MICHEÁL Desmond kept his recent vein of form intact when he beat John A Murphy in a junior B tournament score at Ballinacurra. They played for a stake of €1,050 a-side.

Desmond made the back of Brinny cross in three shots, and after two more past the Church he increased his lead to almost a bowl. He raised the bowl fully with a big fifth shot to the waterworks. Murphy made Perrot’s wall in eight where he had it under the bowl. But Desmond restored his bowl advantage again with an incredible bowl out sight facing the bridge – he held these odds past the silvery gates. Murphy made sight for the junior line but Desmond increased his odds on this. After a poor 14th from Murphy, Desmond took the honours.

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On Saturday at Ballinacurra, a Mid Cork regional junior A championship score for the Dan Joe Holland Memorial Cup was played between Denis Wilmot and Sean Murphy, for a stake of €1,270 a-side. Both players went through Brinny Cross in four shots where Wilmot had 15 metres of odds. There was nothing between them after two more past the waterworks, Wilmot still holding a minimum lead. Murphy lined a huge bowl from here to Perrot’s Sheds that gave him his first lead. In two more to the GAA entrance Murphy’s lead was 20 metres. Wilmot was back in front at the Bridge and extended his lead to the silvery gates, but Murphy had it back to 13 metres up the home straight but could not get any traction on his last shot and Wilmot came home an easy winner.

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In Caheragh in a Bill Barrett Cup score, premier junior A player Cillian Kelleher blitzed the road in a six-shot shoot-out where he had a convincing win over David Shannon, recently demoted from the intermediate ranks. Shannon's second and third shots had him on the back foot, but there was little he could do with the kind of form that Kelleher was in on the day.

Kelleher reached the back of Lisangle Cross in two huge bowls where he had big odds with a bowl on Shannon. The latter’s fourth was probably his best of the day, but Kelleher lined another huge third that raised a second bowl for him. At the bridge in four and seven shots Kelleher had almost three bowls. He raised the three in two more through Madore Cross where Shannon graciously conceded.

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The Gaeltacht region brought their novice E and novice ladies to a conclusion on Sunday. In novice E, Darragh Murphy beat Mark O’Callaghan, playing for €1,300 a-side. This was a trap-to-line victory for Murphy. There was nothing between them after three, but Murphy opened up big daylight at the island where he raised a bowl of odds. O’Callaghan laid down some good bowls but Murphy was not wavering – he raised a further bowl at the council yard gates. With the line in sight O’Callaghan had enough.

In the return route, the novice ladies final took place between Katie Moynihan and Louise Desmond. This was a ding-dong battle for the first four shots, but with a huge fifth Moynihan raised big odds that she held past the island. Try as she might Desmond could get no traction on some very well played bowls and it was Moynihan who won by a big last shot.

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Reenascreena finished up their novice D tournament with two Leap men contesting the final. Kilmacabea footballer Martin Collins continued his winning run on and off the GAA pitch to beat Cian Minihane to take the honours. Unfortunately the club will not be affiliated for the coming season. The late Pat McCarthy kept this club going for many years, so hopefully they will consider re-affiliating again in the not-too-distant future.

Also, Ballydehob also finished their doubles tournament for the Tadhg O’Driscoll Memorial Cup – the Skibbereen pairing of Denis Murphy and Brendan O’Driscoll took the top prize from Gavin Harrington and James McNulty playing for a total stake of €3,700.