North West kids are a cut above the rest

North West chief Ryan O'Neill hailed his young charges following their win in the Junior Match Play Short Mat tournament at the County Antrim Indoor Bowls Club on Saturday.
Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.
Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.

Once again the impressive North West kids demonstrated their potential which earned them the title for the third successive year.

They coasted through the group stages to earn a spot in the semi finals along with the other section winners, South Down and Monaghan, while Western qualified for the last four as the best placed runners-up.

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In the semis, North West edged past Monaghan . . . and Western proved to be too strong for South Down.

Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.
Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.

But North West turned in a flawless performance when it mattered in the final, winning all four disciplines.

"First and foremost it was fantastic to see so many young bowlers perform at such a high level," said O'Neill. "They didn't show any sign of nerves and their ability stood out on the big stage.

"The coaches and parents of all the junior zones involved should be very proud."

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O'Neill insisted many of his young team have a big part to play in the game in future years.

Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.
Rod Coleman presenting the North West Captain Shauna O'Neill with the Junior Match play shield.

"The side played really well throughout the tournament, but they really stepped up to the mark against a good Western team in the final," he added.

"Obviously, the experience of winning the tournament in previous years stood the team in good stead, even though there were are number of chances involved.

"They really upped their game when it mattered in the latter stages of matches. But all the zones should be congratulated for playing their part in what was a great spectacle. Western in particular have been a real threat to North West over the past three years and they are certainly building for the future.

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"The County Antrim Indoor Bowls Club also played it's part in helping make the tournament the success it was. The facilities were superb and club manager Rod Coleman and his committee should be congratulated."

Results

Junior Match Play Final: North West 42 (5) Western 19 (0): Singles: J Rankin 12 M Ferguson 7. Pairs: A Rankin 11 C Scott 5. Triples S O'Neill 9 B Power 4; Fours: C Marshall 10 H Ferguson 3.

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