Match Reports
2025 SEASON
Match Report: Clegg League – Gosforth Garden Village (H) - 14 May '25
After the recent warm weather it was, predictably, a depressingly cool/cold/freezing (whatever is appropriate for you) evening as we welcomed fellow promotion wannabees Gosforth Garden Village to Northumberland Park.
Weekly rink rotation meant we were on Blue going to and from the pavilion and to say the least it was 'difficult'. Other words were used on the night, use your imagination.
Biggest winners of the evening were Chris, Sue and Connor - but we've no idea how as they were comfortably the worst they've been all season. Thankfully Sue was OK from the start, Connor joined in after eight or nine ends, and Chris finally showed up when the game was already won. The final score was 28-10, helped significantly by 14 of their shots coming in just three ends! (By the way, the lines on Blue 1 are incomprehensible!)
On the next rink Ronnie, Ash and Kev took a 6-2 lead after five ends and although the game was tied at 8-8 after nine ends they never really looked back. 10 shots over the next four ends took them to a comfortable 18-8 lead and they closed out the game with little drama, taking a valuable 24-14 win.
Next along on '3' were Reg, Keith and George who fell behind early and couldn't quite get back on level terms. After twelve ends they faced a 6-11 deficit and began to claw it back but, alas, they ran out of ends and lost narrowly 16-19.
Finally, Rink 4 saw father and son team (Ryan and Corey) partnered with Tom. They soon established a lead and were 10-4 up after ten ends. However, disaster struck at the 11th, 13th and 18th ends when they gave up two '4s' and a '5'. At the final end they were still in with a shout at 18-20, but good opposition bowling led to an 18-22 defeat.
Nevertheless, all that means a really good 10-4 win (a reversal of the last time Gosforth GV visited us) with an excellent 86-65 aggregate.
After four games (of a 14-game season) we're top of the table - so promising, but it's still early.
Next week we travel to Innisfree (Longbenton) to take on Centurion Park.
Match Report: Dalglish League – Forth (A) - 12 May '25
Monday 12th saw us make the short trip to Monkseaton to face Forth - a trip which usually means a defeat ... but not this evening! A superb effort from the team saw us take three rinks and a narrow 77-72 aggregate win, meaning another 12-2 victory to follow up last weeks' win over Rockcliffe.
We had only one losing rink with Reg, Sue & Corey battling hard to lead 17-16 after 20 ends. Alas they suffered their worst end of the night at the 21st losing four shots and the game 17-20. Still, if you can't win don't lose by much, so their 3-shot deficit kept us in the match.
Next to them on Rink 6 Chris, Dave W and Kevin came up against three strong bowlers. Our trio initially took a 6-shot lead before dropping an annoying '5' at the 6th end to go 6-7 behind. However, they quickly gained a '4' back and from that point the game remained tight. A crucial '3' at the 20th end was vital though as it gave them a 20-17 lead, and they bowled a strong final end to lose just one shot and take the win 20-18.
Rink 4 gave us our biggest win where Ronnie was given great support by Lynne and Bryan (making only his 2nd appearance on a tough away green). The game never had more than two shots in it until a run of 11 shots from the 13th - 19th ends took them out to an unassailable 22-14 lead and ultimately an excellent 22-17 win.
The tightest and most exciting game was reserved for Rink 1 where Ryan, Anthony and Ian led narrowly after 10 ends before falling behind 16-17 at the 20th. With his final wood in Anthony's hand we were 2 shots down but he played a superb backhand draw to lie shot. We still needed 1 more within 12" of the jack though to take the rink, which Ryan produced with the final wood of the match - meaning and 18-17 win. Brilliant.
This really was an excellent win - well played everyone.
Next Monday (19th) were due, probably/possibly, to play someone somewhere in the John Porter Cup. We'll let you know.
Match Report: Public Utilities D2 – Centurion Park (H) - 08 May '25
The team was back at home this evening where we welcomed Centurion Park, hoping to improve on last week's defeat at Forest Hall. Due to the unavailability of some players Chris was drafted in to support Ryan (skip) and Sean, with Connor (skip) playing alongside Paz and Kev.
With just a few ends played it appeared that one game was going to be close and the other should be a comfortable win - and so it proved.
On Rink 2, playing across the green on White, Ryan, Chris and Sean quickly established a 6-0 lead which progressed to 11-2, 22-4 and finally an excellent 33-11 win.
Meanwhile on Rink 3 Connor, Paz and Kev were having a much tougher time. After 5 ends they were 1-6 down before recovering to 7-6 up and then finding themselves 9-13 behind after 15 ends. Happily they then turned it on and a 9-shot run over the next 5 ends took them 18-13 ahead. They restricted their opponents to just 1 at the final end and claimed the win 18-14.
