Long wait over for Warrenpoint and Castle
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) holes the putt on the 16th green in the final of the AIG Barton Shield at Carton House today (15/09/2016). Picture by Pat Cashman
Warrenpoint ended a five-year wait for the AIG Barton Shield as Castle put an equally difficult wait behind them to capture the AIG Junior Cup for the first time.
For Castle, it fell to 15 year old Tommy Smyth to clinch a 3-2 win over Lurgan by sweetly coaxing home a 15-footer for birdie at the par-five 17th and a 2&1 win over Andrew Cummins that delivered the wining point.
“This is huge,” said Smyth. “We’ve been All Ireland finalists five of the last 11 years and it’s been a while. It was nice to hole the winning putt. I’m 15. This is all new to me.”
Smyth’s match became pivotal once Fergal Moran claimed Castle’s second point with a 2&1 win against Jim McKee.
Earlier Harry Gleeson had beaten James Horan 4&3, avenging his defeat in the decisive game of the 2014 final against Castletroy, when he lost the last three holes.
It was just as exciting in the Barton Shield where Warrenpoint eventually prevailed over Galway by four holes.
Two down after three, their star pairing of Irish Amateur Open winner Colm Campbell Jnr and Stephen Coulter, his caddie at Royal Dublin that week, refused to panic not once but twice.
In the match ahead, Paul Reavey and Jamie Fletcher won four holes in a row to lead by three holes at the turn as Campbell and Coulter played brilliantly, holing putts regulary to go five up after nine.
Reavey and Fletcher increased their lead with another win at the 10th but Galway hit back to get to within two holes with holes running out before Warrenpoint slammed the door shut.
Campbell sank a 30-footer for birdie at the 16th to give Warrenpoint a three-hole lead with four holes remaining and when Mullarney and Brady.
To close out the match, Campbell had to hole again at 17 only this time it was much more straightforward. When Mullarney and Brady made bogey, Campbell only had to drop a three-footer for par.
“There’s no better feeling than winning as a team and as a club. That’s as good as any win especially when you’ve lost your last three as well,” said Campbell, who was on losing Warrenpoint teams in three previous All-Ireland Final appearances.
“We’ve been here and we’ve been beaten in All Ireland finals and I’m sure that was in the head, especially when the match starts turning,” said Campbell senior. “To be fair to them, they held the putts and hit the shots when they needed to hit them.”
Nenagh and Castlebar will meet in AIG Pierce Purcell Shield on Friday.
Nenagh crushed Nuremore 4-1 but it took a 50 footer from greenkeeper Stephen Munnelly on the first extra hole of the decisive match to give Castlebar a 3-2 win over Castlecomer.
In the AIG Senior Cup, Monkstown will play Co Sligo as Castle begin their bid for Junior-Senior Cup double by facing Shandon Park.
The semi-finals of the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield, Fortwilliam play Athenry while Cill Dara meet Muskerry.
AIG Cups and Shields, All Ireland Finals, Carton House
AIG Barton Shield Final
Warrenpoint beat Galway 4 holes (Warrenpoint names first)
- Paul Reavey & Jamie Fletcher beat Joe Lyons & Liam Power 2 holes
- Colm Campbell Jnr & Stephen Coulter beat Ronan Mullarney & Stephen Brady 2 holes
AIG Junior Cup Final
Castle 3 Lurgan 2 (Castle names first)
- Kevin Moran lost to Keith Percy by 1 hole
- Harry Gleeson beat James Horan 4/3
- Paul Whelan lost to Gareth Hanna 5/4
- Fergal Moran beat Jim McKee 2/1
- Tommy Smyth beat Andrew Cummins 2/1
AIG Pierce Purcell Shield, Semi-Finals
Castlebar 3 Castlecomer 2 (Castlebar names first)
- Pat Waldron & Paul Doyle lost to Paul Walsh & Nicky Walsh 2&1
- Stephen Munnelly & Thomas Ruane beat Pat Comerford & John Bergin 19th
- David Molloy & Paul Fitzgerald beat Noel Rothwell & Ken Hovenden 4&2
- Sean Haugh & Declan Prendergast lost to Ronan Ryan & Michael Daly 2&1
- Val Jennings & Michael McHugh beat Barry Doyle & Fergus O’Neill 4&2
Nenagh 4 Nuremore 1 (Nenagh names first)
- Paddy Kennedy & Padraig Hackett beat Jason Hughes & Padraig Brennan 6&4
- Bernard Hackett & Pat J Hogan beat Brian Busby & Peadar Hand 7&6
- Mel Gleeson & John Hogan beat Andrew Capaldi & Noel McNally 6&5
- Thomas Slattery & Jim Gleeson v Cormac Lane & Pat Sheridan called in
- David Hickey & Matthew O’Gara v Stephen Quigley & Gerry Eakin called in
Schedule, Friday 16 September
AIG Senior Cup - All Ireland Semi Finals at Carton House
0800 Monkstown v Co Sligo (matches at 9-minute intervals)
- Sean Desmond v David Brady
- Donal McDonnell Jnr v Declan Reidy
- Nick Moore v Ruairi O’Connor
- Martin Poucher v TJ Ford
- Eoghan Long v Mark Morrissey
0845 Castle v Shandon Park (matches at 9-minute intervals)
- Peter McKeever v Jonathan Taylor
- Alex Gleeson v Stuart Bleakley
- Jim Mulready v Nicky Grant
- Robert Moran v Philip Purdy
- Daniel Holland v Jonathan Gourley
AIG Pierce Purcell Shield, Final
1030 Castlebar v Nenagh (matches at 9-minute intervals)
- Pat Waldron & Michael Heneghan v Patrick Kennedy & Padraig Hackett
- Stephen Munnelly & Thomas Ruane v Bernard Hackett & Pat J Hogan
- David Molloy & Paul Fitzgerald v Mel Gleeson & John Hogan
- Sean Haugh & Declan Prendergast v Thomas Slattery & Jim Gleeson
- Val Jennings & Michael McHugh v David Hickey & Matthew O’Gara
AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield, Semi Finals
1145 Fortwilliam v Athenry (matches at 9-minute intervals)
- Aiden Hawkins & Patrick McGurnaghan v Ethan Regan & Oisin O’Connell
- Donald Skeats & Martin Kelly v David Flaherty & David Mooney
- Andrew Lane & Vincent McKinley v Sean O’Connell & Paul Molloy
- Paul Gillen & Conal Duffy v James O’Connor & Mark Moran
- John M McAuley & Alan Hawthorne v Ciaran Coughlan & Seamus Burke
1230 Muskerry v Cill Dara (matches at 9-minute intervals)
- Andrew Gray & Tony Gardiner v Ray Mackey & Christopher Harhen
- Sean Geary & Gary Lucas v James Dunne & Ciaran Ryan
- Paul Herlihy & Fionn Hickey v Tom Friary & Pat Garry
- Fergal Murphy & Michael O’Brien v David Fox & Declan Plunkett
- Michael O’Callaghan & Jack Taylor v Patrick Hopkins & Christy Roche.
