Martin Coppinger surge sees off Gary Daly in Castletownbere
They were level after five to Clontinty boreen. Daly took over from there and had almost a bowl at Ahern’s. He held that lead till losing ground by missing sight at O’Brien’s. Coppinger levelled with five to go and increased his lead to 50m in the following shot. He then got a massive second last to push his lead to 100m. That cushion edged him towards a bowl of odds win.
David Hubbard finished strongly to beat Pa Butler in the Moss Twomey Shield final at Ballincurrig.
Butler won the first and Hubbard took the next three to Geary’s. Butler won a 50m lead with a super shot to the creamery. Hubbard hit a wall with his next and Butler pushed his lead to almost a bowl with a great sixth to the pony’s gate.
Hubbard closed the gap with a big shot to Heaphy’s Butler led onto the long straight and beat a big shot from Hubbard up the long straight. Hubbard got a great bowl to Leahy’s. Butler misplayed his and was almost a bowl down after his next. He closed the gap with a great shot to the big corner, but lost all his gains with a poor bowl there.
Hubbard punished him with a great shot to sight at the top of the short straight which raised an even bowl of odds. He then beat a brilliant throw from Butler to ‘Din Tough’s’. Butler was too tight left with his next. Hubbard went past the elbow to take his lead to almost two bowls and he opened the last bend with his next.
Jimmy Collins beat Liam Walsh in the the Béal na Bláth semi-final. Walsh had 60m odds after two. They both missed sight at the water in three. Walsh won the next shots to sight and opened a big lead with a super bowl to Shorten’s cross. He was still well clear after two more to Long’s lane.
Collins got two big shots in succession to and from Twohig to win his first lead. Walsh regained the lead with a good throw past the garage. He missed a chance to extend his odds to the big turn, but won the second last by 60m. Collins played a brilliant last shot which wound well past the line to win by 30m.
Gavin Twohig beat Edmund Sexton by a bowl in the Mother Hegarty Cup at Lyre. He won the opening tip with a good bowl to the soccer pitch. Sexton won the second to the forestry and held the lead for the next two.
Twohig played a brilliant fifth shot to the tunnel, which put him back in front by 70m. Sexton missed that tip with his sixth to fall a bowl behind.
Twohig held that bowl of odds in three more to Crowley’s bend. He was still a bowl clear after two more to McCarthy’s. Sexton knocked the bowl with a brilliant bowl from there. Twohig regained it with his second last.
David O’Mahony beat Denis Wilmot by over a bowl in the Ballydehob quarter-final. Wilmot raised almost a bowl with a great first shot to sight.
He held that in the next four to Sammy’s. O’Mahony levelled with a big bowl past the soccer pitch and raised a bowl with is next to sight. He increased his odds to the line.
Cian Boyle had a double over Craig Moynihan at the Bog Road. There was nothing in it till Moynihan made a mistake on the short straight. Boyle was almost a bowl in front at the Major’s and held that to the line.
They had another great joust in the return. Boyle snatched it with a brilliant bowl past the last bend.
Jerry Murphy had a double over Jim Coffey at Ballinacurra. They both made sight at Foley’s in the first shots from the post box. Coffey won his first lead with a big shot past Perrott’s. He increased his odds with a great shot past the GAA field. Murphy played a nice bowl to the bridge, but Coffey hit back with a brilliant bowl past Innishannon cross. Murphy played two good shots to the Junior C line to regain the lead.
Murphy won the shots past Cronin’s well. Coffey then played a poor shot to concede almost a bowl. Murphy held that lead with his next and raised a full bowl with his last.
He had things very much his own way in the return. Mick Hurley will open his defence of the Ballinacurra Christmas Tournament on St Stephen’s Day against John O’Rourke and last year’s finalist Denis Wilmot.
John Hickey beat PJ McCarthy in the last shot of the Jagoes Mills tournament.
