First out this morning were our Pierce Purcell team in their quarter final against Elm Park. With three away matches, Mark Byrne and his team had their work cut out for them. At home Rob Tierney & Stefan Florin had a tight match and were up for most of it. Unfortunately 16 & 17 cost them and they lost on the 18th. Our second pair out at home were Mark A. Byrne & Jonathan Kirwan who again, had a tight match but eventually Elm Park ran out 2&1 winners. Away from home, our third pairing of Alan Byrne & Gerry Browner were up from the start but were called in on the 14th at 1 up as our first away pairing of Frank Marmion & Leo Dalton lost the decisive match 6&5. Frank & Leo had been in touch for the first 9 holes but a run of losses on the back nine cost them the match. Our second match in Elm Park, Conor Whelan & John Comer were also called in dormie 6 down.
Mark and his team had some excellent wins up till today. Hopefully they will be back again even stronger next year.
The afternoon match had Alan Byrne’s Jimmy Bruen matched up against Dun Laoghaire in a Leinster South semi final. Dun Laoghaire have been our Nemesis all season. This match was the eighth time we have faced them this season. Of the previous seven matches Dun Laoghaire had won 5 with our only victories being our Under 15 team and our Pierce Purcell team.
To add to the task we were again playing with three matches away.
Our three away pairings were Mark Byrne & Craig Hazelton, Ben Crowley & Cian Gilmore and Collie Dunne & Tom Sheehy while at home we had Tom Byrne & Jamie Anderson and Ray Crotty & Kiaran Dowdall. Early doors it all seemed to be going great, Mark & Craig were 4 up through 7, Ben & Cian were 2 up through 9, Tom & Jamie were 2 up through 9 and Ray & Kieran were a comfortable, 3 up through 9. The only pair to be struggling were Collie & Tom who were 2 down at the turn. Cian & Ben turned the screw and a really strong start to the back nine allowed them to secure the first point for Greystones 6&5, an incredible margin to win any away match. Mark & Craig however weren’t having it all their own way and their Dun Laoghaire opposition clawed their way back into the match and got it back to all square by the 17th tee. Collie & Tom weren’t giving up the ghost and kept the match alive at 2 down through 14.
After some fantastic golf, 5 up through 12 was the nice position that Ray & Kieran found themselves, but an unluckly shot and drop on 13th cost the lads this hole and this was followed by a Dun Laoghaire birdie on 14. After two losses on the trot it was important to try to stop the rot. Ray’s tee shot on 15 however went right but was long enough to find the middle of the 13th fairway and allow Kieran a straightforward lay up on the 13th fairway. Dun Laoghaire played the hole in a more conventional manner and ended up back left of the green in three shots while Ray & Kieran were on the fringe to the back right. Dun Loaghaire played an excellent chip shot from where they were and lipped out for par. This gave Greystones a putt to close the match out which Ray saw just slip by the hole. On to the 16th tee dormie three up. Dun Laoghaire hit to around 15 feet and Kieran’s ball stopped perhaps 5 feet further away.
Meanwhile up ahead, losses for Tom & Jamie on the 15th & 16th had their match back 1 up on the 17th tee. A solid drive and an equally good iron shot had us on the green and when Dun Laoghaoire found the water with their second shot it was as good as over. Tom & Jamie had played some really exceptional golf and were deserving winners. All heads turned once again to the 16th green where Dun Laoghaire made par and the match winning putt this time fell to Kieran who calmly popped it in to seal the tie. This was a really impressive performance by all the players. The Leinster South Final now beckons and hopefully a pennant.
