Coppinger edges Murphy to reach Munster quarter-final

All-Ireland senior champion Martin Coppinger secured a place in the Munster quarter-final through a last shot win over Aidan Murphy at a tense and tightly packed Baile Mhuirne on Sunday.

Coppinger opened with what looked a well-played bowl on the left, but it fell in left at the bungalow. Murphy replied with a brilliant bowl, which went to within 50m of the bend to give him a solid lead. Coppinger went around the bend with his second, but Murphy delivered a beautiful loft into the bend and spun his bowl perfectly to extend his lead to 100m. Coppinger was too far right with his next and hit the bank to leave almost a bowl between them.

Murphy maintained maximum pressure with a good bowl to the hedges, which Coppinger just beat to keep the lead under a bowl. Murphy beat O’Donoghue’s with his next and Coppinger missed that tip to concede a full bowl of odds. They contested the bowl of odds lead up the rise. Coppinger got a great bowl from Healy’s cross past the double gates. Murphy’s reply stayed left and missed the tip by 30m to leave the lead just under a bowl.