Two brilliant shots seal it for Kingston
He opened with a big bowl to win the first tip well. They both hit the bank with their second shots, but Kingston won the following tip by 30m. Twohig levelled with his fourth to the small wall and he pushed into a 60m lead after two more to the gasworks. Kingston then got a big shot to Tiger’s, but Twohig beat it by 60m. Kingston edged the next tip and they were still level after two more to Corcoran’s bridge.
Kingston then played two massive bowls in succession to the cottage where he was a bowl in front. Twohig saved the bowl with his last shot to the flowery garden. On Saturday Kingston was the victim of two equally big closing bowls from Arthur McDonagh at Carraig na bhFear.
Kingston opened with a big bowl to light at to take the first shot comfortably. McDonagh got a nice second bowl around the first bend. Kingston lost a lot of odds when he played his second bowl to the left. McDonagh reached the doctor’s with his third to level the score and he was in front for the first time after two more shots to Daunt’s.
Kingston got a huge bowl from there to take a big lead again, but McDonagh drew level again in the shots to the creamery. McDonagh led well after a big shot from the cross, but Kingston came back to lead past the novice line. McDonagh then got the first of two exceptional bowls, which opened the last bend. Kingston missed the bend with his reply after which he had little hope of recovering. McDonagh made victory doubly sure with a brilliant last shot which beat the line well.
Kingston and McDonagh will be in opposition against next Saturday in the Ballinacurra festive final, which also includes David Hubbard. Ballinacurra was the venue too for Éamon Bowen’s first official outing as an intermediate—it didn’t work out well for him though as a strong finishing Liam O’Sullivan beat him comfortably in the last shot.
Bowen looked set to dominate the score after he opened with four great shots to Foley’s where he led by almost a bowl. He edged closer to a bowl with his next, but O’Sullivan raised his game from Perrott’s and was coming back into contention at the GAA field. Bowen got three poor shots from there past the concrete where O’Sullivan had his first lead. Bowen rallied again though and had what looked winning odds of 60m at Cronin’s avenue. O’Sullivan turned it around with two massive last shots past the line.
Gary Daly beat Edmond Sexton by a bowl at Shannonvale. He led from the off and was a bowl in front at Desmond’s cross. Sexton got a huge bowl from there towards Sam’s lane, which Daly just beat in two to hold a lead of just 15m. Little changed in the next exchange, but Sexton then took the lead when Daly hit a pillar with his following bowl. Daly missed Tobin’s with his next, but Sexton drove his reply to the left and lost the lead again. Daly then got a great bowl to Campbell’s lane to extend his lead and he won by a bowl.
Seamus Sexton got an incredible last shot at Whitechurch to beat Wayne Callanan in the last shot. He led all the way, but there was little between them in the first four shots to the top of the hill. Sexton got a brilliant bowl down to hill to go almost a bowl in front. He followed with another great shot to extend his lead to almost two bowls. He held that lead past Boula lane.
Callanan bowled well from there to cut the lead to a bowl at the farmhouse. He challenged strongly to the Devil’s bend, but Sexton pushed clear again onto the last straight. Callanan still had a small chance of forcing a last shot, but he was emphatically denied when Sexton’s incredible last bowl beat the line by a few centimetres.
Kieran Murphy beat John Young in the Jerry Desmond Cup at Timoleague in the last shot—his only fore bowl of the score. Young started brilliantly to go almost a bowl in front after seven to Bateman’s. He raised a bowl with his next and held it in the next four to O’Leary’s. Murphy knocked the bowl with a massive shot from there and followed with another great bowl to cut the lead to five metres. He closed with another good bowl, which Young missed. Sean Coughlan won a tremendous three-hand final at Goleen. He beat Kevin Coughlan in the last shot, with Martin Coughlan a bowl behind in third. At Bottlehill Noel Bowen beat Vincent Cahalane. In the Pouladuff junior tournament Johnny Murphy finished with two big throws to beat Cian Boyle by a bowl.
