Mixed fortunes in provincial doubles
THE PRESTIGIOUS blue riband Under-14 boys’ doubles Leinster four-wall handball final brought together Joshua Roche from Over The Water club of Castlebridge, and Jamie Barnes from the Emmet Place club of St. Mary’s.
The Wexford boys came up against the Kilkenny pairing of John Hayes and Cathal Buckley. This esteemed age group is always a fiercely competitive grade, and this was no different with these four extremely talented boys on show.
From the off this game was filled with high-paced rallies using every inch of the 40-foot by 20-foot sized court, with all players calling on their vast amounts of experience and equally every skill-set they had.
With neither allowing the other to drift too far apart, the score was 11-11. With that, Kilkenny found a perfect serve which allowed any return to be punished.
One serve at a time, they edged closer to 15 aces and got the score needed to take the first game.
The second game continued to show Joshua and Jamie’s impressive battling attitude at the forefront, while also executing handsome serving and play to take an early 5-1 lead.
Kilkenny responded well to the dominant Wexford play, slowly closing the gap and bringing things level at 8-8.
It was tit-for-tat over the next few aces, until Kilkenny found the great precise serving that finished off the first game to leave them serving at 14-11 and possible match ball.
Giving one last almighty push, the Wexford boys got Kilkenny out and into serve. Jamie served four elite aces and snatched the game 15-14, so a tie-breaker was needed to separate these players.
In the winner-takes-all third game, Kilkenny got off to the better start, with Joshua and Jamie struggling to find any form or harmony.
The Slaneysiders needed help and the large group of Wexford supporters gave it in abundance, and as a reward they got to witness sterling handball in a game that had it all.
Unfortunately, Kilkenny just had more in the tank at critical stages of the game and with the finish line in their sights, they steamed towards the 15 aces and the title.
It was an all-St. Joseph’s pairing in the Under-16 girls’ doubles final, with Rachel Goff and Ellie Murphy-O’Gorman combining to take on Kilkenny’s Aoife Woods and Doireann Knox.
It didn’t take long for the Wexford girls to establish themselves as strong contenders in this final as, with attractive, smart serving and magnificent retrieving, Rachel and Ellie took a good lead of 12-3.
The Kilkenny girls tried hard to handle their Wexford rivals but could not cope with the constant pressure they applied, with their admirable serving and hard-hitting play expanding the lead the whole time, eventually securing the first game 21-8.
Kilkenny had to come out fighting in the second game and, knowing this, Rachel and Ellie went into the game as strong as the first.
The same slick serving and attacking handball put Kilkenny on the back foot and they were quickly down 10-2.
Kilkenny were playing highclass handball but they could not cope with the Wexford girls’ wave after wave of supreme skills and shots driven back at them as the score expanded to 16-6.
Rachel and Ellie were cruising to the title, looking in total control and relaxed throughout the second game.
Ultimately it didn’t take them long to make the essential five aces needed to take another Leinster doubles title back to the Bishopswater club on a scoreline of 21-10.