Shandon Park have the advantage in the B&D semi-final

The Belfast club have won the B. and D. no less than 24 times and they are on target for three in a row this season.

The games are played off level but, looking at the handicaps, Banbridge are every bit as strong.

The draw was not favourable to the local team. Rory Leonard and Jim Carvill, for example, didn’t want to be playing 3 handicappers. If they had drawn two of the scratch players, the final score could have been much different.

But that’s the luck of the draw. The last four games were all very close but Shandon Park won three of them.

The results were as follows:

Jim Carvill (+2) beat Johnny Taylor (3) 5 and 4.

Connor Doran (+1) lost 5 and 4 against Stuart Bleakley (+1). Rory Leonard (+1) beat Mark McCusker (3) 7 and 6.

Rory Madeley (3) lost 2 and 1 against Nicky Grant (0).

Colin Wilton (2) lost 2 and 1 against Johnny Gourley (0).

Stefan Greenberg (0) beat Henry Clarke (2) 2 and 1. Kenny Stevenson (2) lost by one hole against Tim Greeves (2).

Shandon Park have won the first leg 4-3 and they must be favourites going into the second leg tomorrow evening (Wednesday).

But, then again, if the draw is more favourable to Banbridge, it could go right down to the wire.

It could be worth watching.