McDonagh throws down All-Ireland final warning

ARTHUR McDONAGH will be a strong contender for next month’s All-Ireland Junior A title following an impressive two bowls-of-odds win over Michael Gould in the Munster final at Kilcorney.

Gould won the first tip by five metres, but McDonagh took the second and led to the finish. A good third to Casey’s put him 60m clear. Gould responded with a good fourth to Cooney’s. McDonagh misplayed his reply to the right, but still managed to beat the tip.

The tide turned when Gould missed Coleman’s bridge in two more, while McDonagh made light there in two. Gould tried to negotiate the left wind with his next, but it got caught on the left. McDonagh lofted his bowl onto the straight and Gould beat it by just 10 metres with his next to fall almost a bowl behind.

McDonagh raised the bowl with his next and just held it with his ninth to McKeering’s road. Gould missed light from there and McDonagh increased his lead. He followed with a good bowl to light at Cullinane’s where he raised a second bowl. Gould made a bid to close the gap with a big bowl on the straight, but when McDonagh beat that, there was no way back.

Brian O’Reilly will be his opponent in the All-Ireland final, after O’Reilly’s runaway win over Philip Corrigan in the Ulster decider at Portmor. Corrigan missed a chance to raise a bowl of odds into the orchard corner and never led again. O’Reilly dominated after that and won by three bowls.

Brian Wilmot was more relieved than ecstatic following his bowl-of-odds win over Donal Riordan in the Munster Intermediate final at Derrinasafa. He can take positives from it though: he knows he can improve over this course when he meets Paul Rafferty in next month’s All-Ireland showdown.

Wilmot had a dream start when Riordan first hit a pillar and then played his third bowl onto the bank at the end of the railing. He then beat Riordan’s good fourth shot over the bridge and another good bowl to Healy’s. Riordan beat that tip by just 50m to leave almost a bowl between them.

His good work came undone when he played a poor sixth. Riordan then missed light at Ross’s when he played his next bowl into the water on the left. Wilmot just beat that tip and missed a chance to push clear. Neither player got great bowls from there, but Wilmot still had the lead.

Riordan took the lead with his bowl to Cotter’s Cross. Wilmot was well short of the Darkwood turn with his next. Riordan played his best bowl of the day in reply and was unlucky not to go to clear light. That put him almost a bowl in front and he raised it in full with his next shot around the turn. He held his lead comfortably with a good bowl up the rise. Wilmot then got a great bowl past Walsh’s cross. Riordan played his next bowl to the right and just beat the cross to lose his commanding lead. His next fell right too and he was now just fore bowl. They both just made Grady’s with their next, with Riordan still just fore. Wilmot finally found the bowl he needed, a perfect drive past O’Neill’s cross which raised his winning bowl of odds.

His All-Ireland opponent Paul Rafferty is coming into form at the right time, winning the last of the round-robins and then the final on Sunday against Thomas Mackle and Fergal Donnelly.

Rafferty and Donnelly were clear till they both made mistakes at Rowntree’s to bring Mackle back into contention. They pulled away again to Grimley’s where Donnelly was just fore of Rafferty with Mackle a bowl behind. Rafferty was a bowl clear of the field at the Condy corner, but Mackle closed the gap to the plum trees. Mackle took three to reach Farley’s where he was two bowls down. Rafferty stuttered to the planting corner, but was still almost a bowl in front. He raised the bowl again and held on for a comfortable win from Mackle in second.

Kelly Mallon retained her Ulster senior title with a very strong showing against Orlaith Trainor at Tassagh. She won comfortably by three bowls of odds. Her All-Ireland opponent will be decided on Friday night when defending champion Carmel Ryan takes on Maria Noonan in the John Lowney Munster final at Derrinasafa.

Last year’s U12 champion Evan Murphy won the Munster U14 final against Darren Santry at Castletown-kenneigh. Santry won the first shot, but Murphy led at the cross and increased his lead over the next few throws. He raised a bowl after six. Santry knocked it at the following tip, but Murphy went up a few gears and eventually won by close to two bowls.