The final score was 51-25 as we gained the 2 points.
There's no match next week so we're next in action on 22 May when we travel to play Ponteland B.
Match Report: Hateley League – Rockcliffe Rollers (A) - 08 May '25
Thursday afternoon saw us play our second match of the week against Rockcliffe, this time away at their green. Delightfully, comparing it to the previous evening, it was (as usual) a lovely green to play on.
Three rinks were really close, with our team managing two wins and a draw. Chris, Sue and George's game was close throughout and they had to play really well against their opponents to come out on top 17-14.
Three rinks across Reg, Colin and (making his debut) Ian G initially led 6-0 before finding themselves 13-16 down with just 2 ends to play; however, a superb '4' at the penultimate end followed by a double at the 21st took them to a valuable 19-16 victory.
After 8 rinks of their game Keith, Tony and Anthony were an amazing 15-0 ahead before their opponents begam to stage a remarkable comeback. After 14 ends it was still 17-5, but 12 shots in 6 ends for Rockcliffe (with only 1 for us) meant the score was 18-17 going into the final end - at which Rockcliffe grabbed 1 shot and secured the draw. A great game,
Our only losers, alas, were Ronnie, Lynne and Andrew who began brightly and took the first 2 ends. The next 16 ends were all Rockcliffe though and they romped into an unassailable 2-26 lead. Our trio kept battling and grabbed 7 more shots towards the end but sadly went down 9-28.
Overall we lost 5-9 with a 63-76 aggregate. Still, five points away vs Rockcliffe is a better return than we've had on many other occasions so there are reasons to be optimistic.
Next week it'll be another tough match when we entertain Willington Quay.
Match Report: Clegg League – Tynemouth (A) - 07 May '25
Well, that was fun! We arrived at Tynemouth in good heart after a strong start to the season, but with some trepidation as: a) it's always cold with the 'breeze' whipping off the sea/boating lake; and b) the green is, being charitable, never the best. As it turned out we were right to be concerned. It was freezing and the green was worse than last year. To be fair, it was more allotment than green with bumps aal owa the place. I can't think what it will be like when the potatoes start coming through.
We also had to play in pointless (and unsafe) blue overshoes to protect the green. [Face palm]. That won't be happening again on H&S grounds.
But apart from all that, it turned into a tremendously close game with an incredibly tense finish. But first, the mundane stuff.
Our two rink winners were Ron, Ash and Kev (21-15) and Chris, Sue & Connor (19-15). Reg, Keith and Michael had a tough evening and came away with an 11-21 loss. But the excitement was all on the fourth rink. Let me paint a picture. With three rinks finished we had won two, but the aggregate score was level.
After 20 ends of Ryan, James and Tom's match vs erstwhile NLBC (albeit briefly) bowler Richard C, the score was 15-15. When Richard stood on the mat with the final bowl of the match in his hand Tom had us lying 1 and on course for a superb 12-2 victory. Richard had other ideas though and a very well targeted drive cannoned off Tom's bowl and nudged the jack to them - and 3 shots. So a 3-shot aggregate deficit for us and a 4-10 defeat. Gutted doesn't even come close. We look forward to the return!
Next week we're back at home at fortress Northumberland Park where we face fellow relegation-ees from last season, Gosforth Garden Village. They beat us at home last time, let's not let that happen again.
Match Report: Dalglish League – Rockcliffe Rollers (H) - 05 May '25
Well this was a nice surprise! Rockcliffe Rollers were the visitors at Northumberland Park this evening and left virtually empty-handed as a superb team performance from the NLBS Super Stars earned a tremendous 12-2 (73-57) victory.
We played across the green (on white markers) which was slow-ish following the recent rain and allied to the fact the green hadn't had its usual Monday cut due to the Bank Holiday. (For older readers - that's most people - a Bank Holiday apparently means something to the poor people who still have to go to work!)
Nonetheless, it was still playing well and the team made full use of home advantage.
On Rink 1 Keith, Eddie and Paz faced strong opposition, particularly in the shape of Rockcliffe skip Sean. However, our three kept chipping away and by the sixth end end had built a good 8-1 lead. From this point they were never behind, although it was close at times, and took a superb 18-14 victory.
Rink 2 saw Chris, Sue and Corey take on a very experienced Rockcliffe trio. The game began in a tight fashion and was tied at a miserly 3-3 after six ends. At this point our team really got the feel of the rink and took eight of the next nine ends and developed a game-winning 20-4 lead before running out 25-10 winners (the biggest of the night).
