The Western Ladies Zone team narrowly defeated mid-Antrim in their opening game of the All-Ireland Inter-zone McIlroy Cup following an encounter full of drama to make it into the last eight.

The first half got off to a good start with Caroline Scott’s rink of Sarah MaVitty, Rita Cranston and Rose Donnelly dominating their game by winning eight of the ten ends to prevail by a scoreline of 14 – 4. Elsewhere, the rink skipped by Ellen Brogan with Laura Lunny as lead, Gladys Dunlop playing second and Winnie Graydon in third had picked up three shots in the third end and four shots in the eighth end to win their game 10 – 7. In the remaining game of the first half it was a much closer affair with the rink skipped by Jean Parkinson with Naomi Hassard in third, Lisa MaVitty playing second and Clare Brogan leading, after eight ends had been played it was all level at four shots each. In the ninth end, mid-Antrim got two shots and with all to play for in the last end, Western got two shots with the umpire being called upon to measure for a possible third shot, after a very close measure Jean’s rink came away with three shots to win the game 7 – 6.

This left the half-time score at Western 31 Mid Antrim 17.

At the start of the second half, Janet Brown’s rink of Margaret Nelson, Ethna Maguire and Patricia Bradshaw was locked in an even game throughout which ended tied at 7 – 7. Esther Forster’s rink of Frances Cartwright, Helen Ternan and Tanya Armstrong found it a struggle in the first end dropping a five but the Western ladies pulled it back to five all after the fourth end but unfortunately in the remaining ends they were only able to secure a single shot on the ninth end to lose overall 6 – 19.

In the remaining game the rink skipped by Jean Carson, with Hannah Ferguson leading, Patricia Moohan second and Carmel McGovern in third were 4-1 down after four ends but over the remaining ends they picked up eleven shots to win their game 12 – 7 to help the Western Ladies on their way into the quarter-final stages of the McIlroy Cup with the final result 56 – 50.

The Western Ladies now travel on January 17, 2015 to play Monaghan Ladies Zone team in Ardaghey.

Results: J Parkinson 7 – 6 R Morrison; E Brogan 10 – 7 J Wilson; C Scott 14 – 4 A Agnew; E Forster 6 – 19 J Green; J Brown 7 – 7 A Bacon; J Carson 12 – 7 M Wilson.