Bowls: The perplexing agony of stifled dreams at City of Derry

The hopes that fired a new beginning have dimmed appreciably, for this season anyway.

Of course there are lies, damned lies and statistics, but immersed in the fog of pathos are performances, team and individual, that auger well for the future of the City club.

New faces look set to figure prominently in future deliberations.

The shakedown of the Senior league has resulted in an almost predictable inevitability.

Ballymoney, the destination for the pre-season smart money, look like holding off a strong challenge from second place Cookstown with a very credible 91 points from 16 games.

The County Tyrone chasers are still in contention however, with 84 points, also from 16 games.

City of Derry occupy mid-table comfort with 38 points from 17 games; their 5 win and 12 loss ratio constituting a less than adequate return in many minds for some battling encounters.

In Senior League 1, Cookstown ‘B’, although perched at the pinnacle, are looking uncomfortably over their collective shoulders at the pursuing Ballymoney ‘B’.

The leaders have amassed 87.5 points from 15 played while Ballymoney sit just seven points in arrears.

City of Derry ‘B’, while plying their trade in the lower regions of the division, have registered 30.5 hard won points from 16 games.

The dubious distinction of holding up the section goes to Limavady ‘B’ with 20.5 points, also from 16 games.

Lisnagelvin, figuratively speaking, post the worst points gained aggregate in the club season to date with a punitive 19.5 points from 15 games.

Here again, the rub of the green, in this case quite a lot of the greens, turned their faces against from the exertions of the Lisnagelvin bowlers, sometimes with a vengeance.

It really is true, when you are down, luck is the first deserter of the wobbling rink. Brookgreen are top of the pile with 73 points, a cigarette paper’s width ahead of Kilrea who are on 72.5.

Titanic struggle for honours in this division.

The numerous inter-club competitions are also nearing the completion stages and further details will be revealed as they emerge.

A finely contested game with a difference was played out on the Lisnagelvin green on Thursday August 13th between a City of Derry male select and an all ladies team for the Jean Gilliland Shield.

The men prevailed 22-19 and as the scoreline suggests, it was a tingling affair with the ladies pushing their male counterparts all the way.

Club secretary Ian Montgomery presented the impressive shield to Willie Taylor to bring a very enjoyable encounter to a fitting finale