Monaghan closes on 50 titles

UP AND DOWN: Despite winning Ian Monaghan says he isn't in top form at the moment.PHOTO/FILE

Ace Masterton bowler Ian Monaghan is now just one short of chalking up the remarkable feat of 50 Bowls Wairarapa centre titles.

His defeat of clubmate Scott MacKenzie in the final of the WBS open singles played at the Lansdowne and Masterton greens last weekend means he can crack the magical half-century when he and MacKenzie combine to contest the champion of champion pairs this month.

Victory in the pairs would also mean Monaghan had made good on a goal he set at the start of the 2013-14 season, that of winning five centre titles in the one season. Already in the bag before his latest success were the open pairs, triples and fours championships.

Just once before in a playing career that began in 1988 has Monaghan managed that feat, back in 1996-97 when he was a regular playing partner of the late John Stroud. "I didn't want to make a big thing of it, but I thought to myself why not go for five again ... I guess it gave me something to focus on.

"You can't do it all yourself though, you have to have the support of good players around you and, fortunately, I've had that."

Monaghan doesn't rate his present form has being anywhere near his best. "I've had some good patches but, overall, I haven't been near as consistent as I would like to be. The form has been pretty up and down really," is his own assessment.

Last weekend's win did not come easy. In the semifinals Monaghan was up against another of his Masterton clubmates, John Claydon, and it was Claydon who looked to be in control when he went out to a 14-7 lead. However, Monaghan finished the stronger and he got up to win 21-18.

"That would have to be one of the best singles games I've played in for years," Monaghan said. "John is a tough competitor and he was going well. I had to work hard for that one."

The other semi was also an all-Masterton affair with MacKenzie beating Mark Morete 21-15, the exact same score by which Monaghan defeated MacKenzie in the decider.

Making it to the final represented a superb effort by MacKenzie, who has been coached by Monaghan since taking up the sport just a few years ago, and while he was comfortably beaten in the end he was not disgraced.