Road Bowling: Three men standing in the race for the Hughie Traynor Cup

Thomas Mackle retained his Ulster title at Knappagh on Sunday, while David Murphy and Martin Coppinger will face off in the Munster final next Sunday at Ballincurrig.

There are just three men standing in the race for the Hughie Traynor Cup as All-Ireland Senior champion.

Thomas Mackle retained his Ulster title at the expense of Colm Rafferty at Knappagh on Sunday, while David Murphy and Martin Coppinger will face off in the Munster final next Sunday at Ballincurrig.

Murphy beat James O’Donovan in Sunday’s Munster semi-final at Bauravilla. That looked set to go to the wire till Murphy’s 12th bowl, got a perfect rub past the grotto to push him a bowl clear. He won the first three to Dekker’s. O’Donovan snatched the lead with a great fourth to the netting. Murphy missed light, but got a decent bowl next. O’Donovan had a serious chance to extend his lead, but he drove his bowl left and only beat the tip by 30m. Murphy just shaded the next exchange to the rock and was never headed again.

Murphy had 40m odds and full light after 11 to the bridge. O’Donovan got a good bowl from poor light there. Murphy’s reply was dangerously tight right, but it reached the crest at the grotto, cannoned perfectly and ran to the hollow. That put him a bowl in front. He made Madore station with his next to go almost two clear. After that there was no way back for O’Donovan.

In Saturday’s semi-final at Grange Coppinger shaded the opening shots against Aidan Murphy. Murphy got a great second bowl to take a big lead. Coppinger only made the stud farm in three, had Murphy opened the bend he would have close to a bowl of odds. Coppinger grabbed the let-off and won the lead with a super break off Holland’s wall with his fifth. Murphy levelled with his next and they were locked together to the school cross, where Coppinger led by 30m after nine.

Murphy was back in front after a brilliant 11th shot towards Hodnett’s farm. A rub helped him stay in front after the next one to the bungalow. Coppinger regained the lead with his following bowl and then beat a big shot from Murphy. Everything changed in the next exchange. Murphy missed light at Barry’s and Coppinger hit back with a monster bowl to the pub. Murphy missed that to conceded a bowl of odds and his challenge perished.

Thomas Mackle collected his vital third win in the Ulster final series, but was pressed all the way by Colm Rafferty. He had 50m odds after a modest four each to the planting corner. That was back to 20m after two more to Harry’s cross and only 10m after another two to Farley’s. Rafferty won his first lead with his ninth and had 20m odds after 13 around the Condy corner. He led to Barney Grimley’s. Mackle regained the lead with a brilliant bowl to Mullen’s. It was sall to play for to the last shot, which Mackle won.

On Sunday morning Noel O’Donovan and Noel O’Regan contest a Munster Junior B final at Ballincurrig. O’Regan ended Noel Gould’s dream of a Munster double at Templemartin. Gould had a 70m lead after five to Slyne’s corner. He had 100m after seven. He raised a bowl with his shot from the schoolhouse cross. O’Regan rallied with a good bowl to light at the stone-field bend. Gould missed light and then missed O’Regan’s tip to lose the lead. O’Regan raised a bowl with his shot to Buttimer’s lane and went on to win by a bowl.

O’Donovan led all the way against Johnny O’Driscoll at Derrinasafa in his semi-final. He raced into a bowl of odds lead by opening Ross’ in seven. O’Driscoll knocked the bowl to the Darkwood turn and worked his way back into it. He got a big last shot, tight on the left, but O’Donovan beat it by 25m.

Philip O’Donovan was sublime in Templemichael where he beat John Shorten in the Munster Junior Veteran semi-final. He plays Noel Gould in the final. In the Novice semi-finals Michéal Ó Ceallacháin beat Sidney Shannon at the Clubhouse, while Paul Butler beat Dan O’Regan at Curraheen. The winners of those two finals will meet to decide who represents Munster in the All-Ireland final.

The rest of the Munster panel will be decided in the coming weeks. Chloë O’Halloran and Ciara Buckley contest the intermediate final at Whitechurch. Laura Sexton and Emma Hurley meet in the u16 girls final at Béal na Bláth. Ben Cooney beat Brian O’Sullivan in the last shot at Ballinacurra to secure his place in the Munster u16 final, where he will play either Anthony Crowley or John O’Donoghue. Eoghan Hickey will play Brian Harrington in the Munster u12 final on Saturday in Timoleague.

Eugene McVeigh beat a sensational last bowl from Pete Carr to win the Ulster Junior A final at Eglish.