MCDONAGH A STEP CLOSER TO DEFINDING THE RIORDAN CUP
Arthur McDonagh made the long trip from Fermoy to Bantry in the defence of his title that he won last year, the Dan Riordan Cup. Sextons downfall here was that he did not take advantage of a poor opener from McDonagh. He was on the back foot for the whole score, Sexton did take the lead with his fourth bowl to McSweeneys Farm but that was the last lead he had in this score. McDonaghs fifth and sixth bowls covered an extraordinary amount of road up past Casey’s Cross. He had the makings of a bowl of odds here. McDonagh brought his seventh bowl way out too far and it fell down at Cronin’s Lane, this was a bit of a lifeline for Sexton, but he did not take advantage and blew his bowl over right. McDonagh eight was extremely tight on the left and kept going left had odds now of seventy meters still a chance for Sexton if he could make the Crush in two, but with his ninth shot he opted for the right track and pulled it in right hind bowl. Sexton got a great bowl up to the Crush that knocked the bowl as McDonagh was too tight left and hopped the brow. McDonagh got a massive rub off of Connolly’s Wall that took him sight. Sexton missed this, the bowl was up again and McDonagh will now play Martin Coppinger or Gary Daly in the Final.
In a challenge score at Beal Na Marbh, young Shane Crowley from Caheragh, an up and coming good junior player took on Novice -1 All-Ireland champion Anthony Crowley from The Glen, Shane led from start to finish in this score, he was up past the Rock in six great bowls where he had a bowl and forty meters. Anthony did knock odds down the straight but missed out the bend, Shane went sight and rose the bowl of odds here again. Anthony got another chance at the last bend by the cottage as Shane had missed out. But Anthony buried his bowl in right and that was all his chances gone a begging. Shane won by the bowl.
LAUREN WINS COUNTY U-12 TITLE IN LYRE SHOWDOWN.
At Lyre the Girl’s U-12 County was played out from the Pub. Lauren McCarthy Caheragh and representing the Carbery division played Nicola Hurley Drimoleague in the West Cork division. Six and seven shots to the top of the Mason’s Hill where Nicola had almost a bowl of odds. Lauren got a super bowl down the hill and a bad blunder from Nicola in left only half way down the hill and only beat tip again, margin down to fifteen meters. Nothing between them back of O’Donovan’s pillars where Lauren took her first lead of this score. Four more each down to the School, McCarthy still just fore bowl. Three more down to the finish line that Nicola missed and Lauren beat to win by the last shot.