Mullins ousts champion Murphy
After an impressive start Murphy hit a wall following a poor sixth and only bowled in spurts after that. Mullins, despite leaving himself vulnerable twice, did the better bowling from Desmond’s.
Murphy beat Mullins’s first shot by 60m and increased his lead with his second to McSweeney’s. He got a good third and seemed to be heading for a bowl after a super fourth to the quarry. He kept on track with a good fifth to Buttimer’s gate.
Mullins countered with a neat sixth, which gave him a chance to make Desmond’s in seven. Murphy underestimated his next and played it onto the left bank and they were both at Desmond’s cross in seven.
Mullins got his best bowl from the cross up over the rise. Murphy was 90m short of that but he compensated with a massive bowl past Sam’s lane. Mullins played his bowl to the right and missed that tip by 70m. He drove his next bowl tight on the right and it cannoned perfectly off the lane and cut Murphy’s lead to 40m.
He followed with a good bowl to Tobin’s. Murphy replied with two poor efforts to Hayes’—both left of play. Mullins looked set to make light at Campbell’s, but he too played his bowl left and the lead was back to ten metres. He had just a metre after the shots to light.
Murphy regained a big lead with a great bowl to light past the novice line. Mullins got a good 15th, but he still looked in trouble till Murphy lofted his reply to the right and missed that tip by a metre. Murphy’s next was fast, it rubbed the left and ran to just short of the pink pillars and within 20m of the line. Mullins played an exact copy, got the same rub, and beat it by a metre. Murphy lofted his last bowl, it looked ok till it hit the road and instantly hopped onto the right bank. Mullins had no difficulty beating it.
Peadar Toal reached his first Ulster senior final when he overwhelmed former world champion Eddie Carr at Knappagh. He was almost two in front after six to Farley’s and had it wrapped up at Grimley’s where he was three in front. He plays All-Ireland champion Conor McGuigan in the final.
Patrick O’Donoghue took the first win in the Mick Barry Cup when he beat Eamon Bowen Snr by a bowl at Ballincurrig. They were level after six to the no-play line. O’Donoghue reached the big corner in another five against six for Bowen to go a bowl in front. He held that in six more to the line.
Liam O’Sullivan beat Michael Crowley in the Carbery Junior A final at the Marsh Road. Crowley won the opening shot, but O’Sullivan took the second and led to the finish. He took advantage of a mistake by Crowley at the quarry gate to raise a bowl at the silver gate. He held that to the steps in three more. He had a second bowl at Ballyhilty corner and had closer to three after his next.
Patrick O’Donoghue (Mallow) beat Michael Murphy in the last shot of the North East final at Fermoy. At both Spillane’s and later at Fenton’s mistakes cost Murphy the lead when he looked set to raise a bowl. O’Donoghue also lost a big lead but recovered with a great third last and comfortably beat Murphy’s big last shot to the cross.
Patrick Moynihan easily beat Noel Murphy at Baile Mhuirne in the Gaeltacht final. He got two good shots past O’Donoghue’s to go almost a bowl in front. He raised it at Cnoc an Iúir cross and was close to two in front after ten to the slippery rock. He was over two clear at Murphy’s and held it past the novice line where Murphy conceded.
Three of the four Munster U18 semi-final places are filled. Finbarr Coomey beat Jason Butler at Killumney and had a last shot win over Cian Boyle at Enniskeane. Patrick Cremin beat Sean O’Leary in the last shot at Clondrohid and Andrew O’Callaghan beat Shane Shannon by a bowl at Castletownkeneigh.
European youth champion Cian Shorten beat Brian O’Halloran in the Mid-Cork final at Ballincaurra and plays Michael Desmond at the Clubhouse to fill the last semi-final slot.
Terry Sexton beat Maurice Connolly in the Munster Junior B at Sally’s Cross. Connolly started well, but Sexton levelled at the priest’s house. He made light with his next and raised almost a bowl on the straight.
Tony O’Sullivan beat Peter Nagle by two bowls in the same grade at Lyre. Nagle won the first shot. O’Sullivan raised a bowl in the next three. After a wobble with his fifth he played three great shots to go two clear at Crowley’s bend.
Juliet Murphy is in the Munster senior women’s semi-final following a two bowls of odds win over Sharon Russell at Clondrohid.
