Lower bowls | Mooroopna stuns Golf in division two thriller to win Allan Matheson Shield promotion

By Zac Standish

Mar 20, 2022

All smiles: Mooroopna’s division two weekend pennant team after its grand final win.

Mooroopna will return to Goulburn Valley Playing Area division one weekend pennant bowls next season after triumphing over Shepparton Golf 14-90 to 4-88 in a pulsating division two grand final at Tatura Bowls Club on Saturday.

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A rematch of last year’s decider, the Cats turned the tables on the heavily-favoured Golf, overcoming an early deficit to claim a two-shot win and atone for the heartbreak they suffered 12 months ago.

Mooroopna skip and team manager Darren Kelly said the win was a massive coup for the club, which also enjoyed success in the division three midweek competition earlier in the week.

“It is really exciting for the club, the win gets us to division one next year and to finish off the week with two grand final wins was really good,” Kelly said.

“To come back and beat Golf after they towelled us up in the grand final last year was excellent, we loved being able to get a bit of redemption and to beat such a good team, it is a wonderful feeling.”

A thrilling contest from beginning to end, Golf got away to a fast start before the Cats got their game going and fought back leading into the break.

With the match well and truly up for grabs in the dying moments, the Mooroopna bowlers stepped up in the clutch, with a dominant 26-18 win for Allan Donaldson in rink one proving to be the difference between the teams in the end.

Kelly recalled what was a frantic afternoon of bowls.

“We were behind early and then worked back into it before smoko, we got ourselves a bit of a lead coming out of the break before Golf hit back heading into the final few ends,” he said.

“My rink played the final end and we were three up on the card and I didn’t have to bowl my last bowl, which was nice, and we got home by two shots.

“It was a tough day all round, but a fantastic team effort all round, Allan Donaldson in rink one was obviously fantastic, but everyone chipped in which made it such a satisfying final result.”

Now preparing for a tilt at the Allan Matheson Shield next season, Kelly said he couldn’t wait to see the club back where it belongs.

“Getting promoted into division one just makes the win extra sweet for us, I came back to Mooroopna a couple of years ago and to play a part in getting the club back up to the position it deserves to be in is very special,” he said.