Doran the hero as Banbridge capture first Barton Shield

TWENTY ONE-year-old Connor Doran performed the necessary heroics over the closing holes to play the lead part in yesterday’s Bulmer’s Barton Shield victory for Banbridge over Stackstown at Lisburn.

On a breezy but mild day, the Co Down club captured its first green pennant, making light of the absence of their new Irish international Richard Kilpatrick (a student at college in the United States) to dispose of Connemara in the semi-finals and a well fancied Stackstown side in the decider.

Stackstown held the initiative for much of the afternoon but Doran, an Irish boys and youths international, produced the decisive strokes at the most crucial moments. He rattled in a 25-footer for a birdie at the long 14th to enable himself and Kieran Magennis to draw level with the McDermott brothers, Michael and John. Even if they lost the next to a Stackstown birdie, they came good again over the closing two holes. Doran played a glorious pitch and run to within inches of the cup at 17 to level again level the proceedings before the greatest drama of all ensued at the superb 217 yards par three 18th.