McKeown and Kelly win men's pairs gold after tiebreak

Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown clinched Northern Ireland's third gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow through a dramatic extra-end victory over England's Nick Brett and Jamie Walker in the men's pairs event. The Northern Ireland pair took the first set 6-2, but the English duo equalized 6-2 in the second set. It was the tiebreak where Kelly and McKeown triumphed, winning the match 1-0.

This victory marks a third gold medal for Northern Ireland at the Glasgow Games, following Kate O'Connor's heptathlon success and Jon McConnell's men's 70kg boxing win. For Kelly, this is his fourth Commonwealth Games medal, adding to his bronze from earlier this year in singles, Delhi in 2020, and his silver in Birmingham in 2018.

McKeown secured his second gold medal after winning the fours with Northern Ireland in 2022, marking him as the most successful bowler for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games with four medals, surpassing Neil Booth. McKeown expressed that it was "incredible" to win the gold, joining Booth as NI's most decorated bowler at the Commonwealth Games.

Kelly, too, hailed it as an "amazing feeling" and the "ultimate goal" for their country, admitting he wasn't aware of his achievements in comparison to Booth. McKeown shared his excitement, saying it was "surreal" to be a two-time gold medallist, and that he was "thankful" to be part of the Northern Ireland team. The duo entered the final with a strong performance in the semi-finals, where they emerged victorious through tiebreak heroics against Malaysia.

In the final, Kelly and McKeown dominated the first set with four shots, taking a 6-2 lead. The English pair fought back in the second set, but Kelly and McKeown held onto their lead, sending the match to a one-end shootout. Kelly's decisive bowl in the extra end secured the gold for Northern Ireland.