IT was inevitable that there would be at least one South West player in the final of Pool C in the junior A championship, with David Hegarty, Gavin Twohig and Johnny O’Driscoll all vying for a place.

On Friday in Shannonvale, in the first semi-final Hegarty took on Twohig, a former intermediate county and All-Ireland winner in 2004 and 2016. They played for a stake of €3,100 a-side.

Twohig took the first shot and was very lucky with his second; it looked buried left but speed kept it out. Both went to the quarry bend in five shots each, where Twohig squandered a chance to raise big odds when he was too tight left.

Hegarty missed Desmond’s cross in three more, then played his eighth shot well but pulled right. While Twohig went full sight, Hegarty just beat this tip to keep it under a bowl at Desmond’s cross.

Twohig made the flat of the road in two more where he had a valuable 50 metres of odds. After another huge bowl from Twohig to Kingston’s Wall, he raised the bowl of odds on Hegarty. The latter got an excellent 14th shot to Tobin’s palms that Twohig missed by 30 metres. Twohig then missed sight for Campbell’s with his next and this gave Hegarty an opportunity to level the score – he played his bowl well and went sight for Campbell’s. Twohig’s next was accidentally blocked.

Hegarty had the luck of the green with his next – it was very tight left but rubbed off a cone and opened sight for the finish line. Twohig was too far right and missed the tip to give Hegarty his first lead. Twohig beat this tip by 25 metres, while Hegarty was very tight left again but had 35 metres for the last shots. Twohig got a phenomenal last shot that beat the line well; Hegarty put his bowl down well, but it fell short by 20 metres.

In the second semi-final at the Marsh Road on Saturday, Johnny O’Driscoll beat Donal Riordan by one bowl with no stake in this one. After two good opening bowls to the first distillery entrance, O’Driscoll had 30 metres of odds.

Riordan took the third shot as O’Driscoll caught a bollard. After two more to the middle of the council yard wall, Riordan had 15 metres of odds. Three more well-played bowls from O’Driscoll out sight at the Silvery gate won him back the lead by 15 metre. O’Driscoll left an opportunity to raise odds go when Riordan was very right with his ninth and O’Driscoll went left.

Three more each out the steps where O’Driscoll led by 20 metres. Riordan missed sight for Ballyhilty in three more and O’Driscoll went full sight. O’Driscoll covered the straight to the avenue and Riordan missed this to go a bowl down. After two more each past Hurley’s lane, O’Driscoll won by a bowl of odds. He now plays Gavin Twohig in an all-South West final at Lyre on Sunday, May 31st.

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With a no-show from Michael O’Donoghue at Ballinagree to play Brian O’Driscoll in the premier junior A, O’Driscoll instead played a pick-up score against Pool A junior A runner-up David Roche, playing for a stake of €1,600 a-side. Victory went to O’Driscoll here, who was lucky to get a big rub with his 14th, and with only two shots to go, it was enough to give him victory. In a morning score at Ballinagree, Eoin O’Riordan beat David Hubbard by the last shot for €1,000 a-side.

At Inchigeelagh, in an all-Gaeltacht premier junior A score, Liam Murphy beat Cillian Kelleher by the last shot.

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Newcestown held an intermediate championship score between newly-promoted Paddy Stokes and Wayne Parkes, playing for a stake of €2,200 a-side.

Parkes had every opportunity to win this score but left plenty of chances behind him. They were level at Mac’s cross in six each; Parkes left a big opportunity go here as he was throwing his odds and should have come out in five.

On up the hill past Allen’s lane and on for Fehilly’s, Parkes was ten metres ahead. Back of Desmond’s, Stokes took his first lead after a poor bowl from Parkes. Down the hill and into the lag, Stokes held minimal odds. At the farm, Stokes increased his lead, but Parkes got a good next that Stokes just beat.

At Dineen’s house, Stokes had a valuable 60 metres; Parkes missed the cross and Stokes went full sight. Stokes missed down sight and Parkes had another opportunity, but he just beat the tip. Stokes made the wall before the Pitch and Putt entrance and Parkes' bowl went right with no sight for the finish line. Stokes made sight with the aid of a rub and beat the line with his next.

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The Carbery junior B final was played at Bauravilla between last year’s junior C winner Colm Crowley and Shane Shannon for €1,750 a-side. Shannon went through Robin's cross in three good bowls and Crowley at the cross. Shannon made the netting in two more to raise a bowl of odds that he held to Decker’s. From here Crowley knocked the bowl and took the lead at the bridge with his 13th. Crowley had nice odds for the last shot, Shannon missed the finish line and Crowley beat it easily.

In a novice A Mid Cork championship semi-final at Newcestown, James Kelleher was a trap-to-line winner, beating Joe Madden by two bowls of odds with no stake in this one.

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All regions are getting on with their underage finals in readiness for the county rounds that will take place in June. In the North East at Ballyhooly, Gerald McDonagh beat Mikey McDonagh in the U18 final. In West Cork at Durrus, Ethan Hurley beat Adrian Deane in the U18 final. At Ballinacurra in Mid Cork, Roisin Allen beat Sophie Murphy in the junior ladies final. Also, Tommy O’Donoghue beat Ben Cooney at Conna in the U18.

At Sam’s Cross in the South West region, Gearoid McCarthy clocked up his third win in the junior C round-robin championship when he beat John Connolly by two bowls of odds for a stake of €970 a-side.

Ballygurteen held a Paddy Murray Cup quarter-final between Darragh Dempsey and Cathal Creedon, playing for €1,300 a-side. Dempsey lined a huge last that beat the line to book his place in the semi-final.