Our third winners were on the difficult Rink 3 where Ronnie, Lynne and John C found themselves 5-10 down after eleven ends. This was no problem though as they took eight of the last ten ends, including a momentum-changing '4' at the twelfth and scoring 13 shots in the process, and won the game 18-12. What a comeback.
Our only losers on the night came on Rink 4 where Ryan, Anthony & Michael couldn't quite get the win. After seven ends they were tied at 4-4 and then led 8-7 after ten ends before the Rockcliffe team pulled away an eventually took the points 12-21.
All in all though, particularly considering wins over Rockcliffe are as rare as rocking horse you-know-what, this was a very good night for us. It's our first Dalglish win of the season and takes us to 20 points. Well played everyone.
Next week we're away at Forth - another tough one.
Match Report: Public Utilities D2 - Forest Hall (A) - 01 May '25
After last weeks hugely encouraging home win against Collingwood B, our team travelled to Forest Hall for what was expected to be a tough fixture - and so it proved.
The outcome was similar on both rinks as our team discovered Forest Hall's undoubted strength. Ryan, Corey and Dave W were in the game after 12 ends and were just 9-12 behind. Unfortunately they were unable to stay with their opponents and ultimately lost 14-23.
On the other rink Ash, Paz and Sean fell behind from end 3 and found themselves 6-23 down after 15 ends. The final 6 ends saw them fare slightly better but they too lost, this time 13-26.
The final score was 27-49 with the two points going to the hosts.
Next week (8 May) our team welcome Centurion Park to Northumberland Park.
Match Report: Clegg League - Throckley (H) - 30 April '25
Our first Clegg home match of the season saw Throckley visit 'fortress' [coughs, we'll see how long that lasts] Northumberland Park. After last week's convincing win away at Wallsend Park we went into the match in an optimistic mood and were aiming to continue our strong start to the season - and we weren't disappointed.
On a warm evening and with the green playing relatively quickly for so early in the season we came away with three rink wins and another big win overall.
Leading the way on the idiosyncratic Rink 2 were Chris, Sue & Michael who after initially going 1-3 behind took control with an 11-end 25-shot run to take control 26-3 before taking the final score 31-5.
Rink 1 saw a similar outcome with Reg, Keith and Kevin also falling behind early on and then going on a 7-end 20-shot run to lead 20-4. the remainder of the game was a little more even but our trio eventually triumphed 29-11.
Our third winners of the evening came on Rink 3 where Neil, Ryan and Tom were tied 5-5 after 8 ends and were facing a tough battle. At this point they stepped up their game and took 10 of the remaining 13 ends, including one '5', and emerged convincing 23-9 winners.
On the final rink Ronnie, Ash and John C found the going tough and after 11 ends were 3-14 behind. As on Rink 1 the game became more balanced from this point but despite their best efforts our team could only share the final 18 shots and came away with a 12-23 loss.
All of the above meant an excellent 12-2 victory with a 95-48 (+47) shot aggregate and up to 2nd place in the early season table, just 2 points behind leaders Astley Park.
Next week it's a tough one - Tynemouth (A).
Match Report: Dalglish League – Willington Quay (A) – 28 April ’25
And so to our first away game of the Dalglish season, a trip to face the ever-strong Willington Quay team on one of the longest greens in the league. The sun was shining and conditions were bright and bracing to begin with, though it became increasingly chilly as the evening wore on and the light faded.
Despite the tricky conditions and tough opposition, we managed two fine rink wins. First up, Ryan, Dave and Tony had a real battle on their hands, locked at 8 shots apiece after 12 ends. But once they got the measure of the green – and their opponents – they pulled away superbly to take a commanding 21-8 victory. Special mention to David, whose consistency in leading was key, and to Tony, who spent much of the game expertly nudging bowls even closer to the jack. Ryan, stepping in late for Chris (away on grandad duties!), proved a very capable last-minute replacement.
Over on another rink, Neil, Michael and Anthony had a slower start, trailing for much of the match. However, their persistence paid off: after drawing level at 15-15 by the 18th end, they had a slight wobble, dropping a five in the 19th. Undeterred, they roared back with a fantastic finish, scoring ten shots over the final three ends to secure an impressive 25-20 win.
Our other triples fought valiantly against tough opposition but found the going heavy. Reg, Paz and Eddie went down 11-27, while Ron, Lynn and Bryan battled hard but ultimately lost 10-28.
So, another 4 points earned in the league, though again the aggregate went against us, this time 68-83. Progress is definitely being made – onwards and upwards!
Next up: back at home, and looking to build on the momentum!
Match Report: Public Utilities D2 - Collingwood B (H) - 24 April '25
Our final first match of the season saw last season's 'Division 3 winning' Public Utilities team start their 'aiming to win Division 2' campaign with a home game against Collingwood B.
