Road Bowling: Fast, fit, and focused Murphy holds off Daly in Castletownbere RNLI benefit

Aidan Murphy in Action in the Senior All-Ireland Final @ Whitechurch.

Aidan Murphy was fast, fit and focused in his bowl of odds win over Gary Daly for €110,000 in the feature event at the Castletownbere RNLI benefit event.

Neither player got a good opening shot, both bowls drifted right, with Murphy just shading it. Daly won his only lead with a well-played second bowl past Co-Action, which Murphy missed by 20m.

Murphy’s third bowl changed the complexion of the score. He delivered a brilliant bowl up the rise that swung with the road and reached light at the truck park. Daly’s reply took an unlucky hop and fell back right, short of light, and 50m behind Murphy. 

This left Murphy in a decisive lead, which he defended with confidence and verve.

Daly could do little with his next one and Murphy tightened his grip with a big bowl to the graveyard, keeping his lead close to a bowl. He followed with a searing bowl to light at the end of the graveyard. 

Daly missed this by 12m to leave a full bowl between them. From there on Daly was engaged in a rearguard action around the bowl of odds.

Murphy held his bowl in the next three past Harrington’s and through the winds. Daly managed to get the lead just under a bowl, by two metres, with his 11th bowl to light at the chip-van. 

They were on the same tip after the next exchange, but Murphy had 30m with a bowl after his 14th throw past the junior line.

Daly’s 16th up the straight was his best of the day; it brought Murphy 18m behind and had the lead under a bowl. Murphy quelled that revival with a sensational bowl to light at the last bend. 

Daly missed that by ten metres. He now needed something extraordinary to cause a late scare. His next one was always arcing right and missed the line well.

Denis Wilmot, David Hegarty and Andrew O’Callaghan will face each other in the annual Ballinacurra Christmas final, following semi-final wins in the past week.

Wilmot resurrected what looked a lost cause to beat Conor Creedon and Seán Murphy in the last shot. He trailed by a bowl at one stage and didn’t win his first lead till the second last shots.

O’Callaghan beat Cian Boyle and David Shannon in a three-way last shot. 

Shannon looked a winner when he led O’Callaghan by a bowl and Boyle by two at the novice D line. He failed to drive home his advantage. O’Callaghan regained the lead and Boyle edged Shannon for second.

Hegarty beat Noel O’Donovan and Noel O’Regan. He started well winning each of the first three shots to Brinny Cross. He increased his lead with a big fourth one to the church. O’Regan then played a sensational fifth past Foley’s to win his only lead. Hegarty took up the running immediately and had a good lead after eight to the GAA field.

He made a mistake with his next one though. O’Driscoll took his first lead facing the bridge and won the next two, with O’Regan falling off the pace. Hegarty regained the lead with a huge 12th bowl to the hedge and held on to beat O’Donovan by 15m.

Hegarty also beat Cathal Creedon in the last shot at Togher Cross. He won the first two, but Creedon led with a brilliant third one. Hegarty regained the lead with his fourth and was a bowl in front at Jagoes cross. Creedon levelled in two more, but Hegarty took control again with a huge bowl past the school.

Hegarty’s good festive run ended at Castletownbere, where Jimmy O’Driscoll and Hannah Cronin beat him and Ellen Sexton. Hegarty and Sexton made light past the council yard in four to raise a bowl of odds. O’Driscoll and Cronin fought back to win the lead after 11 and eased clear to the line.

Creedon bounced back to beat Anthony Crowley by almost a bowl also at Castletownbere. It was Crowley’s second loss there. 

Shane Crowley and Brian O’Driscoll beat him and Timmy McDonagh. This went to a last shot between the Crowleys, with Shane taking it by 15m. Eoin McCarthy’s sensational finish to snatch victory from Jimmy O’Brien was the most dramatic of the three-day series.

In the Ted Hegarty Academy at the Phale Road, Rosie O’Sullivan and Eoghan Kelly were the best performers over the two rounds of the festive period. At Lyre, PJ O’Driscoll and Grace Ahern beat Matty McDonagh and Darcy O’Brien by a bowl.