Road bowling: Thomas Mackle retains Joe McVeigh Cup

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

Thomas Mackle retained the Joe McVeigh Cup at Keady at the expense of Aidan Murphy in a contest that lacked the fire and fanfare that might have been expected from the first classic of the season.

Mackle did most things well. In his review there will be just two throws in the entire contest that will bother him, missing Twynam’s with his fourth and the creamery lane with his seventh. Both were similar glitches where he pushed his bowl to the left.