Coppinger’s desire decisive in draining Derrinasafa finale
Conor McGuigan, who beat David Murphy in last year’s final, put up some fight against Coppinger.
With eight changes of lead, it was a mentally draining final. Nothing was certain until McGuigan’s last bowl came to a halt 30m shy of Coppinger’s tip.
McGuigan’s ability to put in such a sustained challenge was never doubted, but the expectation was that Coppinger would have too much power over the closing stages. McGuigan never let him relax, though, and Coppinger had to produce a very different type of victory — based on sheer will instead of the raw power that burned Carr two years ago.
The Ulster tally of five wins from seven finals left Munster supporters perplexed — Tony Carey’s veteran win over Oliver Gribben was the only other Munster win.
Two of Ulster’s victories went to Colm Rafferty. He won both the U16 and U18 crowns, equalling James Buckley 1983 and Liam Boylan 1977. The fact that he won every single tip attests to his quality and neither Patrick Cremin (U18) nor Michael Desmond (U16) lost any reputation in defeat.
Against Cremin, Rafferty had 50m odds after two. He made Ross’s in seven where he was a bowl in front. Cremin brought the lead well under a bowl at Cotter’s cross and cut it to just 50m at the Darkwood turn. Rafferty held that lead to Walsh’s Lane and increased it to 100m at ‘Han Grady’s’. He was a bowl in front at O’Neill’s Lane. Cremin knocked the bowl with his next shot. Rafferty raised it again with his next and held it past the line.
He had an easier win over Michael Desmond in the U16 final. He had almost two bowls at Ross’s and raised the second bowl at Cotter’s Cross. He held that to the Darkwood turn. Desmond knocked the second bowl with his next shot. Rafferty restored it with his shot from Walsh’s Lane. He had three before the finish, but Desmond knocked the third before the line.
Ruairi O’Reilly led all the way to beat Terry Sexton in the Junior B final. He was 60m fore after three to the bridge and had a bowl after seven to Ross’s. Sexton knocked the bowl at Cotter’s Cross and had the lead down to 20m at the Darkwood turn. O’Reilly went 60m clear with his bowl past Walsh’s Lane. A big shot towards O’Neill’s cross extended his lead to 100m and ended the contest.
Erin Connolly beat Nicola O’Sullivan in the women’s intermediate final.
O’Sullivan won the first tip by 70m. Connolly closed the gap in the next three and levelled when O’Sullivan then missed light at the Darkwood in five. She led with her next and was 80m clear at Cotter’s Cross. O’Sullivan regained the lead with a brilliant bowl to the oak tree. Connolly won the next tip and then beat two brilliant bowls from O’Sullivan to Daly’s gate. She beat the line in two more.
Sinéad Kiernan had a last shot win over Chloe O’Halloran in the Girls U16 final.
Before the weekend, Patrick Cremin denied Michael Desmond a Munster double when he won the U18 final in the last shot at Bweeng. Cremin got a good last bowl to the farmhouse, which Desmond’s missed by a distance.
The focus moves back to the remaining provincial championships now ahead of next month’s All-Ireland series in Armagh.
Liam O’Sullivan and John O’Rourke contest next Sunday’s Munster Junior A semi-final on the Bantry Line at Togher Cross. The winner will play Patrick O’Donoghue in the final the following weekend at either Templemartin or Templemichael.
In the quarter-final, O’Sullivan beat Brian Daly in the last shot at Lyre. He was almost a bowl in front after three to the forestry, but Daly had it back to 80m at the hump. Daly led at the next tip and was 40m fore after two more to Crowley’s bend. He increased his lead making light with his next.
O’Sullivan cut the odd to 25m after a rub at the tunnel. Daly increased his lead to 60m in the next two. O’Sullivan regained the lead by 20m with a massive second last. Daly’s last set a 100m target for O’Sullivan, which he beat by 15m following a rub.
In the Munster intermediate quarter-final, Johnny O’Driscoll meets Andrew O’Leary at Béal na mBláth tomorrow evening. The winner plays either Trevor O’Meara or Michael Bohane who meet at Clondrohid on Saturday. On the other side of the draw, Donal Riordan and David Hubbard play at Baile Mhuirne on Saturday and on Sunday PJ Cooney and Raymond Ryan meet at Templemichael.
