Young yields to classy Wilmot
Young won the first two shots to the cross. They made the netting in two more where Wilmot took his first fore bowl by less than a metre. Young played tight on the left with his next and it hopped into the grass. Wilmot made light with his reply but still missed the rock in two more. Young took three to reach the rock where he was 30m behind.
Wilmot made significant gains with a great ninth shot to the avenue, which put him well clear. Young was just short of the bridge in two more while Wilmot beat it in two to keep control. Wilmot got a poor shot to the grotto, but again Young was too close to the left and only beat the tip by 20m.
Young made O’Donoghue’s railings with his next to cut the lead to just 30m. He followed with a great bowl to the river gate, but Wilmot produced a score winning reply to beat that tip by 70m. After that there was no way back for Young, who had to be consoled with saving the bowl of odds with his last shot.
Denis Wilmot followed his brother’s example and beat JC Desmond in the return score. He had almost two bowls at the bridge following a poor opening by Desmond and in the end he missed light at the netting and Wilmot went on to win by almost a bowl.
Sean Murphy reached the final of the Sean Scanlon Cup at Donoughmore where he beat Killian Kingston by a bowl of odds in the semi-final.
He won the opening shot, but Kingston led with his second and was 40m clear after six to Ring’s corner. They both made the start of the straight in three more, where Kingston still had 40m odds. Murphy got a poor shot into the straight, but Kingston’s reply went right and beat the tip by the same 40m.
Murphy looked to be in trouble as he had poor light at the end of the straight. Kingston’s reply was off to the left and hit a pillar, which gave Murphy an unexpected lead. Murphy grabbed the opening with a super shot through the bends, which put him a bowl clear and set him up for a meeting with David Hubbard in the final.
Hubbard took a step closer to holding the Champy Deasy Cup too when he beat James O’Donovan by a bowl in the quarter-final at Grange.
O’Donovan opened with a great bowl to Barry’s, but Hubbard got a perfect rub with his first bowl and beat it by 60m. He was 40m in front after his second and when O’Donovan’s blew his third shot he had almost a bowl. O’Donovan hit back with a great fourth shot, but Hubbard kept control with a good bowl towards O’Sullivan’s.
He held the lead in the next three shots to de Barra’s but handed O’Donovan a chance to level when he hit a poor shot from there. He could only make the wall off that tip and O’Donovan had a chance to cannon to light at the stud farm. O’Donovan was too tight with his bowl though and he just beat Hubbard’s tip. They both made the stud farm bend in their next shots and Hubbard got a big bowl to just short of the line to raise a bowl.
Denis Murphy is Hubbard’s next assignment at Grange, with David O’Mahony already in the final. O’Mahony’s recent good form held at Killumney where he beat DJ Holland by almost two bowls.
He opened with a big bowl, which Holland missed in two. He pushed his lead to almost two with a good second shot and was in complete control for the rest of the score.
Holland reduced the odds with a good bowl to light, but O’Mahony hit back with two good bowls to Connie’s corner and he made light with his next to kill off Holland’s ambitions.
Mark Burke beat Vincent Kiely comfortably in the last shot at Rylane. The early exchanges were close with Kiely winning the opening tip and Burke shading the next four to Cronin’s avenue. Little changed to the tarmac, but Burke missed a chance to go a bowl in front with his shot to the convent cross.
Kiely regained the lead with his bowl from the cross. Burke won the next exchange and increased his lead to the terrace. They were both lucky with their second last throws, but Burke was still 30m fore facing the line. Kiely missed the line with his last throw and Burke beat it well.
All-Ireland U18 champion Raymond Ryan is settling in well at Junior A level as underlined by his double over John O’Rourke at Donoughmore. He won the first score by two bowls, but his last shot was his only fore bowl in the second.
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