Road Bowling: Martin Coppinger produces spectacular loft over Dripsey river

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.

Murphy and O’Rourke rallied to bring the lead back to a bowl after 10 and 11. Coppinger’s next broke off the play and left them with a lead of just 60m. Murphy and O’Rourke continued to press and won their first lead after 14 to the railway line. Murphy looked to have gained important odds when he played a great 17th to lead by 30m. Bowen and O’Rourke opened the last bend with the lead back to 10m. Coppinger closed with a massive bowl past the line to the cross. Murphy was slightly left with his reply, it caught the verge and missed the tip.

Caoimhe Rafferty retained her Ulster U18 title when she beat Shannon Maguire by two bowls at Madden.

She led from the off and was almost a bowl clear after four past the cottage. She raised a full bowl two shots later with a big shot to Johnny’s corner. Maguire held her to a bowl to the pipe corner, from there Rafferty powered clear and won by over two bowls. Anna Carson beat Elle-Mae Carr in the U16 final. Carr raised a bowl after two good openers. Carson cut the lead to 30m with a big shot to the pipe corner and led at Johnny’s corner. From there to the line they were locked together, with Carson just taking it in the last shot.

At Béal na Bláth, Brendan O’Neill snatched the narrowest of victories from Darragh Dempsey, with Frankie Kiely third.

They were both to the fore in the first shot too, with Dempsey taking that one. After a great third throw Dempsey was in a good lead over O’Neill and had a bowl on Kiely. He increased his lead on both with a fine fourth shot to Murphy’s palms. O’Neill got back on track with a great fifth bowl towards Bradfield’s cross.

Dempsey was left with his reply and beat that by just 30m. Kiely gained ground too with his next bowl past the cross and had the lead back to a shot when he followed with another good one. O’Neill took the lead from Dempsey in that passage too.

Dempsey took a 50m lead over O’Neill with a big shot to the bull’s gate, with Kiely staying within a shot of the leaders. Dempsey increased his odds with his next. He then had a big chance to seal it when both Kiely and O’Neill missed light for the novice line.

He played his bowl to the right though and beat O’Neill’s tip by just two metres. O’Neill won the next exchange. Chances fell to both of the leaders to the line, with Dempsey leading by 20m for the last shot. O’Neill gave Dempsey a good test for the last shot, his response looked good but it veered left just short of the tip.

James O’Sullivan beat Michael Wall by a bowl in a great contest at Ballincurrig. He raised a bowl after three. Wall fought back to lead with a great ninth to the top of the long straight.

He made a mistake with his next and O’Sullivan gained most of a bowl again to the big corner. They contested that lead to the line. In the Durrus final Seán O’Regan beat James Lordan by a bowl.