O'Neill misses final spot

Kia Toa's Sean O'Neill just missed out on qualifying for the Stoke invitation bowls singles final played in Nelson.

O'Neill, who won the event in 2004, was among a star-studded field and qualified for last eight.

He beat Larry Sutherland, Lloyd Gallop, Russell Calder and Jim Pugh and lost his last game against Shane Sincock but had done enough to qualify.

The last eight was played as a round robin in two sections, with the winners going through to final.

O'Neill won his first against Eades 21-9 but lost to Gallop 21-16, who he had earlier beaten, so had to beat Andre Smith in the last by six shots to qualify for final. He fell one shot short, beating Smith by 21-16 to miss the final. New Zealand representative Shannon McIlroy beat Smith in a nailbiter 21-19.

- Herald correspondent

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