
South pulled off probably the biggest result of the season from any division to go top at they white washed North Ramsey B 10-0 on their own turf. To put this into perspective North hadn’t dropped a single point at home until last week, in fact their worst result was a 7-3 win, so for South to go their with the pressure on and leave with a maximum is absolutely incredible.
Douglas B also picked up a win beating Castletown 7-3 at the crofts. Whilst it is advantage South the men from the Villa will fight it out to the end and any slip from their rivals will open the door and I am sure they are more than capable of stepping in. This title battle is going to the wire and we will have to wait with anticipation as we watch the tale unfold.
It is a similar story in Division 3 with two teams locked in battle as they fight it out for the silverware. Onchan C top the tree on 132 points with Peel C just behind on 131.
With two games to go it really is anyone’s guess who will be crowned champions on Thursday evening. Onchan C on paper have a slightly easier finish to the season, but with both their games away from home won’t be taking anything for granted and if Peel can turn in a good home win on Tuesday who knows where the destiny of division three lies.
Another brilliant week for league leaders Onchan A leaves them within touching difference of retaining their Isle of Man bank Men’s Division One Title.
Two more superb results leaves them needing just fifteen points from their remaining three games to make certain of their twelfth title in just thirteen years, although with the champions in such a rich vein of form I am certain it will be all over this week.
They would have been pleased with an above par 8-2 home win over South Ramsey on Monday night before yet another maximum 10-0 win, this time at the expense of Peel A, on Wednesday.
Second placed Marown only had one game last week and put in a strong performance winning 9-1 away at Peel A. They have a game in hand over Onchan but at twenty six points adrift with only forty for them to play for nothing short of a miracle will be enough if they want to halt the champions charge.
Douglas A remain in third place, having played a game more than the two teams below them, after an impressive 9-1 away win at Finch Hill A was followed up with a hard fought 6-4 home win over fourth placed Port St Mary A.
Port had a tough week and had to fight hard in their first game just getting the better of North Ramsey 7-3 at the Mooragh.
Ramsey teams occupy 5th and 6th places after South A finished the week on a high with a 10-0 mauling of Port Erin A at home and North A picked up and 8-2 home win over Nobles A.
With second division leaders South Ramsey B sitting out Douglas B ceased their opportunity and moved into pole position thanks to an 8-2 home win over Nobles B. The Villa men now lead by a solitary point and with three games to go its all to play for in the battle for silverware.
Port St Mary B are third seven points further back after they had to dig deep to beat Peel B 6-4 at home.
Its just as tight at the top of Division 3 with Peel C holding the slenderest of leads over Onchan C after they both picked up respective 7-3 wins. Port St Mary D are still in with an outside chance of the title five points further back.
Neil Withers was the victor of Nobles on Saturday after he lifted the RNLI Trophy after a superb final win over John Kennish on the green where he won the June Festival.
It was an even affair in the early stages before Kennish moved into a 10-6 lead. This is when Withers really found his form winning eight of the next nine ends to move 17-11 ahead. Kennish dug deep but it wasn’t to be with the Crosby man having enough in the tank to get home 21-14.
Kennish had to be at his best in the Semi-Final as he edged past Kevin Quirk 21-19 whilst Withers ended the challenge of elder statesman Mike Hargraves 21-13.
Fallers at the quarter final stage were Jordan Cain, Ian Kissack, David Bradford and Bernard Thackrah.
After thirty three years of waiting South Ramsey A once again won the coveted Rayner Shield with a convincing 7-2 win over Port St Mary A at NoblesPark on Friday.
With Port having taught South a lesson when they played in the league just a few games ago all looked set for the southerners to etch their name on the trophy for the first time, but no body told the Northerners this.
They were simply brilliant. Every single one of them put in a cup final performance and in this gear it’s hard to think that even Onchan A or Marown A could have stopped them in their tacks.
Things started well for the Ramsey side with Captain John Kennish winning on the same green he won the June Festival on as he saw off the only other Manx Man to make festival finals day Ewan Cooil 21-14.
On paper the match looked like it could go to the wire and with Paul Skelly levelling things for Port with a 21-13 win over Chas Grills it looked like it could do just that.
Just then South moved into top gear with the next three games off the green all going in their favour with Alan Moore beating Juan Hargraves 21-12, Jerome Surridge seeing off the challenge of Mikey Collister 21-16 and Peter Collister getting the better of Port Captain Rob Cooil 21-12.
Trevor Quayle got one back for the Spaniards beating semi final hero James Teare 21-10 before it was all over. The next tree games were off the green in quick succession as John Kennish’s charges sealed victory in devastating fashion with Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly beating Ron Mayxcox 21-5, Gary Conwell defeating Ray Watterson 21 9 and Adrian Skinner finding his best to come home 21-10 against Chris Oates.
My heart goes out to Port St Mary who have been brilliant all season and again fall at the final hurdle, and I am certain they will have their day, but this wasn’t it. The day belonged to South Ramsey who were at their majestic best and a joy to behold and they deserve every accolade afforded them after a fantastic performance.
