The match, the home team’s first of the season, saw Michael Tennyson deliver the first bowl.

The first ends proved tight affairs, the visitors taking the initial advantage by a single shot.

Jonathan Lawless - supported on mat three by Eddie O’Neill, Christopher Coleman and Jimmy Donnelly - established a five-point lead after the sixth end and this proved sufficient to secure the point despite Drumgor taking three shots off the final end.

St Malachy’s only other point was won by Eamon Quinn and his rink led throughout on the way to a 9-4 success.

Drumgor had their best score of the night from the game played on mat four, the hosts posting on just two ends to level after the sixth before falling 12-4 down over the closing period.

St Malachy’s held the advantage at the penultimate ends, only to see it evaporate - in part, the result of a final delivery by Cathy McMillen which, with the jack in the ditch and St Malachy’s holding shot, removed their bowl to leave a measure on the two remaining bowls which went the way of the visitors.

KILMORE - champions of Fane Valley League Division Two last season - opened the campaign with an eagerly-awaited home fixture against St Mark’s.

St Mark’s - the third-place finishers in last season’s Division One, moved 12 shots clear by end five following a tentative start, holding advantage on all four mats.

However, the Saints managed to maintain the lead on mat two against a battling Kilmore outfit.

This determination helped push the match into the closing stages before Kilmore claimed six points and a 30-29 win.

HAVING secured a home win in the opening fixture, St Matthew’s travelled to Lurgan recently to take on Queen St Methodist in Fane Valley League Division One.

The hosts, determined to improve upon the mid-table position from last season, got off to a good start by establishing a six-point advantage after two ends.

However, this turned into a seven-point deficit after the fourth end thanks to some spirited bowling by Flo McNally (mat two) and Chris Mulholland (mat four).

Over end five, Olive Gillespie’s players managed to impress on mat four and Alan Cassells’ mat three returned 10 shots over the closing ends to leave the visitors on the backfoot.

The only St Matthew’s performance of note arrived from Mulholland and his colleagues as they lost only one end, frustratingly by a single shot, in the 47-37 defeat at the cost of six points.

RESULTS: Fane Valley League Division One - Waringstown 4 Markethill 3, St Matthew’s 2 Waringstown 3, Armagh GC 6 Mullavilly 1, Markethill 7 Tandragee GC 0.