Strong finish see Aidan Murphy elimate Arthur McDonagh from Phair Cup

BOWLING: Aidan Murphy finished strongly to end Arthur McDonagh’s recent run of success and eliminate him from the Phair Cup at Shannonvale.

Aidan Murphy finished strongly to end Arthur McDonagh’s recent run of success and eliminate him from the Phair Cup at Shannonvale.

He got the better of the early exchanges, taking the first two tips. McDonagh then played a big third shot to go in front. They went out Demond’s level. Neither player got a good bowl from there, but McDonagh was still just fore. Murphy then played a huge bowl up the rise and down past Kingston’s. McDonagh replied with an equally good one to hold his lead. There was nothing between them from there to Campbell’s lane.

Murphy played a brilliant bowl from there, which McDonagh missed. He followed with another great one to increase his lead, facing the line. McDonagh hadn’t folded though. He hit back with a massive bowl past the line. Murphy now had a big bowl to beat. His reply was up the challenge, it came off the right and beat the tip.

John Donnellan won the William Wolf Cup final at Waterloo, beating Stephen Spillane in a dominant performance. He had a nice lead after four. Spillane led after a big bowl to Sonny Ann’s and won the next tip too. Donnellan got back in front with a super bowl past Burke’s, which Spillane missed in two to fall a full bowl behind. Donnellan tightened his grip on the contest by raising a second bowl to the no-play line.

In the semi-final he got the verdict in the last shot from Michael O’Driscoll, with Deckie O’Mahony third. He was fore bowl of O’Driscoll after three, with O’Mahony already struggling to keep with the pace. Donnellan and O’Driscoll were level at Sonny Ann’s. O’Driscoll won the lead at Twomey’s corner. He had a 40m lead at Burke’s and edged towards a bowl of odds in the next two.

Donnellan levelled with a sensational bowl that negotiated two bends. They were still level at the no-play line. Donnellan then got an incredible bowl towards the finish line. O’Driscoll missed that by 30m and couldn’t get a big enough last shot to test Donnellan.

Spillane beat Colm O’Regan and Gary Maguire in his semi-final. Maguire got a poor start and was a bowl down after four, with O’Regan leading Spillane. At Sonny Ann’s Spillane was in front. He increased his lead from there and won by a bowl.

Denis Wilmot reached the Ballygurteen final at the expense of David O’Mahony. He was just fore after three past the bend and held those odds in the next three towards the women’s lane. He then beat a brilliant shot from O’Mahony to the avenue, which gave him the springboard to go almost a bowl in front. His next two were not as good, but O’Mahony didn’t make significant gains. He followed with two good bowls past O’Donovan’s, that put him a full bowl clear.

Anthony Crowley beat Cathal Creedon by almost two bowls at Lyre. He had 40m odds after two big shots to the forestry. He raised a bowl with another big throw from there. He was just shy of the tunnel in four. Creedon raised his challenge, holding the lead to a bowl at Crowley’s bend. There was no holding Crowley from there as he quickly added a second bowl of odds.

Barry Coughlan beat Dylan Galvin and Mick Murphy(I) in the Béal na Bláth final. Galvin led after three good opening shots. Coughlan won his first lead with a big fourth throw. He followed with two big shots through Bradfield’s cross to push his lead to almost a bowl, he raised a bowl with his seventh throw past Dan-Joe’s lane. He extended that to almost two bowls at the bull’s gate. Galvin and Murphy battled it out for second, with Galvin winning that duel.

At Schull Denis Murphy put in a storming finish to beat Darragh McCarthy in the last shot of the Dinny & Frankie Cup. McCarthy led by a bowl at McFarlane’s and he held that to the bridge with three to go. Murphy turned it on its head with his sensational finish. Michael O’Leary beat Jan Tessyman in the last shot in the Mick Flor Cup at the same venue. Tessyman led at McFarlane’s, but O’Leary was in front at the Schull sign and he sealed his win when he beat the line after Tessyman had missed it.

The irrepressible, 84-year-old, Mikie Lox O’Driscoll beat Gene Hourihane in the last shot of the Munster vintage (over-60) championship at Conna. He’s a testament to resilience, finishing in a storm to take the verdict, 36 years after he contested the All-Ireland senior final