Kavanagh and Buggy in last 16
DANIEL KAVANAGH and Gavin Buggy have progressed to the last 16 of the GAA Handball 40 x 20 open doubles thanks to an opening round win over Tipperary duo David Maloney and Daniel Hayes in Garryhill on Saturday.
The Wexford pair were awesome in the opening set and easily won it 21-3. The men from the Premier county could not have been much worse, and they proved their worth and somehow managed to take the second set 21-18.
However, a very strange game saw the Wexford duo up the ante again and they mopped up the third set 21-3.
The win sets up a mouth-watering tie in St. Joseph’s on a new date to be announced when five-time world Senior singles champion Paul Brady comes to town with his long-time winning partner on the court, Michael Finnegan.
The Cavan men will be sure to attract a huge crowd to the Bishopswater venue. While Daniel and Gavin will be underdogs, they certainly won’t fear the Ulster players and will certainly be buoyed by a big home crowd.
A week after winning the Leinster 40 x 20 Minor singles championship, Cora Doyle came back for more and this time added the Leinster Minor doubles title as she and her partner Emma Sweeney came through a fantastic win over Kilkenny duo Dearbhail O’Keeffe and Sorcha Delaney. A very closely-fought game was played and the Wexford duo won 21-13, 21-18.
What the girls can do the boys are now trying to match as the Minor doubles pairing of Adam Walsh and Anthony Butler triumphed in the semi-final of the Under-18 grade with a fine 21-13, 21-7 win over Kilkenny pairing Ciarán Cooney and Conor Drennan.
Noel Holohan and Malachy Whelan were left to think what might have been as they crashed out of the Junior doubles championships at the semi-final stage. The Wexford pair had got off to a great start to win the first set 21-19 against Laois duo Páuric Buggy and Tomás Lennon.
However, the men from the O’Moore county really upped the pace and the Model county duo were unable to match it as their rivals won the remaining two sets 21-3, 21-7.
James Stanners and Paddy Curran are through to the last four of the Junior ‘B’ doubles after they were victorious on a 21-10, 21-13 scoreline over Kildare pair Martin and Simon O’Donnell.
David Redmond and John Roche crashed out of the Masters ‘B’ doubles when they were beaten 21-12, 21-19 by Kildare pairing Gavin Grace and Darragh Ward.
There was a Leinster final defeat for Tom Byrne and Nicky Casey in the Emerald Masters ‘B’ doubles as they went down 21-8, 21-9 to Westmeath pairing Anthony Mulligan and Brendan Martin.