Mackle proves the master in McVeigh Cup
Mackle’s five-star performance would have tested Murphy on his best day, but lack of competition blunted Murphy’s capacity to respond.
Murphy played his first to the right; Mackle beat it comfortably. He increased his lead by making clear sight at Twynam’s in four while Murphy was not out fully. Murphy tightened the odds with a good shot to the height.
Murphy was too far right with his next and Mackle beat it well. Murphy hit back with a great shot that looked set to level the score, but it was accidently blocked and put him a full bowl behind. Murphy’s next shot was called, which cost him a further 20m. Mackle beat that by 30m to take his lead well over a bowl. He got two great shots to McCann’s to go two bowls in front. He had almost three bowls at the garage and raised the third bowl to the bridge, where Murphy conceded.
On Saturday, Mackle covered the course in a shot less than Murphy in his semi-final win over Conor McGuigan. He opened Twynam’s in three to raise a bowl. McGuigan cleared most of the deficit with two big bowls towards the creamery lane. His next caught the right bank and he was a bowl behind again. Mackle controlled things from there and scored the line in 14.
Murphy beat Gary Daly by a bowl in his semi-final. They reached Twynam’s in four, where Daly was just fore. Murphy followed with three great shots to Dooley’s where he was almost a bowl in front. He raised the bowl in two more to McCann’s corner. He held that to the Carnival gates and increased his lead to McKee’s wall. Daly cut the lead to a bowl with a great shot to bridge. They both beat the line in two more.
In the support scores Ulster had four wins to three for Munster.
Ulster pair Kelly Mallon and Dervla Toal-Mallon beat Silke Tulk and Catriona Kidney by a bowl on Saturday. Mallon’s opening shot to the bridge gave them a bowl start and shaped the score. The bowl lead was contested to McCann’s, but Ulster raised a second bowl to the creamery lane. They conceded the second bowl at Twynam’s, but stayed a bowl in front to the line.
On Friday Killian Kingston beat Cathal Toal by two bowls. The lead changed hands to Connolly’s corner. Once Kingston regained the lead with a big bowl past O’Hare’s, he led to the line.
On Sunday, Christy Mullins and Gavin Twohig beat Eddie Carr and Martin Toal by a bowl and in the second Kieran Murphy and Sean Murphy beat Colm Rafferty and Mark Kiernan by almost a bowl. In both scores, the winners started brilliantly, but faded in the second half.
Ulster won all the other scores. Erin Connolly beat Ciara Buckley and Sinéad Kiernan by a bowl and two bowls on Friday. This turned into a duel between Connolly and Buckley, which was settled when Connolly got a lucky rub to sight at the iron gates.
Austin McKeown/Niall Smyth beat Thomas O’Callaghan and Celestine Spillane by a bowl on Friday. On Saturday Paul and Ruaidhri O’Reilly beat Tony Carey and PJ Cooney by almost a bowl.
