IN a Billy Molloy Cup score at Whitechurch, Timmy McDonagh had a two-bowl win over Eamonn Bowen. There was little between both after two shots when Bowen was marginally in front. After a poor third but an excellent fourth from McDonagh to Kelly’s Cottage, Bowen knocked the bowl from her to Boula Lane by 60 metres. McDonagh upped his game again from here with a huge bowl to the guard’s house where he raised the bowl as Bowen was left of play. Bowen knocked the bowl again between this and Downey’s House but McDonagh finished the stronger to raise almost two bowls at the farm. The total stake here was €2,400.
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In a ding-dong score back at Whitechurch, two newly-promoted junior B players, Sean Paul McDonagh and Anthony Crowley, played for a total stake of €3,200.
McDonagh had the better start here, opening the farm in four great bowls to lead by a bowl. Between here and Eily’s, Crowley had the margin down to a few metres. Crowley got a huge bowl to Downey’s that McDonagh only beat by a few metres in two and suddenly there was almost a bowl the other way. Crowley rose the bowl at the guard’s house. But then it was Sean Paul’s time to shine as he played two magnificent bowls past Boula Lane where he levelled things up again. On up the hill past the wall McDonagh was in control, leading by 50 metres but he undid all his good work with a poor third last in left. He finished with two great bowls but it was not enough as Crowley beat the line with a very well-played last shot.
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At Whitechurch on Sunday, Michael Bohane took on the youth of Patrick Flood in a Dennis McGarry Cup tournament score. Flood reached the Wall in four great bowls where he had almost a bowl of odds. Two more each to Boula Lane, and the lead was just under the bowl. Bohane unleashed a miler from here that Flood only beat by ten metres in two so it was all level. Another fantastic bowl from Bohane to the middle of the tarmac, and out sight with his next, both down to the farm with Bohane marginally fore. Flood was hind bowl for the last shot and only managed a poor bowl that Bohane beat easily. Stake here was €3,000.
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Brian O’Driscoll secured the last semi-final spot over Paul Kingston in a novice tournament played for a total stake of €340 at Derrinasaffa. The only fore bowl for Kingston was his first shot. After three each to the end of the wall O’Driscoll was ahead by one metre. A great fourth shot each to back of the bridge but Kinston took a dip in form here as it took him four more to make poor sight at Natties bend where O’Driscoll had a full bowl of odds. Two more each through Collins Cross and two more up around the Darkwood bend, there was still a bowl in it. Two more back of Walsh’s Lane, Kingston knocked the bowl with his next but only briefly as O’Driscoll finished with two great bowls to win by a bowl. He now joins James O’Driscoll, Sidney Shannon and Patrick Crowley in the last four of this tournament.
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In a nine-man Christmas junior tournament at Grange, Jordan O’Sullivan played David Hegarty with a no-show for Conor Creedon, playing away for a total stake of €7,000. O’Sullivan led after three shots, but this was to be his last lead. Four and five shots to the stud farm bend Hegarty had almost a bowl of odds. Three more shots each to De Barra’s where O’Sullivan had it under the bowl, three good bowls from her to Mickey Sullivan’s where O’Sullivan had the odds down to 15 metres. Hegarty extended his lead again with three good bowls to the end of Noelies concrete, but undid all his good work with a poor 15th bowl in right and again O’Sullivan was coming close to another lead. O’Sullivan let rip a super 17th up past Fiona’s, they said it could be the lead but Hegarty lined his perfectly and beat the tip by 35 metres. O’Sullivan didn’t get the kindest rub off of Barry’s wall and only made the cross and Hegarty made the pub door, valuable odds. O’Sullivan just beat the line and Hegarty easily beat the tip.
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The vintage championship is coming to a conclusion. Two vintage C semi-finals were played this past weekend. At Béal na Bláth, Tom O’Donovan, Crossbarry, had a start-to-finish win over Jim O’Neill, Togher. Tom rose a bowl of odds early in this score and held it all the way to the finish; the total stake here was €700. His opponent in the final is Benny Hoare, Glenabo, who beat John Twohig, Waterfall, in the other semi-final at Carrignavar for a total stake of €1,200. On Saturday next in the Vintage B final at Bantry John Nagle, Rosscarbery, plays James O’Leary, Macroom, and in the Vintage A final on Sunday at Ballinacurra, Kieran O’Driscoll, Ardfield, plays Chris O’Donovan, Ballineen.
