Mackle and O’Reilly in Armagh double at Barry Cup
Mackle achieved a rare win over Mullins after leading from start to finish. He opened with a brilliant bowl, which Mullins missed by just five metres. Mackle drove his next past Moore’s gate to open up a big lead. He missed a chance to increase his odds with his third. Mullins then got two great bowls to just short of the no-play line to cut the odds to ten metres.
Mackle’s next was tight on the left but it held the road and gave him an important 30m lead at Heaphy’s. He held his advantage in the next exchange. When Mullins narrowly missed sight in nine, Mackle hit back with a great bowl to Leahy’s to push his lead almost a bowl. He followed with another brilliant bowl to make the big corner in ten, where he was close to two in front.
Mullins cut the odds to a bare bowl with a super shot up the short straight. He tightened the odds to the sycamores, but he couldn’t bridge the gap in the closing exchanges.
Bryan O’Reilly led all the way too against Trevor O’Meara. He won the first tip by ten metres and when his second brushed he increased his lead to 50m past Moore’s gate. O’Meara kept in touch with a good third. He was too tight on the left with his next towards the green and missed O’Reilly’s tip to concede a bowl of odds. O’Reilly held that lead past Hegarty’s in six and seven.
He increased his lead with a big shot to O’Riordan’s and he then beat a good bowl from O’Meara up the long straight. They made sight at the big corner in three more; with O’Reilly still a bowl in front after 11 and 12. O’Meara was too tight with his next and O’Reilly replied with a great bowl to the top of the short straight to go almost two clear. That gap divided them to the finish.
Three Munster finals are scheduled for next weekend ahead of the third series of All-Irelands in Westport. Brian O’Halloran and Michael Ward meet in the Junior C final at Kildee on Friday. The Novice I final between Chris Faulkner and Richie Harnedy is fixed for Newcestown on Saturday afternoon and on Saturday evening Damien O’Gorman plays Peter Burns in the Novice II final at Ballinacurra.
Brian O’Halloran beat Tim Kelleher by almost two bowls in his Junior C semi-final at Togher Cross. O’Halloran started to take control past Hurley’s and he capitalised on few poor shots from Kelleher to raised a bowl at the garage. He continued to add odds from there.
Michael Ward beat Noel Dempsey at Shannonvale. Dempsey won the first four shots, but he hit a bad patch to Desmond’s cross where he was two bowls down. He closed the gap up the hill and came back into contention. Ward killed off his challenge with a big shot from Tobin’s.
Dempsey beat Séamus O’Sullivan by a bowl at The Clubhouse. He had almost a bowl after four to the quarry cross and held most of that lead after three more to Clonakilty cross. He raised a bowl with his next. O’Sullivan cut the odds with two good shots to O’Riordan’s. Dempsey made the school in three more to raise the bowl again.
Richie Harnedy edged Darren Bowen in the last shot in their Novice I semi-final at Templemartin. He had a big lead after opening Slyne’s corner in five. Bowen battled on though and eventually took the lead at the end of the straight. Harnedy regained the lead at the stonefield bend.
He increased his lead with his next, but was just fore for the last shot after his bowl got an unlucky hop. Bowen played a massive last bowl, which Harnedy needed a rub to beat.
Chris Faulkner raised a bowl early in his semi-final with Tony Murphy at Grenagh. Murphy kept in contention though and was rewarded with the lead when Faulkner played a poor second last.
He bounced back with a huge last shot, leaving Murphy with too much to do.
Damien O’Gorman looked several notches better than Novice II in his win over Adrian Condon in the semi-final at Templemartin. He opened with four sensational bowls from the monument to almost the schoolhouse cross where he had over two bowls and was always in control.
Peter Burns beat Seán Hegarty in the other semi-final at Bweeng. Burns gained ground with his second shot and took advantage of a poor third from Hegarty to go almost a bowl in front at the Tinny House. He had a bowl after two more. Hegarty knocked the bowl with a great shot, but could not close the gap.
