Coppinger keeps Munster hopes alive

Martin Coppinger kept his Munster senior championship hopes alive when he beat James O’Donovan by five metres at Bauravilla on Sunday.

O’Donovan raised almost a bowl by reaching the cross in two against three for Coppinger. Coppinger cut the odds to just 30m by making the netting in two more from there. After another three O’Donovan got a valuable rub to take a 100m lead at the rock. Coppinger made the bridge in three more. O’Donovan should have matched him but he missed the bridge with a poor shot to fall almost a bowl behind.

Coppinger just reached the start of the railing with his following bowl and O’Donovan cut the odds with a good reply. Coppinger benefitted from a rub with his next shot to stay 80m clear. O’Donovan reduced the odds to just 20m with his next and then got a brilliant second last to regain the lead by 50m.

Coppinger recovered with a great last bowl that beat the line by a metre. O’Donovan looked poised to beat it but he narrowly missed the line.

All-Ireland champion Conor McGuigan opened the defence of his Ulster title with an easy win over Martin Toal at Knappagh. They both got good first and second shots. McGuigan then played two poor bowls towards Donnelly’s at which point Toal looked the stronger player. Instead of building on his lead Toal’s form deserted him and he was almost a bowl behind at Farley’s. McGuigan grew in stature from there and Toal conceded at Grimley’s.

Andrew O’Leary comprehensively beat William O’Driscoll at Ballincurrig in the Munster intermediate championship. They were level after two each to light. O’Leary was in control till he played a poor shot to the green. They were level after five to the end of the creamery, where O’Driscoll was unlucky to hit the wall. He recovered with a great bowl past the no-play line, but O’Leary followed with an equally good shot.

O’Leary got a great shot from the line to O’Riordan’s, which combined with two poor efforts from O’Driscoll gave him almost a bowl of odds. He was out the big corner in ten where he had a full bowl. O’Driscoll failed to make the top of the short straight with his next to leave two shots between them and when O’Leary got another good bowl around the sycamores it was over.

PJ Cooney beat Brian O’Donovan in the last shot at Carrigaline. They took four each to McCarthy’s lane. Cooney got a good bowl from there to go 60m clear. He consolidated his lead on the straight, but made a mistake at the pump house to let O’Donovan back into it. There was just 30m between them at Horgan’s wall and little changed to the novice line.

O’Donovan got two good shots to the junior line to snatch the lead. Cooney fought back to nose ahead for the last shot. O’Donovan missed the line with his last throw. Cooney’s reply brushed the left and beat the line.

Aidan Hurley beat Denis O’Driscoll in the last shot of a brilliant West Junior A semi-final at Durrus. They were level after two shots, but Hurley’s form dipped over the next seven to McCarthy’s and O’Driscoll went a bowl clear.

Hurley bowled well to knock the bowl at O’Sullivan’s and he levelled in the shots to Blair’s Cove. They were locked together from there. Hurley played a brilliant last shot which beat the line by 60m. O’Driscoll made a great effort to follow but missed it by less than a metre.

Sean Murphy put on a blistering display at Newcestown in the Mid-Cork semi-final to beat David O’Mahony by almost three bowls. He had over a bowl after four great shots to Mac’s cross. He increased his odds with two more to Allen’s lane and he raised a second bowl by making Desmond’s lane in another three. He held that lead to O’Brien’s cross.

He made the bottom of the hill with his next and O’Mahony missed to leave three bowls between them. O’Mahony battled on and saved the third bowl.

In the South West Junior A Kieran O’Driscoll beat Ger Fitzpatrick in the last shot at Fisher’s Cross.

Denis Wilmot did everything right at Ballygurteen where he beat Declan O’Donovan by almost three bowls in the Jerry Desmond Cup. He opened with a brilliant bowl and make light with his second, where he had a bowl of odds. He almost doubled his odds to the Women’s lane and had two clear bowls at Oakmount avenue. He increased his lead to the end of the straight where he had almost three bowls.

Stephen Murphy was impressive at Donoughmore where he beat Olan Noonan in the North Cork Junior B semi-final.

Vincent Kiely beat Mark Bourke at the same venue.