Road Bowling: Christy Mullins holds off Carey’s fightback to win at Fisher’s Cross

Christy Mullins won the Jerry Desmond Cup final at Fisher’s Cross where he beat Nicholas Carey by almost a bowl.

Carey was a bowl down after two poor opening shots and looked to be heading a second bowl behind after four shots. Mullins played his third to the right though to bring the lead back to a bowl. He held the bowl in the next three. Carey then got a brilliant eighth, but Mullins beat it to hold his bowl of odds.

Carey followed with a great bowl towards Footman’s cross. Mullins missed that by 50m and after his next past the cross his lead was down to 40m.Carey lost ground again in the next three, but he levelled the score with a super shot to sight at the bridge. Mullins gained odds by getting the better of two good shots to Galley Head cross. He followed with a good bowl to sight which put him a bowl clear again.

He held the bowl in the next exchange to sight, but Carey saved it with a big last shot.

The opening rounds of the 2019 Dutch championships were played at Beuningen on Saturday, with two more rounds scheduled for Losser and Fort. Each player has two runs at each venue. Their best four results will count.

Queen of the Roads, Silke Tulk, covered the 1km course in 10 shots to win the first run. Carlijn Hammink also scored the line in 10 in the second run, Lindsay Leussink was second in both. Robert Blankenvoort covered the course in eight shots in the first senior men’s run. Luuk Zanderink won the second run, beating the line in seven.

Lars Bonke and Steven Groeneveld were the two boys U18 winners. Mirco Breuker who was on the winning Dutch team at King and Queen of the Roads in September was second to Groeneveld. Suzan Zieverink, whose massive last shot gave the Dutch victory that day, won the first girls U18 run, with Jessica Rekers taking the second.

Noel O’Regan and Eoin Murray beat Ger O’Driscoll and James Kelleher by almost a bowl in the feature score of the Diane O’Donovan benefit series at Kilcrohane.

O’Regan just shaded O’Driscoll in good opening shots. Kelleher followed with a good bowl to the new house, but Murray just beat it. This trend continued in the next two. O’Driscoll was too tight right in the fifth and missed sight. O’Regan clipped the right too, but his bowl rubbed to sight. Kelleher played a great bowl over the bend, but Murray beat it to hold a slender lead.

O’Driscoll cannoned his next off the wall to just short of sight at the guesthouse. O’Regan’s reply hit a pillar 20m hind. Kelleher held the lead when he beat Murray’s big shot on the straight. O’Regan made the top of the rise with his next. O’Driscoll had a chance to consolidate the lead, but missed the tip.

Murray’s next pushed them almost a bowl clear. O’Regan followed with another big shot towards the bridge to raise a full bowl. O’Driscoll got a big shot to sight at the last bend to knock the bowl. O’Regan got the better of Kelleher in the second last, but O’Driscoll closed with a great shot to save the bowl of odds.

In the Cork City benefit series, James O’Sullivan held off a late challenge by Patrick Flood to win by a bowl at the Bog Road. They reached Danny’s Lane in three. Flood’s form dipped from there and O’Sullivan raised a bowl.

They battled over that lead to the Major’s and on to the Bog gate. O’Sullivan then got a big shot to sight to consolidate his lead. Flood played a brilliant bowl to the big tree, again O’Sullivan beat it. Flood then got a super shot to just short of the line, but O’Sullivan beat it with an equally good one.

Maurice Connolly beat Michael Gould by a bowl in the feature at Pouladuff. Gould won the first two to the patch. Connolly took the third to the ‘three-sticks’. He raised a bowl with a big seventh past Tiger’s. He had well over a bowl at Corcoran’s Bridge. He made the flowery garden in three more to keep his lead well over a bowl.

Darren Santry reached the Fergal Beamish Cup final with a powerful display against Trevor Deane at the Pike while Andrew O’Callaghan beat Kevin McQuade by almost a bowl in the Moss Twomey Shield at Ballincurrig. In the Northern Builders at Knappagh, Seán O’Reilly led all the way to a bowl of odds win over Donal Daly.

The annual convention of Ból-Chumann na hÉireann is at St Finbarr’s GAA club in Togher, Cork tonight.