Consistency is key as Creedon wins Munster Premier Junior tie

Cathal Creedon defeated favourite Brian O’Driscoll by a bowl of odds in their Pool Three tie at Grange.

Creedon's more economic and consistent play proved decisive in a performance where he led for most of the score. Pic: Chani Anderson

Cathal Creedon created a stir in the Munster Premier Junior Championship when he defeated favourite Brian O’Driscoll by a bowl of odds in their Pool Three tie at Grange.

His more economic and consistent play proved decisive in a performance where he led for most of the score. 

He took an early grip on the contest by making the stud farm in four against five for O’Driscoll. They reached Holland’s wall next with the lead just under a bowl. Creedon raised the bowl in the shots to de Barra’s.

O’Driscoll enjoyed his best passage following a fine effort from de Barra’s, which brought the lead under a bowl. He had the lead back to just 10m at the school cross.

He won the lead with his next one, after Creedon’s reply caught the corner and missed the tip by 40m.

Creedon was back on track after a great bowl towards O’Sullivan’s put him into the lead again. He edged the next shots to the bungalow, where he had 30m odds. He continued to lead in the shots past White’s.

O’Driscoll then missed light at Barry’s. Creedon replied with a gem that wound past the bend and ran to the pub.

O’Driscoll’s reply hit the wall and missed the tip, leaving him a bowl behind again facing the line.

Munster senior champion Hannah Sexton has got her title defence off to a promising start with a last-shot win over former European youth champion Meghan Collins at Ballinacarriga. Collins started with a good lead after two.

Sexton was at Granure cross in three, handing Collins a chance to gain a big advantage by making light at McSweeney’s. She didn’t exploit that, and Sexton was ahead after two big shots to the top of the hill. She drove on to consolidate her lead to light at Hurley’s.

She then went up the gears to go almost a bowl clear past Lynch’s. She played a sensational bowl past the creamery, which helped her catapult two bowls clear at the start of the rough.

Two brilliant bowls from Collins past McCarthy’s clipped the lead to an even bowl. She pressed strongly to the line, but Sexton held the bowl of odds.

In another senior tie at Macroom, Denise Murphy led all the way against Ciara Buckley. She raised almost a bowl in the shots to Bantry’s cross.

The exchanges were closely contested to the flyover, with Buckley defiantly holding the lead under a bowl.

Murphy finally raised the bowl with a big shot towards Mulcahy’s.

They were in a real battle for the bowl of odds from there to the finish. Buckley knocked it twice, but wasn’t able to get close enough to challenge for the score. Murphy restored the bowl at the end of the railing and held it past the line.

Mark Toal had an impressive win over Bryan O’Reilly in the Ulster Intermediate Championship at Knappagh.

He raised almost a bowl with his first shot to the gatehouse and led all the way.

O’Reilly had the lead down to 30m after three. Toal increased his lead again in the next two past the planting corner.

He built on that with strong bowling to raise a bowl after a huge shot up the rise from Farley’s. He increased his lead further to the plum trees. He followed with a big 11th throw past the minister’s, which gave him an unassailable two bowls lead.

Brendan O’Neill beat Bryan O’Halloran in Zone B of the Munster Junior A Championship at Newcestown. O’Halloran won the first three to Mac’s lane. He continued to shade all the shots to Desmond’s lane. O’Neill hit the front by less than a metre with his next bowl from there into the dip.

O’Halloran edged back in front at Collins’s lane, but they were locked together out the forge cross.

O’Halloran looked to have gained vital odds in the shots to light from the cross, but a dead bowl with his second last ended his hopes.

Donal Riordan beat Colin O’Donovan by a bowl in Zone C at Ballydehob. He led all the way, but there was nothing in it to Eagle Bungalow. Riordan extended his lead after a nice rub with his fifth and raised a bowl. O’Donovan knocked the bowl at O’Sullivan’s lane. Riordan stormed back to the novice D line and raised a bowl with his next one.

At Templemichael, David Roche beat Mike Quilligan by a bowl in Zone A.

Last year’s Munster intermediate champion, Páidín Stokes, passed his first senior test with a last-shot win over Martin Coppinger in the O’Connell Dullea Cup at Ballygurteen.