Strong second half key as Wilmot lifts Holland Cup, Mackle lays down marker

Wilmot is Dan-Joe Holland Cup champion.

Denis Wilmot is Dan-Joe Holland Cup champion following a strong second half performance against Kieran Murphy into the tail of Storm Goretti at Ballinacurra on Sunday.

Rain before and during the score made conditions very difficult. 

Nonetheless, Murphy opened with a big bowl to the factory entrance to win the first tip by 20m. He then beat a massive second throw from Wilmot to the level crossing to hold his lead. 

The third bowls were both hampered by surface water, but Murphy held the lead by 35m Wilmot levelled the score with his fourth shot through Brinny cross.

Murphy increased his odds with a great fifth throw to Foley’s. Wilmot then played a great bowl to the waterworks to level it again.

Murphy regained some ground in the next shot past the gas-line. Wilmot finally got his nose in front following a big eighth shot towards Brinny House. He was never led again. He increased his odds by beating a big shot from Murphy to the GAA field.

He extended his odds over the bridge. He was out the last bend in two more and his lead was now edging towards a bowl of odds. He closed off the possibility of late drama when he followed with a big 14th shot towards the line.

Thomas Mackle’s long journey back from injury took a positive turn when he beat Gene McVeigh by a bowl on the Cathedral Rd. This was an early season bellwether ahead of the most interesting Ulster senior championships in decades.

McVeigh is the first serious Tyrone contender to be Ulster kingpin. He was an impressive All-Ireland intermediate champion last year and seems well capable of stepping up to the premier grade.

He adopted the Munster technique ahead of last year’s campaign and showed it to good effect here too, where he carried more speed than his opponent.

This was an important win for Mackle, who demonstrated that skill can trump speed. He opened with three sensational bowls.

That gave him a stranglehold, which McVeigh was unable to undo.

Breaking from Bellaghy lane, Mackle made Rowntree’s lane with his first throw. He went out over the rise with his next one and made Brannigan’s with his third. Those three throws catapulted him into a bowl of odds lead.

McVeigh got a big shot to Starr’s pump, with Mackle’s reply drifting off the play and missing it by 40m. Mackle recovered ground immediately with a brilliant bowl down Starr’s hill to the Joe McVeigh stone, which raised the bowl again.

McVeigh drove a huge bowl over McGrath’s height to knock the bowl. They made the well corner in two more each, with the lead still under a bowl. They had peeping light at Campbell’s corner after another one. Mackle was just fore there for the bowl of odds.

He scorched to the line in three more to win by well over a bowl.

Patrick Flood was part of an important win too ahead of the Munster senior championship. He teamed up with Michael-John O’Brien to defeat Martin Coppinger and Dermot McCarthy in the last shot at Whitechurch.

Flood delivered a huge and psychologically important last bowl to seal the win, which wins him critical momentum ahead of next month’s first-round draw. 

The winners started well to go almost a bowl clear at the wall. They were a full bowl in front at Boula lane and held it in the next two throws.

O’Brien missed light at the farm, which Coppinger seized on with a good reply to level the contest. 

Flood and O’Brien were still in a good lead till Flood’s bowl for the yellow wall was accidently blocked. 

There was just 10 metres between them facing the line. Coppinger’s last bowl was too wide left, while Flood’s reply was on point.

Cathal Hanlon beat Tomás Barrett in the North-Cork novice E final at Béal na Marbh. 

He led all the way, but a late flurry from Barrett almost caught him at the line. He gained an early advantage, he gradually extended his lead and raised a bowl past the rock.

He made a mistake with his bowl past the hedge, which left Barrett in for a last shot. Barrett was unlucky to miss the line, but Hanlon made no mistake with his fine last shot.

A new All-Ireland series is due to be sanctioned by the Ard-Chomhairle of Ból-Chumann na hÉireann next Saturday. The new series will uncouple both the boys and girls U14, U12 and youth team All-Irelands from the adult series.

Slotting it into an increasingly busy calendar will be a challenge.