WINNING REALLY ISN'T EVERYTHING

Thursday 13th April 2023
Leyland & District League Div-3
Eagle & Child Reds - Penwortham Sports
v ADRIAN HESMONDALGH L 17-21

Three consecutive defeats inside eight days... and I'm feeling pretty much as good about my bowls as I ever have! This is, I like to think, a more refreshing outlook from a player just starting to mature in to the game.
You can't win 'em all in bowls, nobody does. But if you can compete and give very good players a decent game, then for me it's not a bad place to be in at the beginning of the season.
Adrian was on it from the off and just from his smooth style of delivery, I knew his early precision wasn't just bluster.
I don't think I've played a visiting player with quite the confidence and knowledge of my home green. This was a really tough match and although I played quite well, it required an extra something against this chap that I couldn't quite produce on the night.
The scores were fairly close throughout. There were some very good ends, tightly contested and some moments of disbelief such as when I went in with a bit of weight to knock my opponent out, with a back up plan of taking the jack out should I slightly miscalculate. Somehow though, I found a gap that literally a bowl could only just get through.
When hearing the score at 15-18, a touch of disappointment. I thought there was less in it and now Adrian had a sniff of the finishing line. Whilst winning the next two ends, I got caught out on one of my favourite marks in front of the clubhouse, where Aidy then finished me off over the next two ends. That hurt, but rarely have I been so unwavered in defeat. I played a decent game here against a very good player.

It's a funny old game. The following week, Aidy gets done over by New Longton's Peter Moxham on his home green on Penwortham Sports. Having played both players, I can't quite envisage how that happened with all due respects to Mr Moxham. It just goes to show that anything can happen in crown green bowls.