BRUEN AND BARTON BOOST FOR COUNTY ARMAGH

County Armagh Golf Club's encouraging season on the team matchplay front was enhanced on Sunday 17 June when both our Jimmy Bruen Shield and Barton Shield sides extended their stays in those competitions.

Declan McReynolds named a Jimmy Bruen line-up that was unaltered from their first round defeat of Cloverhill in May and, this time, they made the trip to the neutral venue of Killymoon for a one-off clash with Kilrea.

A rather cagey set of opening exchanges meant that each of the first three matches left the 8th green at all square. However, the County Armagh foursomes pairings of Jonathan McKnight/Stephen Catterall, Shea Brady/Nigel McMahon and John Vernon/Gary McCourt would soon turn up the heat on their opposite numbers.

After their 4-1 defeat of Kilrea, County Armagh's Jimmy Bruen Shield hopefuls will now meet Lurgan in the quarter-final.

Brady/McMahon capped a fine day's work when Nigel sunk a point-notching birdie putt on the 15th, before Vernon/McCourt responded to the disappointment of surrendering an early lead by ripping through their opponents once again and ultimately sealing a 4&2 win. Then, with McKnight/Catterall taking a slender one-hole advantage up the last, Catterall drained a 30-foot raker to finally dispense with their Derry adversaries.