Double delight for the Murphy brothers
Aidan beat John Shorten by a bowl on Thursday and David beat Martin Coppinger by two bowls on Sunday.
Shorten took the battle to Aidan Murphy from the off. They were level after two each to sight. Shorten played a good bowl past Moore’s gate, but Murphy beat it. They were still level after another good shot each to the green. Murphy went well towards the no-play line with his next. Shorten delivered a perfect reply, but it just missed the line.
Murphy got the better of the next exchange toward Heaphy’s. He eased into a good lead with his shot to O’Riordan’s and followed with a great bowl up the long straight to raise a bowl. Shorten battled on though and was still in contention at the top of the short straight.
Murphy gave him no real chance to close the gap though and after his second last shot to light his victory and the bowl of odds were secure.
Coppinger won the three opening shots against David Murphy to the black sign. Murphy just shaded the shots to the green and was never again headed. He got the better of the next exchange and when Coppinger missed the no-play line with his sixth he was in trouble.
Murphy had almost a bowl at Heaphy’s and raised it with his next. He had almost two after his next past the half-way line and held that lead to the big corner. He scorched to sight from thee and when Coppinger misplayed his bowl into the right it was all over.
Eoin O’Riordan and Neil Crowley advanced to the Munster Junior C final at Dunmanway. O’Riordan beat John O’Leary at Togher Cross while Crowley beat Martin Murphy at Macroom.
Crowley and Murphy were level after three each to the bridge. Crowley then made the waterfall in two; Murphy took three and conceded almost a bowl. Crowley raised the bowl by making the gap in three more from there. He continued to set the pace to Kelleher’s where he still had over a bowl.
Murphy cut the odds with two good bowls to Glasheen cross. Crowley held the advantage down to his second last throw. Murphy just beat the line from poor sight with his last shot. Crowley had an easy enough tip to beat, but played his bowl to the right and just beat the tip.
John O’Leary won the opening shots at Togher Cross. He took a decisive lead with a great shot to the chips. Eoin O’Riordan missed that tip to concede a bowl and looked like conceding a second as he was short of sight.
He fought back though and his great throw to Hurley’s knocked the bowl and cut the lead to 20m. O’Leary picked up the pace again and raised the bowl with his shot to the school. His lead began to unravel when he failed to reach the post office in two more, where he had only 50m odds. When O’Riordan played a brilliant bowl towards the novice line the score was up for grabs. O’Leary missed that tip and lost the lead for the first time. He then missed the line and O’Riordan beat it.
Declan O’Leary is through to the Munster Novice I final following his last shot win over Tim Murphy at Berrings. Murphy was a bowl in front at the graveyard and was still almost a bowl clear till he made a mistake on the straight. O’Leary got a good bowl in response and took the lead. He finished strongly from there for a comfortable last shot win.
Conor McCarthy bowled impressively to beat Conor O’Sullivan in the Novice I quarter-final at Jagoes Mills. He led from the off and was already almost a bowl in front after three to Lordan’s. He held that lead with his next to O’Brien’s cross.
He made the dump in two more where he had a full bowl. He held that lead to the end of the straight. He bowled well to the power station to extend his lead to two bowls. He comfortably held that lead to the line to secure a semi-final meeting with Jerry O’Riordan at Donoughmore.
Mikie O’Regan and Paul Hunt contest tonight’s Munster Novice II final at Reenascreena. Hunt beat Con O’Donovan by almost a bowl at the Clubhouse while O’Regan had almost three bowls of odds on Jerry O’Sullivan at the Pike.
O’Sullivan was in trouble after a poor opening shot. O’Regan dominated from there and was a bowl in front at White’s cross. He set the pace to Draper’s cross where he had two bowls. They played just three more each at which point O’Regan had close to three bowls.
Paul Hunt’s last four shots at the Clubhouse gave him the verdict over Con O’Donovan. He led after four to the chips. He had just 40m after his next and he held that lead to Clonakilty cross. O’Donovan snatched the lead when he made sight at Murray’s and Hunt missed. Hunt stormed back and pushed almost a bowl clear with his last four.
O’Donovan has a second shot at championship glory when he takes on John Hogan in the Munster Vintage B semi-final at the Bog Road.
The winner of that score will face Willie Dennis who had an impressive win over Davey Doyle over the same road on Sunday.
Dennis led from the off and raised a bowl with his shot past the Bog gate. He held that lead to Eudie’s. Doyle rallied in the run-in, but missed Dennis’s last shot for the bowl of odds.
