Road Bowling: Sensational finish sees Dervla Mallon keep women's All-Ireland in Ulster

 

Dervla Mallon closed with three sensational bowls to beat Hannah Sexton at Ballinagree and extend Ulster’s hold on the All-Ireland senior women’s title.

Mallon took the baton from 2024 winner, Kelly Mallon, when she broke the deadlock in those closing stages. Sexton looked stronger in the early exchanges, but she found it hard to reproduce the consistency of her Munster campaign.

Sexton opened with a big bowl to just short of Robin’s Lock, which was unlucky to hit a concrete sign. Mallon missed this by seven metres, but won her first lead in the next exchange. This established the trend for the first half of the score, with neither player able to get a firm grip on it as the lead continued to change hands.

Mallon had a big lead at the white wall, but Sexton won the next one and had six metres odds after five to the middle of the quay wall. They both played brilliant bowls past the cross, which Mallon edged by three metres. Sexton followed with a huge bowl past the post office. Amazingly Mallon beat it by 17m. Sexton won her last lead through another brilliant bowl down the straight. Mallon showed her defiance by coming within 11m of that tip.

Both players were showing their best and refusing to wilt in the blistering heat. Mallon regained the lead by a slim 11m with her huge ninth throw past the pink cottage. No one on the road would have imagined that Sexton would not lead again. Sexton was too tight right with her next bowl and Mallon seized the opening. She played a sensational bowl past the double gates to go 100m clear. Sexton beat that by just 32m with her following throw.

Sexton got a huge run off the right bank with her next bowl. Mallon’s reply was not her best and although she was still fore, there was nothing in it again. Everything changed in the next exchange.

Sexton’s bowl pulled into the left bank, but instead of rubbing it hit a rock and it stopped dead. Mallon hit back with the shot of the day. She shaved the left with a beautifully measured bowl that curved with the road and ran down past An Capaillín Bán to the bridge. Sexton was now facing an Everest, with opportunities to close the gap becoming scarce.

To her credit she delivered one of her best bowls. It cut down through the cross and made the far end of the bridge. It got caught on the right just short of light at Coakley’s lane, had it run an extra vital 20m, things might have looked very different.

Mallon had her sights firmly on the prize now. She played another great bowl well onto the straight. Sexton needed a miracle. Her bowl was not tight enough to the left. Mallon followed up with a third massive bowl in succession to beat the line by 15m and seal her win.