Saturday 18th April saw Barry Romilly welcome Private Greens new boys, Penygraig, for a friendly match to kick off the new season. It was a tough encounter played in bright sunshine on a typically heavy green, so early in the season.
Rink 1, skipped by Club captain John Seaford provided the most comprehensive victory for The Rom, pulling away from their opponents to an 11-4 lead by the 11th end. The second half of the match, saw the home side, well led by Russ Harbron and Kevin Mahoney, further increase their lead to 19-6 with only three ends to play. Penygraig did rally to make a brave fight of it to claw back 6 shots in the final three ends. Unfortunately, it was a case of too little, too late, with Barry Romilly winning the rink 19-12.
The game on Rink 2 proved to be a much closer affair. In spite of some excellent work by the front end of Kelvyn Lewis and Gary Williams, the lead went back and forth throughout the game until the 15th end when Fossy’s side scored a three to pull away into a four-shot lead. They went further ahead over the next two ends to lead by six shots. The match seemed safe until Penygraig rallied to reduce the deficit to three shots, before Fossy worked his magic to take the home side into a five shot lead to take the game away from the visitors. Penygraig required a five on the last end to draw the end, but only managed to pick up a three, leaving The Rom with a 20-18 victory.
If the game on Rink 2 was close, the one on Rink 3 was to prove even closer. Mike Doyle’s quartet fell behind in the early stages before winning seven out of eight ends between the 7th and 14th to lead 14-8. Penygraig’s then launch a fight back and by the 19th end the game the rink was tied 15-15. Doyley’s driving game was to prove a decisive factor as the home side went into the final end leading 17-15. Penygraig managed to pull one back in the final end only to leave The Rom with a 17-16 victory.
On rink 4 it was neck-and-neck for the first eight ends, before Penygraig pulled into a six-shot lead by the 12th end. Dave Curtis’s men fought back bravely to reduce the lead to one shot only for boys from Penygraig to score on successive ends to win their only rink of the day 16-15.
The game was played in an excellent spirit, the Rom winning on three of the four rinks to win the match by 69 shots to 62.