On a night which began in sunny, cool conditions and finished in dull, freezing ones, our team performed well and took an excellent win.
Rink 4 saw Connor skipping alongside Kevin and Corey. All three played some excellent bowls and quickly took a commanding lead which they never relinquished before taking a fully-deserved (and big) 29-10 win.
This took the pressure off Ryan (skip), Sean and Dave W on the adjacent rink as all they had to do was keep it tight, which they did. They led until the 13th end at which point their opponents managed to tie the game at 11 each. The final eight ends saw some very strong opposition bowling which led to a 14-22 defeat for our team.
The net result was we took the two points on offer with a 43-32 win by a (relatively comfortable) 11 shots. Well played team.
Next week (1 May) it's another tough fixture - away at Forest Hall.
Match Report: Hateley League - North Shields West End (H) - 24 April '25
And so to the Hateley League and an opening home match against local rivals North Shields West End. For those of you with a short attention span, we lost. 4-10 and by 10 shots. If you'd like to know a bit more, read on.
The good news is that, happily, we had two rink winners. Chris, Sue and Steve Lawrence, the 1st of two debutants, initially went 1-3 down before taking the next 7 ends and 17 shots to take an 18-3 lead. From this point the scoring was shared and our trio ran out comfortable 29-14 winners.
Rink 1 saw our other debutant, Bryan Atkinson, playing alongside Keith and Anthony. This was a really close game with the lead changing hands five times. Going into the final end our trio led by two shots and managed to keep their opponents to just 1 shot at the 21st to take a 15-14 win.
Next to them on Rink 2 Reg, Colin and left-handed Geoff found things tough from the off and eventually lost 6-22, while on Rink 3 Ronnie, Eddie and John C started well but a 10-shot run for their opponents across ends 6 to 11 tilted the balance in their favour. Our trio won five of the remaining 10 ends but couldn't bridge the gap and succumbed to an 11-21 defeat.
The final score was 4-10 with a shot aggregate of 61-71.
There's no match next week so we go again on 8 May with our annual challenging trip to Rockcliffe Rollers. Let's hope it's not the usual icy wind blasting off the North Sea!
Match Report: Clegg League - Wallsend Park (A) - 23 April '25
The first match of our Clegg League promotion campaign began on Wednesday evening with a visit to Wallsend Park. On a decent (for the time of year) green which was much quicker one way than the other (ie. when going downhill - who'd have thought it?!) we came away with a thumping 44 shot and 10-4 victory.
Leading the way were Neil, Ryan and Tom who quickly shot (geddit?) into an 8-0 lead and never looked back, progressively moving into 18-3 and 31-5 leads before finishing (about 20 minutes after everyone else and in near darkness) at 42-7. Well played.
Not too far behind were Chris, Sue and Connor who soon moved 12-3 ahead despite Chris' best efforts. When he finally joined in our trio accelerated away and came away with the honours 29-7.
Our other two trios were not as fortunate, and to be honest came up against more testing opposition, but still kept things relatively tight. Reg, George and Kevin fell behind early to their opponents and weren't able to get back on level terms, eventually going down 14-20, while on the adjacent rink Ronnie, John C and Ashley were 8-7 ahead after 10 ends before a 6-end run from their opponents saw them fall behind and ultimately lose 12-19.
All-in-all it was a really successful evening and a great way to kick off the 2025 Clegg season. Onwards and upwards to our next game - Home vs Throckley (30 April).
Match Report: Dalglish League - Crawford Park (H) - 21 April '25
And we're off!! Our 2025 competitive season began on Monday in the Dalglish League (to which we were inexplicably promoted at the end of 2024???) with a Home match vs Crawford Park ... which all too predictably we lost.
Given the decent weather we've had recently it was no surprise to see the match begin in a fine drizzle and with cool temperatures, but at least it wasn't freezing cold.
Playing across the rink on blue (Blue! Crazy!!) we had two rink wins. Top performers were Reg, Sue & Paz on Rink 2 who led from the off and got as far ahead as 16-5 before finally taking the game 20-13. Next to them on Rink 3 Chris, Corey & Kev started well and were 11-4 up before their opponents staged a comeback meaning that after 20 ends the game was tied at 16-16. Happily Kev dropped his first wood at the final end on the jack and that took the game 17-16.
Our other two triples weren't so fortunate with Neil, Ian and Ryan going down 18-26 (not a bad outcome as they had been 6-21 behind); and Ronnie, John C and Keith losing 9-21. Early days though, wait until the greens speed up!
So, a disappointing loss 4-10 on points with an aggregate deficit of -12 (64-76) - at least we kept things relatively tight. On to the next one - Monday 28 April at Willington Quay.