Murphy brothers sparkle
Aidan overwhelmed last year’s beaten finalist James O’Donovan at Ballygurteen to secure the first semi-final place of 2011. David was equally convincing in the three-way play-off in Pool D at Rylane, where he beat Pat Butler by almost a bowl.
That results puts Murphy and Butler into the hat tonight at the National Executive to decide the last two quarter-final pairings. One will face reigning champion Martin Coppinger and the other will be against Christy Mullins. Edmund Sexton gained a quarter-final meeting with Eamon Bowen Jnr following his comfortable win over James Buckley at Clondrohid.
Although James O’Donovan won the opening tip at Ballygurteen the contest was virtually decided in the next. Murphy made clear light, while O’Donovan delivered his bowl to the left and missed. He lofted his next and was already almost a bowl down. It quickly went out of his reach as Murphy raised a bowl with a great third shot and increased his lead with an equally good fourth to the women’s lane.
He was at the avenue in five and pushed his lead to two bowls in the middle of the straight. O’Donovan missed light at O’Donovan’s in two from there and Murphy went out to raise three bowls.
A sensational opening shot gave David Murphy a 90m start on Pat Butler and Patrick O’Donoghue at Rylane and he led to the line. O’Donoghue struggled to stay in touch and the score turned into a duel between Murphy and Butler. There was just 30m between them after the cut-in-the-road and Butler had it back to two metres at the bend before Cronin’s lane.
Murphy won the next few tips to the end of the new road. Butler missed the convent cross from there and when Murphy went out he had almost a bowl. Butler closed the gap with a great bowl to the top of the hill, which Murphy just beat with his shot to the narrow lane. Murphy increased his lead with a nice rub past the houses. Butler just made the hollow with his next bowl and Murphy finished it with a great bowl to just short of the line.
Three poor opening shots from James Buckley handed the initiative to Edmund Sexton at Clondrohid. He raised a bowl after five and held it to the Bell Inn. Buckley’s form dipped again from there and when Sexton made light at Gough’s lane in three the lead was well over two bowls. He had closer to three bowls at Kelleher’s farm where Buckley conceded.
Brian O’Reilly finished strongly at Knappagh to beat Martin Toal by almost a bowl in the Ulster senior championship. Toal got the better start and was a bowl in front after seven to Farley’s. He took six more to make the Condy corner though and O’Reilly levelled. They were still level at Rowntree’s lane, but O’Reilly pulled away from there.
Donal Riordan reached the Munster intermediate semi-final with an impressive win over John Shorten at Rosscarbery. Two big bowls to Cahermore cross put him a bowl in front. Two more big shots from the cross had him well over two clear.
Brian Wilmot had an equally emphatic win over Darren Oliver in another quarter-final at Kilcorney. He had 30m odds after four to Cooney’s and was still fore after two more to Coleman’s bridge. He raised a bowl with a big shot to McKeering’s road and was almost two clear at Callanan’s. He raised the second bowl towards the junior line.
Three semi-final spots in the Munster Junior A championship were also filled in the past week following wins for PJ Cooney, Arthur McDonagh and Denis O’Driscoll.
O’Driscoll beat Declan O’Donovan by almost three bowls at Kildee. He made light at the first bend with four good shots and raised a bowl with a great fifth to O’Sullivan’s. He held that lead to the end of the straight and made the big bend in two more where he had almost three. O’Donovan conceded after the next.
A strong finish gave PJ Cooney the verdict over Trevor McCarthy at Gortroe. He didn’t find the form of his previous round and was almost a bowl down after McCarthy’s great opening shot. McCarthy was 80m clear at the start of the wood, but Cooney edged back and led at the white piers. He had 15 odds facing the Well Bar, where McCarthy got two poor shots to concede a bowl. Cooney increased that lead to the line.
Arthur McDonagh opened with five brilliant bowls against John O’Rourke at Ballyvolane to go a bowl clear. He finished poorly, but held out to win.
Steven McCann qualified for the Ulster Junior A final when he beat Sean Donnelly at Portmor. Vincent Kiely reached the Jerry Desmond Cup semi-final by beating Brendan O’Neill at Fisher’s Cross. Kiely went a bowl in front by making Nagle’s lane in two.
Andy O’Callaghan wiped out a bowl of odds deficit at Bweeng to beat Mark Sheehan by over a bowl in the North Cork Junior B final.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
