North Down & Ards staged a great comeback to lift the NIPA Interleague 'B' Team Event yesterday, Sunday 30th January. It was another fantastic final in the Ballymena United Social Club. From 4-2 down, Carrick reeled off 6 in a row to lead 8-4. The next 2 were shared giving Carrick a 9-5 advantage in the best of 22 match. Back roared the boys from the County Down with a hat trick to reduce the arrears to 9-8, but it looked all over for them when Carrick increased their lead to 11-8, needing just 1 for victory. But another 3 in a row through Ricky Crook, Rodney Patterson and Mark Porter sparked scenes of jubilation, as just like last weeks 'A' Team event, the match headed for a single frame play off. Steeky Carson won the lag and opted to break, he would have cleared them all but agonisingly ran 1cm short on his last ball. And When Mark Porter got his chance he didn't refuse it, calmly taking out the clearance to take the Shield home to North Down & Ards.
Also, well done to the Northern Ireland Specials Team, who defeated Ballyclare in one of their group matches and to the Northern Ireland Ladies who were unlucky losing 2 matches on the deciding frame.
Pictured above, ND&A B2 Captain, John Lowry receives the Shield from Pauline Lynch off the N.I.P.A
| GROUP 1 | GROUP 2 | |||||
| Larne B 8-3 ND&A B1 | Coleraine B 4-7 ND&A B2 | |||||
| NI Ladies 5-6 Carrick B2 | NI Specials 3-8 Carrick B1 | |||||
| ND&A B1 8-3 NI Ladies | ND&A B2 10-1 NI Specials | |||||
| Ballymena B 4-7 Larne B | Ballyclare B 6-5 Coleraine B | |||||
| NI Ladies 5-6 Ballymena B | NI Specials 6-5 Ballyclare B | |||||
| Carrick 5-6 ND&A B1 | Carrick B1 7-4 ND&A B2 | |||||
| Ballymena B 4-7 Carrick B2 | Ballyclare 2-9 Carrick B1 | |||||
| Larne B 7-4 NI Ladies | Coleraine B 8-3 NI Specials | |||||
| Carrick B2 5-6 Larne B | Carrick B1 6-5 Coleraine B | |||||
| ND&A B1 4-7 Ballymena B | ND&A B2 5-6 Ballyclare B | |||||
| 1st Larne | 8 points | +6 | 1st Carrick B1 | 8 points | +16 | |
| 2nd Carrick B2 | 4 points | +2 | 2nd ND&A B2 | 4 points | +8 | |
| 3rd ND&A B1 | 4 points | -2 | 3rd Ballyclare B | 4 points | -6 | |
| 4th Ballymena B | 4 points | -2 | 4th Coleraine B | 2 points | 0 | |
| 5th NI Ladies | 0 points | -10 | 5th NI Specials | 2 points | -18 | |
| Semi Finals | ||||||
| Carrick B1 12-1 Carrick B2 | ||||||
| ND&A B2 12-5 Larne B | ||||||
| Final ND&A B2 12-11 Carrick B | ||||||
