Road bowling: O’Donoghue back in the swing with win over Kelleher in Munster showdown

Michael O’Donoghue tok on Cillian Kelleher in Pool One of the Munster Premier Junior championship at Ballyhooly. Picture Chani Anderson

Michael O’Donoghue made a successful return to championship when he beat Cillian Kelleher in Pool One of the Munster Premier Junior championship at Ballyhooly.

Kelleher won all the early shots, but did not exploit O’Donoghue’s hesitant start. He had 40m odds after a big first throw. He lost ground with his second, but pushed his odds to 100m with a fine third one. O’Donoghue levelled with a great shot to the double bends.

Kelleher was still in a strong position, but O’Donoghue snatched the lead with a brilliant bowl to the middle of the long straight. From there to the finish it was on a knife edge.

Kelleher regained the lead with his 11th throw. They were past the line in three big shots from there. O’Donoghue regained the lead by 25 with his third last. They were on virtually the same tip for the last shot, which O’Donoghue won.

Conor Creedon and Bryan O’Halloran had wins in Zone B of the Munster junior A championship.

Creedon beat Michéal Desmond by a bowl at Clondrohid. Desmond won the early shots, but may regret not gaining ground to the black house. They were well past the Bell Inn in two more, where Desmond led by five metres. They reached Kelly’s next, with Desmond now 30m fore. He extended his lead with a super shot to Goff’s lane.

That was all undone by an incredible bowl from Creedon to light, which won him his first lead by a few centimetres. They were still level after the shots to the farmhouse. Creedon then delivered the knockout bowl to the lollipops, which put him a bowl in front.

O’Halloran hit top form at Templemartin against Tom O’Donovan. O’Donovan started promisingly, but O’Halloran won the lead with a big fourth shot to the cottage. He went well out Slyne’s corner next to take his lead to 40m.

He then produced six sensational bowls to well past the Stonefield bend for a comprehensive win. Two massive shots past Collins’ wall had him almost two clear. He had two in full at the schoolhouse cross. His monster bowl around the Stonefield bend brought the curtain down.

In Zone C, Donal Riordan beat Jimmy O’Driscoll by two bowls at Rosscarbery. He won all the early shots, but O’Driscoll led after a big sixth throw from the priest’s house. Riordan regained the lead with his good shot to Barry’s boreen.

He then played three huge bowls on-the-trot. He beat a great shot from O’Driscoll to the guesthouse. He had almost a bowl after his next to the farm. He had well over a bowl after beating the no-play line with his third one. That effectively ended it.

Danny Stokes led all the way to a bowl of odds win over Cian Boyle in Zone A at Templemichael. He made light past the white wall in four great shots. He raised a bowl towards Sarsfield’s Court cross. Boyle knocked the bowl with a brilliant shot to light facing the first line.

They both hit the high notes from there. Stokes resolutely defended his lead, but Boyle looked set to get a fore bowl after a brilliant shot to light at the last bend. Stokes hit back with an extraordinary shot towards the line. Boyle missed that to concede a bowl of odds.

Brian Galvin was the X-factor for Ballinacurra (Chris Hayes, Brian Galvin, Martin Cronin) in their Munster novice team final win at Castletownkinneigh. They achieved a very impressive 1,205.9m.

They had 37.6 m to spare on Kilcorney (Martin McSweeney, Evan Murphy, Kevin Healy), with Grenagh (Aaron McDonnell, Darragh O’Donovan, Joe Walsh) third. Berrings secured the last All-Ireland final spot by edging the Marsh Road by just one metre.

Méabh Cuinea showed her star qualities in her win over Clíona O’Brien in the U16 girls final at the Ted Hegarty Academy on the Phale Road. She was a bowl down after three, but then produced five sensational bowls to turn the contest on its head.

Aoife McCarthy was an impressive winner of the U12 final too. Four brilliant closing shots secured her win over Cáit Young and Ava McCarthy.

Emma Hurley and Eoin Hurley beat Grace Ahern and PJ O’Driscoll by almost two bowls in the Lyre final. They raised a bowl down the mason’s hill. Emma’s bowl towards the school gave them two bowls odds, the rest of the score was about that lead.

Seán Murphy rallied from a bowl down to beat Liam Murphy in the last shot of the Ballinacurra tournament. Connie Stokes eliminated Trevor O’Meara, one of the top fancies for the Munster junior B title, by a bowl at Templemichael.