Road Bowling: Coppinger and Cronin prevail after topsy-turvy battle

Thomas Mackle ( Armagh ) in action during the Mens Senior All-Ireland Road Bowling final at Ballincurrig, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

The International Fund Day at Castletownkenneigh and the Johnny O’Driscoll Cup at the Marsh Road were the only major events to escape the ravages of Storm Isha, both were played on Saturday.

At Castletownkenneigh, Martin Coppinger and Hannah Cronin beat Gary Daly and Ciara Buckley by a bowl in the opening contest, while Tommy O’Sullivan and Veronica O’Mahony had two bowls to spare on Tim Young and Geraldine Curtin in the other feature.

Daly and Buckley made an impressive start when leading by 30m after two to Spillane’s. The dial instantly shifted towards Coppinger and Cronin though as they made the new house in two more. That gave them a bowl of odds as Daly and Buckley needed three. The leaders were short of the Round Tower Bar in two more. Daly then played a big bowl past the pub and Coppinger beat it by just three metres. Coppinger and Cronin led by 15m after three more to next bend.

Daly got a short bowl from there after playing it too far left. Coppinger beat it well, but his bowl caught the right short of light. Buckley then played a huge bowl, which brought them back into it. Daly and Coppinger reached the double gates with their next ones, with Coppinger holding a 30m advantage.

Buckley and Daly regained the lead by 25m after two more to just short of Pine’s corner. Both Cronin and Buckley missed light with their next shots. Coppinger regained the lead in the lofted bowls from there. He and Cronin gained big odds with their next two. They pressed that advantage home to win by a bowl of odds.

Tommy O’Sullivan and Veronica O’Mahony got the better start against Tim Young and Geraldine Curtin, winning the first two shots. Young and Curtin won the third tip, past the new house. O’Sullivan and O’Mahony instantly regained the initiative edging the next one by three metres. O’Sullivan beat Young’s next throw by 25m, but Young and Curtin wiped that out and regained a slender lead after another two past the pub.

After that close engagement, the contest surprisingly fizzled out. O’Sullivan and O’Mahony gained a 30m lead in the next two to light. They drove on to raise a bowl after two more. They went for the jugular after that and romped home two bowls of odds winners.

Carbery regained the Johnny O’Driscoll Cup on home ground at the Marsh Road with a comprehensive 4-1 win over An Ghaeltacht. Experience trumped youth in the feature score, where Carbery’s Colm Crowley and Alan Brickley beat Irish youth international, Liam Murphy and Cillian Kelleher by over two bowls.

Crowley’s huge opening shot to Ballyhilty corner gave the winners an instant grip. They drove on to go two bowls clear at Hurley’s corner. Brickley’s brilliant bowl from Bohane’s cross put the contest to bed.

Carbery were on the front foot from the off thanks to Cian Bowen and Patrick Crowley scoring a bowl of odds win over Paudie Murphy and Diarmuid Lucey. An Ghaeltacht levelled the series, when Murphy teamed up with Lauren O’Brien to beat Sidney Shannon and Triona Murphy. In the final quarter a good bowl from O’Brien, followed by an excellent throw from Murphy sealed this one.

That was the only win for An Ghaeltacht. Kieran O’Sullivan and Seán O’Neill added to Carbery’s tally when they beat Niall Murphy and Jamie McCarthy. O’Neill’s tidy bowling was critical in this win, though O’Sullivan’s big bowl to the avenue opened critical daylight for the winners.

Although the series was already secured, James McNulty’s win over Mattie McDonagh, in the final score was the icing on the cake for Carbery. He was razor sharp from start to finish in his comfortable two bowls of odds win.

At Béal na Marbh, Mark Burke dominated most of his win over Eoin O’Riordan. They both made light in two, with Burke leading by ten metres. He increased his odds by an additional ten metres in each of the next two. He then played a brilliant fifth to light at the top of the hill, which catapulted him almost a bowl clear.

He lost ground with his next one, but went almost a bowl clear again after a great shot past the rock. O’Riordan enjoyed his best patch by making the start of the straight in two from there, which won him his only lead. Burke hit back with two brilliant bowls to light at the end of the straight. That put him almost a bowl clear and he raised it in full through the final bends.