Road bowling: Martin Coppinger defeats Daly with powerful finish

Martin Coppinger set the early pace, raising 70m odds with his first two past Brickley’s - then finished with authority 

Bantry's Martin Coppinger in full flight.

Martin Coppinger finished strongly to beat Gary Daly by a bowl of odds at Whitechurch.

He set the early pace, raising 70m odds with his first two past Brickley’s. Daly levelled in the next three to the top of the hill. Coppinger stayed just in front in the next exchange to the middle of the wall.

Daly then played a good bowl onto the flat towards Boula lane and won his first lead. He followed with another good one to Boula lane, where he led by almost a bowl. He lost ground with his next one, but was still 100m fore at Downey’s line.

Coppinger got back into it with a big bowl to the middle of the straight. He made the top of the straight his next and Daly missed this by 50m. He pushed clear with his next two past the farm.

Daly levelled the score with a brilliant bowl past the devil’s bend.

Coppinger decisively regained control by making light at the last bend in two big shots from there, which put him almost a bowl clear. He raised the bowl with another big one to the kerbs and Daly conceded.

Michael Bohane and Tom O’Donovan were the top two senior men at the international road trials at Castletownkenneigh, with European champion David Murphy third. Darragh Dempsey carded a massive 1,209m to win the U18 boys section. Megan Collins edged Claire O’Sullivan in the senior women’s trial. Ellen Sexton was best of the U18 girls, followed by Rachel Kingston and Margaret Sexton.

Aidan Desmond gave a powerful performance at Jagoes Mills in his victory over John Shorten in the Mid-Cork Junior A final.

He won the first three shots, but Shorten took the fourth. Desmond followed with three sensational bowls to the railway line, where he led by well over a bowl. Shorten brought the lead back to an even bowl in the next three to the power-station. He got two poor shots from there towards Ballinvard cross. Desmond increased his lead to almost two bowls and he raised the second bowl with a big 12th shot through the cross.

Jimmy Collins won the three-way Munster Vintage (over-60) A final at the expense of Chris O’Donovan and John Nagle at Ballygurteen. Nagle led after three to light at the first bend. Collins took a good lead with his next and increased his odds to the women’s lane. He had 30m odds at O’Mahony’s avenue. He then beat a big ninth from O’Donovan, with Nagle falling off the pace.

O’Donovan won the lead after two more. He made light at O’Donovan’s in another three, where he had a good lead on Collins and a full bowl on Nagle. Collins regained the lead with a good shot towards Burke’s.

O’Donovan got a poor shot from there. Collins hit back with a big bowl that gave him victory by almost a bowl.

Trevor O’Sullivan beat Alan Butler in the last shot of the Mid-Cork Junior C final. O’Sullivan raced a bowl clear after a great start. He held that bowl in the shots towards O’Brien’s cross.

Butler then got two huge bowls in succession, the first to the cross and the second to light at the bottom of the hill. He had the lead well under a bowl after two more to the last straight. He beat the line with another good throw, but O’Sullivan beat it well.

John Cahalane beat James O’Sullivan at the Marsh Road. O’Sullivan won the first shot, but Cahalane shaded the second and soon took control. He had almost a bowl of odds after four and raised it in full with his next to the council yard. He held that lead up the quarry hill. He made the steps in three more to push his lead to three bowls of odds and there was no way back for O’Sullivan.

Meanwhile, Noel Gould rescued what looked a lost cause to beat Jim Coffey on the novice road at Ballinacurra.