He opened with a good bowl to take the first tip by ten metres. Murphy played a great second shot. O’Halloran misdirected his and missed it by 50m. He regained the lead with his next, but Murphy edged in front again to the double bends. O’Halloran was too tight right with his next and Murphy beat it by 70m. O’Halloran’s sixth just beat that to leave him almost a bowl behind.

Little changed in the shots to the farm. Murphy raised a full bowl with his next throw, when O’Halloran hit a pillar with his reply.

O’Halloran raised his game considerably from there. He knocked the bowl with his next and gradually cut the lead past the three gates and up to the big tree. He then played a sensational bowl to Boula lane. Murphy missed sight and was a full shot behind after his next.

O’Halloran followed with another good one past the novice line to take his lead well over a bowl. He killed the contest with his next through the cross to the last bend.

Shane Shannon snatched a last shot win over Noel O’Regan in the Marshall Clarke Cup semi-final at Derrinasafa. He plays Trevor Deane in the final.

The early exchanges were close, but O’Regan gained a big lead to Ross’ and carried it past the haggard. Shannon closed the gap to the end of the high hedge and they were still level at the Darkwood turn. Shannon lost ground from Walsh’s lane. O’Regan looked to have an unassailable lead facing the novice line, but his form dipped. He then missed the finish line and Shannon beat it well.

In the Ballinacurra tournament David O’Mahony and John Young both advanced on the strength of good wins.

Young had to resist a sensational start by Johnny O’Driscoll, before hitting his own purple patch in the second half for a comprehensive win.

O’Driscoll opened with four brilliant bowls to Foley’s where he had a bowl of odds. Young didn’t get a big one from there, but O’Driscoll missed the tip. O’Driscoll restored his bowl of odds in the next exchange. Neither player excelled to the GAA field.

Young then got a good bowl to the bridge. O’Driscoll misplayed his reply and only reached Powell’s with his next to leave the score virtually level. Young won his first lead with a good bowl to sight from there.

O’Driscoll rallied with a good next shot, but Young beat it by 50m with a well played bowl. O’Driscoll missed the Junior C line with his next. Young turned the screw with another great bowl towards Cronin’s avenue. O’Driscoll missed this to fall a bowl behind. His next was too far left and Young left him reeling by going around the last bend with his.

David O’Mahony beat Craig Moynihan by close to two bowls. He shaded the opening shots to the speed limit. Moynihan’s second went onto the grass verge and missed the bollards. O’Mahony played his bowl perfectly, but it veered into the pedestrian crossing. Moynihan then levelled with a great third to Brinny cross. There was little between them in the shots to the church and they were still together after five to Foley’s.

O’Mahony then beat a great bowl from Moynihan to the nook. Moynihan was too tight left with his next and it just reached the muddy gap. O’Mahony hit back with a big bowl to Perrott’s to increase his lead. Moynihan’s next bowl got a perfect brush off the wall. It won him his first lead even if O’Mahony replied with a good one too.

O’Mahony played his next too tight on the right. Moynihan now had a chance to extend his lead by making sight at the GAA field, but he was too tight right too. O’Mahony played his next to the left, but Moynihan just edged past it.

O’Mahony regained the lead when he followed with a big shot over the bridge and past the concrete. Moynihan got a good bowl from there to the sliver gate. O’Mahony though played a tremendous bowl to the Junior C line. Moynihan missed that with his next one to concede a bowl of odds.

Moynihan’s next bowl was too far left. O’Mahony responded with another massive bowl to push his lead close to a second bowl.

Denis Cronin handed a second defeat to Craig Moynihan when he beat him in the Tim White Cup at Rosscarbery.

Cronin started the better gaining almost a bowl of odds with his first to the Mill cross. Moynihan closed the gap to 40m in the next two to Mac’s lane. Cronin held the lead in the next three to the foot of Barry’s hill. He then beat a big bowl from Moynihan up the straight. Moynihan finally gained the lead with a great bowl to Barry’s lane.

The lead changed hands in each of the next two. Cronin then played a good last shot past the line, which Moynihan missed by ten metres.