O’Donovans steal show in Clubhouse festival showdowns

JAMES O’DONOVAN beat Christy Mullins in the feature score of the West and Mid-Cork festival at the Clubhouse,but Brian O’Donovan stole the show with a scintillating win over Thomas Mackle.

James O’Donovan got off to a great start and went a bowl in front at the first cross after three poor openers from Mullins. However, Mullins threw a brilliant bowl to Dineen’s lane and followed it with another great effort to Clonakilty Cross to cut the lead to just five metres. Mullins had a chance to level the score after O’Donovan’s reply broke to the left and missed light.

Mullins took his chance with a good bowl towards O’Riordan’s but O’Donovan responded to beat that tip by 40 metres to hold a firm grip on the score. Mullins was slightly left with his next and only reached the top of the hill and O’Donovan hit back with a brilliant bowl in the right hand track that went to light past the garage. Mullins beat it by just 15 metres to leave almost a bowl between them again.

O’Donovan lost most of his gains when he played his next to the left and only reached the school while Mullins grasped the opportunity with a brilliant bowl to light beyond the school. O’Donovan missed that tip to lose the lead for the first time but he played his last bowl on the left and it rubbed perfectly, beating the line well. Mullins’s bowl was off target, on the right, from the release and missed the line.

Brian O’Donovan had an impressive win over Thomas Mackle. The outcome looked unlikely after Mackle came close to the first cross in three but he hit a wall with his next to concede the lead, though he regained ground with a great bowl through the lines.

O’Donovan beat that tip by 70 metres and increased his odds with his next to the top of the hill. Mackle missed that tip to concede a bowl of odds and O’Donovan pushed two clear at O’Riordan’s and held it to the line.

Raymond Ryan beat Kieran Murphy with the last shot on Saturday. They were locked together to Clonakilty cross and onto O’Riordan’s but Murphy gained a 40 metre advantage for the last shot. Ryan played a great last bowl that went well past the line; Murphy’s reply was well short of that tip.

Brendan O’Neill beat Sean Murphy by a bowl later in the day. He had well over a bowl at the first cross following a poor start from Murphy but Murphy threw four great shots to light at O’Riordan’s, which put him back in contention. He got two poor shots to the garage though and O’Neill was a bowl in front again.

On Monday Anthony Gould beat David Hubbard in the last shot of the opening score, but suffered defeat to Gary Daly in the afternoon.

In the first score Gould levelled with a great fourth shot to the cross. They were still level at Clonakilty cross and it was still all to play for all the way to the last shot. Gould closed with a good bowl, which Hubbard just missed.

Gary Daly was over a bowl in front after three great bowls to the cross. Gould cut the odds, but lost ground by missing light at the garage. He cut the odds to just 30m with a brilliant bowl to light past the school. They both got great bowls to light at the last bend, with Daly still 30m back. Gould played a great last bowl, but Daly’s rubbed the right and beat it by 20 metres.

Denis Wilmot beat Declan O’Donovan by almost a bowl in the final score of the festival. Wilmot raised a bowl at Clonakilty cross and held it to the last cross. O’Donovan then got a sensational bowl that missed the line by just 30 metres. Wilmot missed that, but beat the line with his next.

Noel Bowen got the first win of the Mick O’Connor Cup at Gortroe where he beat Mike Kelleher with the last shot. He had almost a bowl after his first and raised it with his second. Kelleher levelled after Bowen made a mistake at the end of the wood. Kelleher hit back and threw a great bowl to the last bend and pushed it to the last shot, which Bowen won by 20 metres.

Dave Dennis had a great double over Thomas Boyle in two international fund scores at Ballincurrig. Boyle won the early shots in the first score, but once Dennis hit the lead at the creamery he was unbeatable. They were level at the no-play line, but big shots up the long straight, towards the big corner and another to the muddy gap put Dennis two bowls clear.

Vincent Kiely led all the way against Mark Burke at Whitechurch. He had well over a bowl after two to the top of the hill. He had a second at the wall and was well over two in front at Boula lane. Burke made little inroads from there and conceded before the Devil’s bend.