Bowen bows to mighty Murphy

WORLD champion Aidan Murphy had a clear win over Eamon Bowen at Enniskeane on Sunday.

He just edged the opening tips, but Bowen got the better of the second. Murphy then got a good third which put him a position to make the mill in four. Bowen’s third was too far left and fell short of Murphy’s tip, he only beat it by 40m with his next to leave almost a bowl between them. They both made the mill in another throw.

Bowen got a good bowl from the mill to Crookstown Cross, but Murphy beat it by ten metres. Bowen’s next brushed the right, but it rubbed another 60m. Murphy beat that well. Bowen then missed O’Driscoll’s wall, Murphy made it with a great bowl and was now close to two bowls in front.

At the bridge Murphy’s lead was just short of two bowls. He then got a poor break at the wall and Bowen had a chance to close the gap, but he just beat Murphy’s tip. Murphy continued to control the score and raised a second bowl at the ‘garden gate’. He had well over two at the gap and he got another good shot towards Kingston’s to extend his lead to almost three bowls.

Ulster player Thomas Mackle beat David Hubbard in the return score, giving Hubbard his second defeat of the weekend following a bowl of odds loss to Patrick O’Donoghue at Shannonvale on Saturday.

Hubbard’s luck seemed to be in at Enniskeane when he got a sensational opening shot to take a big lead. Mackle cut the odds to just ten metres with an equally good second and had taken a 60m lead at the bridge. Hubbard cut the odds after a good rub with his bowl through the bridge. They were level at O’Driscoll’s and still locked together at Crookstown Cross.

Hubbard got the better of the shots to the mill. Mackle played a poor shot from there. Hubbard now had a chance to take a decisive lead. He played his bowl too tight on the left though and only beat the tip by 30m. Mackle killed the score with a massive reply, which looked to be veering right, but got a perfect touch at the tarmac and just missed the line. Hubbard missed that well and followed with a poor shot.

At Shannonvale, Patrick O’Donoghue finished with a flourish from Desmond’s cross to beat Hubbard by a bowl. Hubbard made the top of the hill with two good opening shots where he was a bowl in front. He failed to build on that lead, but still had more than a shot in hand at the cross. O’Donoghue raised his game from there to beat the line in six magnificent shots.

Steve Desmond beat John O’Donoghue by over a bowl in the return. He raised a bowl by making light with his first shot, but O’Donoghue fought back to level at Desmond’s cross. O’Donoghue took three more to make the quarry, while Desmond made it in two to effectively end the contest.

Next weekend will be a busy one too for Shannonvale. On Saturday David Hubbard will be back to play Seamus Sexton and Anthony Gould in the Noel Pharr Cup final. On Sunday the BBC will be on location to capture a youth blitz and a mixed doubles.

Roy Shannon beat Kevin O’Sullivan in the last shot of a closely contested O’Mahony Cup final at Drinagh. They both missed light at the ‘barking dogs’ in two and were still level after three more to the church. They made Shandrum cross in nine each. Shannon missed the ‘black stick’ from there, but O’Sullivan failed to take advantage.

O’Sullivan got a great bowl to the pond, but Shannon came close to the tip and hit back with a good bowl to the waterfall. O’Sullivan missed that tip and consequently missed the line with his next throw. Shannon looked certain to beat the line, but his bowl missed it by less than a metre. O’Sullivan grabbed his reprieve with a brilliant last shot, but Shannon beat it independently with his reply.

DJ Holland beat Mark Sheehan by almost a bowl at Donoughmore. Sheehan won the first two tips, but Holland took the third. A good bowl to the bounds put Sheehan back in front.

Holland got a good bowl to Ring’s corner and followed with three good shots to the end of the wall where he was a bowl in front. Sheehan picked up the pace on the straight and led after a mistake from Holland. Holland recovered quickly with two great bowls to the nooks to go a bowl clear again. Sheehan saved the bowl at the line.

At Baile Mhuine Noel Murphy finished well from the slippery rock to win the delayed Gaeltacht Junior A consolation final. O’Riordan had almost a bowl at the slippery rock, but misplayed his next bowl. They were level to the novice line, but Murphy broke the deadlock with a great bowl to Ullane bridge.

Vincent Kiely’s great run continued at Bweeng where he beat Michael Murphy by a bowl. Denis Wilmot finished with four great shots from the church to beat Thomas Boyle by a bowl at Ballinacurra.