Super handball weekend
WEXFORD HANDBALL had a fantastic two days last weekend as two All-Ireland titles and four All-Ireland final spots were secured across the adult and juvenile national competitions.
It was a super Saturday for Wexford as the Coolgreany and Castlebridge pairing of Damien Kelly and John Roche were first into action in the final of the Silver Masters ‘B’ doubles against Mayo pair Michael Ginely and Seamus Grier.
The men from the west began in the better fashion and took a very close opening set 21-19. Rather than wallow in pity, the Wexford duo upped the pace and gained revenge in rampant fashion in the second set on a 21-7 scoreline.
The third set was again a close one but the greater understanding and fitness along with some brilliant match-winning shots from the Wexford pairing saw Kelly and Roche crowned national champions after a few near misses in recent years. Both players really deserve the title.
The Taghmon club only reformed in the past year and that year has been capped off in amazing fashion with a national title as Mick Carty and Frank Maddock did the business in the Golden Masters ‘B’ doubles.
This was a very close game from the off and a titanic first set was won at the death by the Cavan pairing, Brendan Gargan and Phil Reilly, on the tightest of 21-20 scores.
The second set saw Wexford up their game and they needed to get a quick foothold and that they did. From a posititve beginning came a top result of 21-11
The third set saw the Wexford pair drive on and they were too good for the Cavan men and took the title with a 21-5 demolition.
The action on Sunday switched to the Juvenile semi-finals and Wexford reported back with an unblemished report card.
First to the test was Josh Kavanagh in the Under-14 singles and he put in a performance with a lot of positive ticks as he destroyed Cork’s Darragh Ducey on a 15-3, 15-2 scoreline.
Cian Kehoe and Josh McMahon were next into action in the Under-15 doubles semi-final and they had Tipperary opponents of Cormac Doheny and James Loughnane. The Wexford duo put in a sterling showing and claimed the win on a 15-7, 15-9 score.
Anything the boys could do the girls matched with two awesome showings in the Under-15 grades. The singles semi-final was blitzed by Cliodhna O’Connell as she was brilliant in a 15-3, 15-0 win over Aisling Shanahan from Limerick.
The girls in the doubles, Leanne Boland and Ciara Parnell, wrapped up a fantastic weekend for the Model county as they were victorious on a 15-10, 15-6 scoreline over Keri Murphy and Ciara McCarthy from Limerick.