Darragh Dempsey beats James Cooney in opening round of Tim White Cup

OPENER: Darragh Dempsey beat James Cooney in opening round of Tim White Cup. Pic: Cathal Noonan

European youth champion, Darragh Dempsey, set out his stall as a potential challenger for the Munster Junior A title with a comprehensive win over former champion James Cooney in the opening round of the Tim White Cup at Rosscarbery.

He opened with seven sensational bowls, equalling the exceptional bowling of Patrick Flood the previous week. He didn’t sustain those high octane notes, but he had already gained sufficient odds to almost guarantee his win.

Cooney matched him in the early exchanges, winning both the opening shot to the mill cross and the second one. Dempsey reached the ivy pole with a good third, which gave him his first lead. Cooney lost significant ground when his next bowl veered right. Dempsey hit back with another big one past the priest’s house, which put him a bowl clear. He consolidated that lead in his next two.

He then gained close to a second bowl with his seventh, well around Barry’s boreen. He wasn’t as sharp in the shots past the guesthouse, but Cooney wasn’t able to capitalise. Whatever hope Cooney had of getting back into contention evaporated when he missed the no-play line and Dempsey scored it to effectively put three shots between them.

Pat Scanlon is Munster Vintage (over-60) C champion following an impressive win over Jerome O’Mahony at Terelton. He got an early grip on the score by reaching Callanan’s in two, against three for O’Mahony. This put him almost a bowl in front. He edged closer to a bowl with his third one to Petersons. He followed with three more good bowls to O’Sullivan’s, but O’Mahony followed each one to keep the lead under a bowl.

Scanlon finally pushed his lead over a bowl with a brilliant seventh shot towards the garage. O’Mahony just missed that tip, but he got the better of the next exchange to bring the lead back under a bowl. They both got good bowls next, with the lead still just under a bowl. Scanlon restored the bowl with a super tenth shot and held it with his next throw towards the novice line.

O’Mahony looked set to turn the tide when he played a great bowl to the bungalow, which cut the lead to just 60m. His challenge came undone on the rough surface, when he missed Scanlon’s tip with his next shot to fall a bowl behind again. Scanlon held that lead in the next two past the line.

Paul Buckley settled into a strong rhythm after a slow start to beat Tommy O’Sullivan by almost a bowl at Ballygurteen. He was just fore after three to the light. Both struggled in the shots to the women’s lane. Buckley found his groove to the avenue where he had a big lead. He converted that to a bowl of odds with two big shots to O’Donovan’s. They contested that lead to the line, with O’Sullivan just saving it.

Conor Creedon beat Ger Connolly by a bowl at Templemartin. Connolly set the early pace, opening Slyne’s corner in five to gain almost a bowl of odds. He raised a bowl with his next one. Everything changed in a flash as Creedon got a super eighth to the nook to win his first lead. He had almost a bowl after his ninth past O’Riordan’s. He raised a full bowl a shot before the schoolhouse cross. Connolly was never subsequently able to bridge that gap.

Mark Courtney led from the off in his two bowls of odds win over Ruairí O’Connell at Béal na Marbh. He was a bowl up after two. He held that lead till O’Connell got a great bowl to the railing. O’Connell followed with another great bowl to the straight to cut the lead to just 30m. Courtney regained the bowl with a big shot to the hedge past Hennessy’s. He had almost a second bowl at the end of the straight and went on to win by two.

Pa Butler produced a brilliant last bowl to beat Mick Wall at Ballincurrig. He opened with a super bowl and led till the closing stages. Wall was just fore for the last shot, but he had little chance to beating Butler’s huge bowl towards the end of the green. At Whitechurch Andrew O’Leary continued his recent run of success by beating Thomas Boyle in the last shot.