Road Bowling: Martin Coppinger produces spectacular loft over Dripsey river

Bantry's Martin Coppinger in full flight.

Martin Coppinger and Éamon Bowen teamed up to beat first-cousins Aidan Murphy and John O’Rourke in the last shot at Peake, a feature of which was a spectacular loft by Coppinger over the Dripsey river at the halfway point.

The opening three shots were closely contested. O’Rourke’s fourth was too tight and missed light at the start of the pond road. Murphy then lofted, but they were now almost a bowl down. Bowen got a good one in reply and Coppinger followed with a super fifth to the castle lodge to raise a bowl. Murphy was left with his next one and they were now closer to two bowls behind. Murphy and O’Rourke brought the lead back to a bowl in the shots to Dripsey Castle bridge. Here Coppinger put a massive loft over the Dripsey river and it got a great run. O’Rourke replied with a fine loft too, but his lodged, which left them almost two behind again.