THE women’s senior championship is fast reaching its concluding stages. The group stages have been completed with all nine contenders contributing to a multi-score series that had plenty of thrills and spills over recent months.
The upshot in Group A was a three-way play-off to determine runner-up to Geraldine Curtin and it paved the way for an exciting duel at Newcestown on Friday evening. Veronica O’Mahony, Meghan Collins and last year's runner-up Denise Murphy were the protagonists with a semi-final spot against Hannah Sexton on the line.
The contest carried a €2,000 (O’Mahony/Collins) stake and it was this pair who fought it out at the front for most of the score’s duration. Denise stayed well in the hunt thanks to a big third, but Veronica’s opener was of the highest order, and it put her in the ascendancy. Meghan gave spirited chase as both rose a bowl on Denise. Veronica was defiant and beat huge shots to stay in front and, with confidence growing, she won at the end by the fore bowl.
Bowling buddies but rivals too, defending champion Geraldine Curtin from Group A took on Triona Kidney, the former champion, from Carrigtwohill, and through from Group B, in semi-final one at Newcestown. They attracted a big gathering to the Mid Cork venue and played away from the village for a wholesome €3,600 total stake. It was a contest that didn’t disappoint with both giving it their all.
Triona led after two good opening shots but her third did not match an excellent effort from Geraldine. The defending champion pulled almost a bowl clear after four but was quickly reeled in to 30 metres in the next exchanges. She needed all her composure to beat a huge eighth of Kidney’s to stay in front and, when she followed with an excellent ninth, she put a dent in the Carrigtwohill challenger’s hopes. Triona tried again with a big second last that cut odds to forty metres, but Geraldine had enough in hand for a last shot win and a place in the final.
Earlier in the week, score ten in Group A was played out at Ballinacurra, Upton. Denise Murphy, who lost her opening two but was on the cusp of a great comeback, made it to a play-off spot. Emma Fitzpatrick was the opposition on Monday and it was a good contest to ‘Perrot’s’. Denise’s two piledrivers from here ensured winning odds.
In intermediate, Ellen Sexton, involved too in U18, joined Emma Hickey at the head of Group B after her win over Rachel Kingston at Caheragh. Rachel’s second defeat eliminates her from the championship. Ellen won her U18 semi-final at Drinagh on Thursday, defeating Carbery’s Abbey Caverley and it’s a final showdown now with Emma Hurley.
