Riordan turns on the power to advance to intermediate final

DONAL RIORDAN turned the Munster Intermediate semi-final on its head with two astonishing bowls against Michael Bohane at Grange.

He won the first three shots to the stud farm. Bohane took a 70m lead after two more to Holland’s wall. Riordan hit back with a great sixth to light at de Barra’s, but Bohane beat it by 60m. Riordan misplayed his next to the right to leave almost a bowl between them. Bohane didn’t make the school cross with his next, but Riordan missed the tip to fall a bowl behind.

He made up for this with a brilliant loft that pushed his bowl to Hegarty’s to cut the odds to 40m. After the next exchange Bohane’s lead was just a metre. Riordan forfeited his gains with a poor shot to O’Sullivan’s, which Bohane beat by 100m. Riordan closed the gap with his next to Hodnett’s, but immediately fell 100m behind again with a poor bowl towards the bungalow.

He then released the first of two herculean bowls. The first made White’s. Bohane, not surprisingly, missed that by 70m and beat it by just 40m with his next. Riordan’s next was equally spectacular, going all the way to the chalet. Bohane missed that by 100m to leave more than a bowl between them within striking distance of the line.

Paul Rafferty finished brilliantly at Knappagh to force a three-way intermediate final in Ulster. Fergal Donnelly was a bowl down at Grimley’s, but it was all to play for between Thomas Mackle and Rafferty at the Condy corner. Mackle raised a bowl at Farley’s and led to the planting corner, but Rafferty refused to wilt and took it in the last throw.

Michael Gould and Arthur McDonagh contest the Munster Junior A final at Kilcorney on Friday. Gould beat Denis O’Driscoll in his semi-final at Newcestown while McDonagh beat PJ Cooney in the other semi-final at Carrigaline.

McDonagh got the better start to lead Cooney by 25m after three to the avenue. They both got good bowls onto the straight, with McDonagh holding a 40m lead. He comfortably won the next to Ashman’s. Cooney cut the odds to 20m at the end of the straight and took his only lead with his following shot to the pumphouse.

McDonagh made the end of the wind with his next. That proved decisive as Cooney could only make Drinan’s with his next, while McDonagh went onto the straight to gain a 90m lead. A great 10th put him a bowl in front. He increased his lead past Barry’s avenue and after two more it was close to a second bowl.

Michael Gould was almost a bowl down to Denis O’Driscoll after two poor opening shots at Newcestown. O’Driscoll’s next two were poor too though and Gould had the odds back to 50m. He got a great fourth to light to take his first lead. O’Driscoll regained the lead with his sixth, but Gould was in front again after two more to Allen’s lane.

Gould increased his lead to 70m after going close to light at Desmond’s lane in four more. He raised a bowl with his 13th and increased his lead in two more to Collins’ lane. He held that lead to O’Brien’s cross, though O’Driscoll came close to levelling with a great bowl. After O’Driscoll lofted there, the lead was close to two bowls. Gould then made light, which O’Driscoll missed. O’Driscoll got last bend from there, but Gould beat it.

Maria Noonan beat Geraldine Daly by over a bowl on Monday at Baile Mhuirne to reach the John Lowney Munster Senior women’s final against Carmel Ryan at Derrinasafa. She led from the third shot, but Daly put in a tenacious challenge and was just five metres hind after 13 to the slippery rock. Two shots later Daly got a brilliant bowl over the hump, but Noonan beat it by 25m. She increased her lead to 100m with a great shot past the bungalow. Daly missed that by 25m to concede a bowl and Noonan extended her lead with her next shot.

Edmund Sexton finished well at Whitechurch against Eamon Bowen Jnr to secure a Munster senior semi-final meeting with either David Murphy or Martin Coppinger, who play at the Marsh Road on Sunday. In the other semi-final Aidan Murphy faces Pat Butler or Christy Mullins, who meet at Lyre on Saturday.

Sexton took only the third shot in the opening quarter and saw Bowen beat his big bowl past Boula lane. Bowen continued to set the pace to the top of the straight, but Sexton clipped the odds with a great bowl to the farmhouse. He led with his next and was still just fore at the junior line. At the lollipops he had 60m odds, which turned into a bowl when Bowen missed the line.

Dylan O’Driscoll is Munster U12 champion following a last shot win over Michael Nyhan in a great final at Bauravilla. They both made Robin’s cross in three and the netting in six. They were together after nine. O’Driscoll got a vital rub at the rock which put him in a position to beat the line in three more.

Jim Fay pulled off a sensational win for Tyrone when he beat All-Ireland champion Pat Mallon in the Ulster veteran semi-final. In the other semi-final Oliver Gribben beat Joe Donnelly.