Road Bowling: Brendan O’Neill’s late show denies O’Mahony three in a row
Brendan O’Neill denied David O’Mahony a Champy Deasy Cup three in a row when he beat him in the last shot in Sunday’s final at Grange, writes
O’Neill opened with a brilliant bowl. O’Mahony misplayed his right and only beat it by 30m with his second. O’Neill followed with a great second to the lag. O’Mahony beat that to keep the lead under a bowl. O’Neill had just 70m after his third. He picked up the pace again and pushed a bowl clear to the school cross. He held the bowl in his next to the school and was still a bowl in front after another to de Barra’s.
O’Mahony made a significant dent on the lead with a great bowl to Holland’s wall. O’Neill missed sight with his reply and had just 30m odds after his next bowl turned into the wall. O’Mahony’s cannon off Moynihan’s wall didn’t come off well and he missed sight at the stud farm. O’Neill’s came off better and he made peeping sight.
O’Mahony recovered with a great bowl around the bend. O’Neill was right with his and only beat it by 30m. O’Mahony made an heroic bid to retain his title with a good last shot past the line. O’Neill’s last bowl went left, but it got a nice brush and secured victory by eight metres.
Denis Wilmot led all the way against John O’Rourke to secure his place in the Béal na Blá semi-final. O’Rourke didn’t get a big first shot and Wilmot immediately went on the offensive with a big bowl. O’Rourke got a good second, but Wilmot replied with a great bowl to peeping sight at the water. He increased the intensity with a brilliant third. He then made the bend and was at Shorten’s cross in five where he had a clear bowl of odds.
O’Rourke knocked the bowl with a big seventh shot. Wilmot made Long’s lane in seven, but O’Rourke made light in eight. After his next, Wilmot had 80m odds facing up the straight. He held that lead to Twohig’s farm. He increased his odds in the next two past the garage.
O’Rourke missed the big corner with his 12th and Wilmot made peeping sight. O’Rourke kept his challenge alive with a great bowl past the bend. Wilmot played another good one to keep a big lead for the last shot. O’Rourke’s bowl then beat the line, but Wilmot beat it comfortably.
History was made at Carbery Showgrounds in Skibbereen on Monday when the tarmac for a customised juvenile training track was laid. Lighting will be installed over the coming weeks. It is the first purpose built venue ever developed for road bowling.
Teddy O’Neill beat Jimmy Walsh in the Munster Vintage C (over-60) final at Lyre. They were level after four to sight at the mason’s bend. O’Neill gained almost a bowl over the mason’s hill. He raised a full bowl with a great sixth to O’Donovan’s pillars. Walsh kept the lead in check with a good bowl to the school.
O’Neill eased clear again with a big shot towards the creamery. He kept his lead well over a bowl with his next past Harte’s. Walsh closed the gap to a bowl with a big shot over the hump, but it was too late to impact the result.
Michael O’Callaghan and David Walsh meet in Saturday’s Munster Vintage B (over-60) final.
David Walsh overcame a determined Kevin Leahy in his semi-final at Templemichael. Leahy made sight in three to go almost a bowl in front. He had a full bowl at the white wall and increased his odds onto the straight. He was too tight left with his next and missed Walsh’s tip, but he continued to lead to the green.
Walsh got a big shot towards the next bend and Leahy missed it to lose the lead. Walsh had 30m odds after two more past the last bend. He then got a big shot towards the line to seal his win.
O’Callaghan beat John Murphy by a bowl at Shannonvale. Murphy won the first, but O’Callaghan took the second and gained odds to Buttimer’s pillars. He increased that to an even shot at Desmond’s. He took his lead 30m over a bowl in the next throws. He then beat a big shot from Murphy over the brow. Murphy got a big throw past Sam’s lane, but O’Callaghan beat it by 50m.
Murphy knocked the bowl with a good shot from there. O’Callaghan was back on track with his next down the hill, which Murphy missed to leave a bowl between them again. Murphy knocked the bowl again to Campbell’s lane. O’Callaghan closed with a great bowl past the line, which gave him a bowl of odds win.
In the JJ Murphy Cup, Jimmy O’Driscoll advanced at the expense of John Shorten in Bauravilla. He broke the early deadlock with a brilliant bowl past Dekker’s, which put him almost a bowl clear. He held that in eight to the rock and three more to the bridge. He got a poor shot from the railing to leave only 30m in it for the last shot. Shorten closed with a huge bowl, but O’Driscoll confidently beat it.
