Donaghadee knock locals out of the Junior Cup

THE Banbridge Junior Cup team, captained by Rory Madeley, had high hopes of major success this year.

They qualified comfortably at Spa back in the month of May.

In the opening round of matchplay, they defeated Spa and then went on to defeat Lisburn in round two. That put them into the Ulster quarter-finals where their opponents would be Donaghadee.

The match was played last Saturday at the neutral venue of Rockmount and that’s where the winning sequence began to unravel.

Donaghadee have a very young team but they are hardened campaigners and excellent players into the bargain.

Kieran Magennis very quickly realised that. In the opening game, Kieran was hit by a barrage of birdies and just had no answer. Kieran’s loss was not expected. It was a downer for the Banbridge team but inspired the Donaghadee lads.

Seamus Rooney was second man out and he has good memories of Rockmount. But, on the day, Seamus had to play second fiddle to the young lad from Donaghadee and he lost by 3 and 2.

Two games down from a team of five is a precarious situation. But all was not lost. After nine holes, Neil Madeley, Josh Lockhart and William Malcolmson were level.

Could all three win? It was a big ask.

Josh Lockhart did win, by 2 and 1. But it was too little, too late.

William Malcolmson had to watch as his opponent chipped into the hole no less than three times. William didn’t get the breaks and he lost by 3 and 1.

That was it all over. Neil Madeley, who was one up after 17 holes, was called in.

It’s sad, but Banbridge are out of the Junior Cup. They gave it their best shot but it just wasn’t good enough. That’s golf!

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