Twohig carries good form into New Year
He beat a big opening bowl from McDonagh by 20m. He took a big lead with a good second towards the pump and raised a bowl with a great third to light past the cottage. McDonagh went halfway down the hill with his next and Twohig increased his lead with a good fourth towards the gate, He made Boula lane in two more where he had two bowls of odds.
He held that to Downey’s, but McDonagh cut it to one bowl at the top of the straight. They both missed the farm in the next, but Twohig was still a bowl in front. McDonagh continued to press though and had the lead under a bowl at the white wall. He increased the pressure with three brilliant bowls from there to well past the line, but Twohig kept his focus and won comfortably in the last shot.
Gary Daly beat James O’Donovan in the last shot at Derrinasafa. O’Donovan had 50m odds after two great bowls towards the end of the wall. Daly turned the score with his third past the rock to go 60m clear. He dominated to Ross’ where he was close to two bowls in front.
O’Donovan closed the gap to a bowl after two more past Cotter’s cross. Daly then missed the Darkwood turn, but O’Donovan spun his reply to the right and missed too, to leave almost two between them again. O’Donovan finished well. He had the lead under a bowl at the novice line and levelled the score with his second last. He didn’t get distance into his last shot though and Daly beat it comfortably.
Eoin O’Riordan and Denis P. Bradley are through to the Michael-Tom Bradley Cup final after an emphatic win over Mike Kelleher and Tony Healy at Macroom. They were a bowl in front after three to Bantry’s cross. Kelleher and Healy levelled with two good bowls to the waterfall. O’Riordan and Bradley made the gap in three more to go a bowl clear again. They covered the straight in three more to raise a second bowl at Kelleher’s.
Cian Boyle beat European youth champion Cian Shorten by two bowls at Donoughmore. Shorten took the first tip, but Boyle led with a good second. He had almost a bowl at the bounds and held it to Ring’s. He kept that lead to the start of the straight. He then got a searing shot up the straight, which put him almost two in front. He kept control by making the nooks in three more.
Éamon Bowen Jnr gave a bowl of odds to Thomas Boyle at Templemichael, but still won in the last shot. Boyle increased the lead with his first shot. Bowen brought it under a bowl with his second and was level after a big shot past the white wall. He led with his next, but Boyle stayed in touch till he made a mistake with his second last. Bowen gave him over a bowl start in the second, but Boyle totally controlled that and won by four bowls.
Derry Crowley finished with two big bowls to beat Declan O’Leary by a bowl at the Bog Road. He was a bowl in front after three to Danny’s lane. O’Leary fought back and had the lead down to 40m at the Major’s. That lead divided them till Crowley got another big shot to the Bog gate to go a bowl clear again and he held that past the line.
Mark O’Sullivan and Sean Twomey had good wins in Caheragh. O’Sullivan started with two brilliant bowls against Ger Connolly to raise two bowls at Lisangle cross. Connolly fought back with four massive bowls to Sheily’s and he led at the novice line. He didn’t build on that though and O’Sullivan closed it out by finishing with two big bowls.
Twomey led all the way against Jeremiah Fitzpatrick in the second. He had 40m odds after two to the novice line. He increased his odds to 100m with his fourth and he held that to the lawn. He raised a bowl with a big shot past Reenrue cross and held that over the bridge. He increased his lead past the soccer pitch and had almost two bowls at Lisangle cross.
Darren Whooley beat Shane McCarthy in the last shot of the Rosscarbery U14 final at Froe. He raised a bowl after two shots. McCarthy bowled strongly to level at Jennings’ gate. He lost most of his gains with a poor second last and Whooley took the last shot by 20m.
Tom Browne gave a five star performance at Ballinacurra where he beat Joe Madden by almost two bowls. Pat Broderick also beat Madden in an earlier score. Rathmore victualler Denis Hickey beat Denis Murphy twice in the last shot at Kilcorney.
The line-up for the 2013 Munster senior and intermediate championships will be decided by tonight’s grading meeting. Getting the mix right will be a significant challenge as a small group of elite players have begun to dominate the senior championship in recent years.
