Shorten powers to victory in Crowley Cup
They were locked together after two throws. Shorten played his next to the left and missed Brinny Cross. Bohane went through the cross with his third. He continued to lead in his next two to the gas line. Shorten won the following exchange to take his first lead by 10m. Bohane was back in front after his seventh to Perrott’s.
Shorten’s next bowl broke left and Bohane took a good lead with a great bowl to the GAA field. Shorten recovered with a good bowl to the bridge, which Bohane missed when his bowl was too tight on the left. Bohane followed with two poor shots that put him out of contention. After two more Shorten was two bowls clear and the contest was over.
Bryan O’Reilly eliminated Martin Coppinger from the Mick Barry Cup and King of the Roads at Ballincurrig. They were level after two good bowls to Moore’s gate. Coppinger got a great brush with his third to take a big lead at the green. O’Reilly levelled with two good bowls to just 40m short of the no-play line, as Coppinger missed the line by just four metres.
Coppinger was 40m fore after two more to O’Riordan’s. O’Reilly got a great shot up the long straight and made Leahy’s with his next. Coppinger was too tight with both his shots and missed sight. Coppinger then missed the big corner in two more, while O’Reilly went out to go almost a bowl in front. O’Reilly increased his lead by making sight at the top of the short straight and Coppinger was too tight on the right.
O’Reilly lost ground when he just made the sycamore in two more with the lead under a bowl. Coppinger made the end of the sycamores with his next and they both reached the elbow in another. After the following shots to sight, O’Reilly was almost a bowl in front again. He closed with a big shot past the line.
Gary Daly was brilliant in his two bowls-of-odds win over Killian Kingston in the Noel Pharr Cup at Shannonvale. He was just shy of Desmond’s lane in six, with Kingston out in seven. He held a good lead with his loft and made Sam’s lane in two more to raise a bowl. He was just short of Campbell’s in another two. He was almost at the senior line in 14 shots where he was well over two in front.
Jimmy Cowhig beat John Cahalane comfortably in the last shot of the Reenascreena semi-final. He led by 80m after two brilliant opening shots. Cahalane fought back in the next four to draw level at O’Sullivan’s. He went in front after nine to Cual Boreen. Cowhig played a huge 10th shot to regain the lead by 70m. Cahalane just beat that with his 11th and Cowhig wrapped it up with a great reply to the line.
Johnny Murphy led all the way for a last-shot win over Liam Hurley in the Béal na mBláth semi-final. He was 40m fore after three to the water. He held that lead in the next two to sight and kept his odds to Long’s lane in nine. He increased his lead in the shots to Twohig’s, but Hurley had it back to 20m after three more to the big turn. Murphy edged the second last shots and beat a big last bowl from Hurley by 40m.
Jimmy O’Driscoll beat Vincent Kiely by almost two bowls in the West Cork Rapid Response benefit at Lyre. They were level after two each towards the forestry. Kiely forged into a 90m lead in his next three to the tunnel. O’Driscoll went 50m clear after four more to Crowley’s bend. Kiely got two very poor shots from there to fall almost two behind and never recovered.
PJ Cooney got an amazing last bowl to beat Willie O’Donovan in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup at Ballincurrig. They were level after four to the creamery and they beat the no-play line in six each. They were still level after eight to O’Riordan’s. O’Donovan got a brilliant bowl to sight the top of the long straight and went almost a bowl clear lofting his 11th over the big corner.
He missed sight with his next and Cooney went up to level the score. O’Donovan took control again after Cooney’s bowl to the sycamores was very unlucky. After his second last to sight facing the line, he looked safe as Cooney was back at the bend. Cooney’s last bowl looked too far left, but it came onto the centre and went to the end of the green. O’Donovan’s reply went right and missed it well.
Seán Twomey just missed sight at the Darkwood turn in eight great bowls in his quarter-final win over Alan Sheehan at Derrinasafa. Huge third and fourth shots put him almost two clear and he controlled the rest of the score.
