Coppinger on track to retain title

ALL-Ireland champion Martin Coppinger is on track to retain his title after a solid win over Eamon Bowen Jnr at Enniskeane on Saturday.

They both hit pillars on the left with their opening throws. Bowen’s second went left too and Coppinger beat it by 70m. He took advantage of Bowen’s poor third shot to increase his lead and make certain of reaching the mill with his fourth. Bowen missed light and when Coppinger went out he pushed his lead to almost a bowl.

He made Crookstown Cross with his next and Bowen missed it by 30m to fall a full bowl behind. Bowen responded with a good bowl to light, but Coppinger hit back with a monster bowl to the second bend which put him two bowls clear. Neither player got a good shot from there, but Coppinger just held his two bowls of odds lead. They both missed the bridge in the next exchange.

Bowen got a good break at the bridge to close the gap. Coppinger followed with two poor shots to the big bend, but Bowen was still almost two bowls down. Coppinger put an impressive loft over the bend, but Bowen beat the tip to keep the lead 30m under two bowls. Coppinger’s next bowl broke to the right, but Bowen just beat the tip. Coppinger then played his bowl to the left and got a very short shot.

Bowen seized the opening with a good bowl to Kingston’s. Coppinger made light with his next, but Bowen played a great bowl on the left that went to the next bend. Coppinger missed that by five metres to leave just under a bowl between them. He regained the bowl with his next and increased his odds past the junior line. Bowen then missed light at the last bend and when Coppinger’s bowl went out the contest was over.

That win is a major boost for Coppinger ahead of the Ból-Fada festival in Keady at Easter where he will top the billing against former world champion Eddie Carr in the Red Joe McVeigh Cup.

A preliminary list of ten scores was announced at the weekend for Ból-Fada which will open on the Viaduct Road, Tassagh on Good Friday and continue on the Markethill Road for the next two days. It includes a range of players from senior to novice, in singles, doubles and mixed-doubles.

Patrick O’Donoghue had a surprise win over Pat Butler in the Munster senior championship at Bweeng on Sunday. Butler had almost a bowl of odds after his first shot to light, but he made a mistake with his second and just held the lead to the next bend.

They made the ‘Tinny House’ in five each where Butler had 30m odds. They struggled to find decent form to the cottage. O’Donoghue got a very poor shot there, but Butler beat it by just 30m.

O’Donoghue emerged from the torpor with a great bowl to the forestry cross that transformed his score. Butler missed that to lose the lead for the first time and followed with a poor bowl. O’Donoghue improved to Lahern cross where he was a bowl in front and held it to the finish.

In the Ulster senior championship Martin Toal beat Cathal Toal by almost two bowls at Knappagh in the first of the round-robin series. He was two bowls clear after seven to Farley’s.

His form dipped to the Condy corner but Cathal did not exploit it. He was still almost two clear at Rowntree’s, but played three poor shots to Brannigan’s where the lead was under a bowl. He steadied himself again to the line.

Cork football star Juliet Murphy is the first player through to the Munster senior quarter-final following her win over Rose Twohig at Gortroe in Pool C.

She raised a bowl after two throws. Twohig knocked it but she restored it at O’Connell’s piers. She raised a second with her next throw. Twohig knocked the second bowl at the Well Bar, but Murphy raised it again at the last bend.

The second Pool C quarter-final spot will go to either Twohig or Emma Fitzpatrick who meet in the last round at Ballinacurra. Fitzpatrick bowled brilliantly at Grange where she easily beat Louise Collins in a must-win contest. She reached the cross in seven and was at the line in 12.

In Pool D Denise Murphy beat Lorraine Hurley in the last shot at Killumney for what could be a vital result. It was tight all the way and just two metres separated them facing the line. Murphy just beat the line with a good last bowl, Hurley’s looked to be following it, but it veered right.

Catriona O’Farrell-Kidney beat Gretta Cormican by almost a bowl at Ballinacurra. She was almost a bowl in front at Brinny Cross and increased her lead past Foley’s. Cormican’s big shot to the crush cut the odds to a bare bowl. O’Farrell-Kidney went almost two in front to the bridge, but Cormican finished strongly and saved the bowl.