Daly’s deadly finish enough to lift Roche Cup
Sexton won the opening shot from Bohane, following a poor first throw from Daly. Sexton was still ahead after the second. Daly then got a great third bowl, far enough to loft the first bend. He led across the next straight, with Bohane slipping back to third. Sexton closed the gap on Daly with a big bowl up the hill, with Bohane almost a bowl off the pace.
Sexton turned the score on its head with an incredible bowl at Shock’s corner that opened three bends. That catapulted him almost two bowls clear of Daly and two full bowls on Bohane. Daly cut the lead to a bowl at the rock. The lead was under a bowl facing Peake cross.
Sexton played a good bowl through the cross, but it hit a pillar. Daly made the end of the cross to get him back into contention. Daly completed his fight back with a super bowl to sight from the doctor’s cross, Bohane also made sight to slip into second place as Sexton missed. Daly scorched past the line in two more, Bohane edged past Sexton to take second.
Wayne Callanan beat Donal Riordan in a gripping Hughie Desmond Cup final at Curraheen.
Riordan opened with a massive bowl. Callanan was 50m hind after his bowl broke left. He got a better second one, which Riordan should have beaten well, but he was too tight left. They were level to the bridge on seven each.
The lead changed hands several times up the hill. Callanan got a big bowl to the tarmac past the riding school. This gave him a big lead as Riordan was left with his next two. After two more to Richard’s lane Callanan had 25m odds and was onto straight road. He was still 20m fore at Lane’s. Riordan’s last bowl got an unlucky run, but still beat the line by seven metres. Callanan played his reply well and beat it by four metres.
James Buckley beat Éamon Bowen by a bowl in the Mick Barry Cup at Ballincurrig.
Bowen won the first two shots to Moore’s gate. Buckley edged the third to Geary’s and led to the line. He got three good bowls to light at Heaphy’s to extend his lead. Bowen misplayed his seventh into the rights to leave almost a bowl between them. Buckley raised the bowl after two more to the middle of the long straight.
Bowen knocked the bowl with super shot towards the big corner. After three more towards the sycamores Buckley regained the bowl of odds. He held that in the next two to light at the last bend and easily beat Bowen’s last shot.
Following disruption at their Munster senior championship score in Macroom last month, both David Murphy and Séamus Sexton were suspended. In totally unrelated circumstances, last year’s finalist Edmond Sexton, has withdrawn from the 2017 campaign. This leaves just four remaining players who face off next weekend in the semi-finals.
On Saturday at Baile Mhuirne Martin Coppinger plays Aidan Murphy and on Sunday Arthur McDonagh plays Gary Daly at Doneraile. The Ulster senior final between cousins Bryan O’Reilly and Paul O’Reilly will be played at Madden, Co. Armagh on Sunday.
Cian Shorten plays Terry Mallon in the Munster Junior B final at Derrinasafa. Shorten beat Alex O’Donovan in the last shot at Togher Cross.
He won the first shot, but O’Donovan edged clear in the next few. Shorten levelled with a great bowl over the bridge. They were still level at the chips and after three more to the next bend. O’Donovan pushed clear again to the garage.
Shorten got a brilliant bowl to sight to regain the lead. O’Donovan was back in front at the last bend. Shorten got a brilliant bowl pas to Hurley’s lane to cut the lead to 20m. He closed with another great bowl to take it by 18m.
Veronica O’Mahony and Mairéad O’Driscoll contest the Munster Intermediate final at Togher Cross on Sunday. O’Driscoll beat Katie Sexton in the last shot at Derrinasafa and O’Mahony beat Ciara Buckley by two bowls at Bweeng.
Injury has forced Mick Young to withdrawn from the Munster Veteran (over-50) Junior final against Jim Coffey .In the overall final Coffey plays either Paul Lombard or Kevin Ruby who meet in the Novice final at Newcestown on Friday.
In his first campaign for over 20 years, 1991 All-Ireland U16 champion Ger Murray, beat Finbarr Coughlan in the last shot of the Carbery Novice A final at Ballydehob.
Coughlan had almost a bowl after his first, but Murray led after five to Sammy’s gate. They were locked together till Murray pushed clear to Pete’s cross. Coughlan hit back with a brilliant second last, but Murray beat it with an even better one through the cross. Coughlan played a big last one too, but Murray beat it and the line.
Johnny O’Driscoll beat John Young by a bowl in the Tim White Cup at Rosscarbery. Thy were level after ten to Barry’s lane. O’Driscoll got a great bowl past the guesthouse. Young replied with two poor shots to fall almost a bowl behind. O’Driscoll raised it with his next.
