Kelly Mallon captured her 12th All-Ireland senior bowling title with a consummate performance against Munster champion, Hannah Sexton, at Keady-Tassagh on Sunday.
No superlatives could begin to capture Mallon’s unique achievements. She has not only amassed a collection of All-Ireland senior titles that is never likely to be matched, but she has delivered them at a level that equally looks unattainable.
She is not only the best bowler of her generation, she is indisputably the best Irish woman bowler of any generation.
Sexton would have needed everything to align to take down Mallon. She was marginally off on a few shots and luck was not always her friend. She mounted a strong challenge, but the tiny margins turn into chasms when you take on Mallon.
Her younger sister, Laura, garnered some solace for the family and Munster fans when she beat Jessica Hughes in the junior final. This was a close affair in the early stages. Sexton pushed clear in the middle and was two in front with two to go. Hughes then got a magical second last bowl around the last corner to bring the lead back to a bowl.
In the senior final, Mallon’s opening shot was well right of the sop, but it got a vital run up the hill. Sexton only beat that by 3m with a great reply. Mallon then played an absolutely brilliant bowl up the hill to the silver gate, which gave her close to a bowl of odds. Sexton cut the odds with a brilliant fourth shot and was a shade unlucky not to go out Twynam’s with her fifth.
Mallon punished her with a perfect bowl past the bend to go almost a bowl clear. She had luck when her next one came off the right bank and it went into the hollow to put her a full bowl in front. She followed with two extraordinary bowls to the creamery lane to jump two bowls clear.
Sexton refused to accept defeat, in the face of some sensational throws from Mallon. She managed to get the lead under two with her great 13th shot to McCann’s. That was as close as she came. The rest of the contest featured on the winning margin, which Mallon won that too with a great bowl to the creamery stand.
In the junior final, Laura Sexton opened with a big bowl. Jessica Hughes completely misplayed her first one, but recovered to win the lead with her second shot. Sexton won the next two, but a huge fifth bowl towards the creamery lane had Hughes back in front.
Sexton regained the lead with her next one and raised a bowl with a great eighth shot towards Gallogly’s. They battled over those odds till Sexton edged close to two clear with a great 12th shot towards the bus shelter. She was given a late scare by Hughes’ excellent bowl out the last bend, but she professionally deflected it.