THE Murphy cousins, Sean and Kieran, fought it out at Ballinacurra for a place in the semi-final of Pool B in the junior A championship.

Sean took the first four shots through Brinny cross. Kieran got a massive sixth to the waterworks that Sean beat by half a metre. Sean still held a slender lead in two more to the muddy gap. Kieran produced another big bowl past the sheds that gave him his first lead, after Sean was very right of play.

They both got enormous shots down sight for the bridge and Sean was back in front after his 11th to the silvery gates. Kieran reduced the odds to ten metres heading up the straight, and at the junior C line Sean had 25 metres.

Kieran unleashed a big bowl past the Avenue gate and was back in front again. Sean went full sight for the line and Kieran missed this again. Kieran played down a good last but Sean beat it independently.

In another Pool B quarter-final, at Castletown Conor Creedon played Edmund Sexton. There was no stake in this one. Creedon held a slender lead after two shots. After two more past Dwyers, Creedon stretched his lead to 50 metres. At the novice line Sexton had Creedon’s odds back to 20 metres that he held to sight at Pynes bend.

Sexton put down a perfect bowl that looked like going sight for the netting but it just veered off right and no sight. Creedon missed this by big odds but unfortunately for Sexton it was ‘called’. His second effort beat Sexton’s tip by a valuable 15 metres. Sexton wasted no road with his next; it was tight on the right and made the double gates. Creedon missed this by 20 metres to give Sexton his first lead, but this lead was short-lived as Creedon got a perfect run off the netting and Sexton was too tight left.

Sexton was back in front with his next to the yellow sign and made a massive effort for the line at Forshins cross but just fell short. Here, Sexton was now throwing his odds and beat tip by 30 meters with a loft. Both were very right with their next. Sexton had big odds for the last shots but Creedon laid down a big shot that Sexton beat easily to book his place in the Pool B semi-final.

Ballincurrig had to change their road temporarily for the playing of a Pool A junior A score between Danny Stokes (Jnr) and Wayne Callanan, playing for a stake of €3000 a-side. After three shots Stokes was out of sight at the stream. Callanan took the fourth shot to the end of the lawn and missed a chance of raising big odds with his fifth when he dropped his bowl and only beat Stokes tip by five metres.

Stokes was back in front after their next exchange, and after two poor bowls from Callanan. Both got huge seventh shots but Stokes held a 15-metre advantage at the care home. Two more poor bowls in succession from Callanan where he found himself almost a bowl down. Stokes raised the bowl with his ninth shot past the speed camera. At the chapel wall in two more each it was an even bowl for Stokes, that Callanan just saved at the end.

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Ballinagree held two Bold Thady Quill supporting scores in atrocious wet weather conditions. In the first Noel O’Regan had a victory over Michael Desmond, playing for €2700 a-side. They opened with two big shots each to the lollipops with Desmond ten metres ahead. Desmond took full advantage of a poor second from O’Regan, but he responded with a good bowl at the bridge that gave him his first lead.

There was nothing between them after their next out onto the straight. Conditions favoured nobody, but Desmond’s bowling took a serious dip and O’Regan took full advantage, going on to raise a bowl and holding out to the finish.

In a return score, Cathal Creedon’s recent good form continued when he beat Andrew O’Callaghan by three bowls of odds for a stake of €3400 a-side.

The ladies intermediate championship kicked off in Caheragh where Ellen Sexton beat Julieanne Hayes by the last shot.