U-10s show lots of promise
Charlie and Angel claim impressive county title wins
THE SECOND programme of county Juvenile four-wall handball championships took place in the St. Joseph’s club recently.
Handball is often described as a versatile and accommodating sport to all ages and ability levels, and this was very evident in this programme of finals, with the youngest and oldest age groups taking centre stage, and both equally captivating and entertaining the large number in the viewing gallery.
The girls’ Under-16 doubles final got the night started, featuring an all-club affair, with the ever-present St. Joseph’s girls of Jodie Keeling and Sarah Taaffe versus Rachel Goff and Alannah Wogan.
The pairing of Jodie and Sarah started the better, taking an early and commanding lead. With pressure on Rachel and Alannah, they struggled to get aces on the board, while Jodie and Sarah continued to pull away, winning the first game comfortably.
The second game did not bring much change for Rachel and Alannah against their off-court friends Jodie and Sarah, who continued to produce a variety of shots on their journey to 21 aces, the second game and the county title.
The next two games on the programme saw the youngest county age group of Under-10s take their turn to display their skills to the excited supporters and crowd.
First up was the boys’ Under-10 singles final featuring the reigning 2019 champion, Coolgeany’s Alex Power, against Castlebridge’s young hotshot Charlie Roche, appearing in his first county fourwall final.
Charlie has been on the county, national and world handball circuit for many years supporting his two older siblings and dad. And this experience stood to hime, taking it all in his stride as he produced all kinds of handball skills and shots.
Not going to give up his title without a fight, Alex settled and he also displayed some fine handball skills, but could not close the gap as Charlie took the first game.
Early in the second game, it was a tussle for aces between both outstanding players, and both had found their form. At this stage, Charlie produced some great serves and return shots to take another lead in this final.
From this point on, the Castlebridge player never looked in danger, closing the game out and taking the county boys’ Under-10 title over Wexford bridge to his home club.
Up next on centre stage saw the arrival of the girls’ Under-10 singles finalists, last year’s runner-up from Coolgreany, Angel Cronin-Kenny, versus Pippa Goff (sister of Rachel) of St. Joseph’s.
Angel had the most experience of these young girls, having been on the losing end of things last year. And she certainly took advantage of that experience, settling into her rhythm quickly and putting scores on the board.
Pippa found the early going hard, but as the latter stages of the first game approached, she began to find her shot range and form.
Angel only needed a couple of aces to clinch the first game, and she secured these on her next serving set.
The second game was a closer encounter between these talented young girls, with some great rallies and excellent handball skills on display, much to the delight of the large crowd.
In the end Angel was just too strong for Pippa, and she got her hands on the title she missed out on last year.
Well done to the four young players who made finals at the Under-10 age group, along with all the other Under-10 players who competed in the county championship 2020.
With Charlie and Pippa both eligible to play in the Under-10 grade again next year, and a host of young talent knocking on the door, this promises to be an age group to keep an eye on next year.
Taking to the court next were the girls’ Under-12 doubles finalists, with the northern county club of Coolgreany represented again.
Flying the club colours this time were Amber Cronin-Kenny (sister of Angel) and Emily Hughes versus the Taghmon pairing of Ellie Murphy and Zahara Dunne.
The pairing from Taghmon got off to a flyer with brilliant serving and returning, and the Coolgreany girls found the pace, skills and shots from their rivals hard to deal with.
With Ellie and Zahara taking the first game, Coolgreany’s Amber and Emily had to come out fighting in the second, and that they did.
The Coolgreany pair also showed their own skills and ability off to the audience, but the Taghmon girls were in impressively good form and had an answer for everything that was thrown at them, and in doing so they secured yet another county title for their handball club.
The attention shifted back next to the boys for the Under-14 doubles final, and an all-town club battle between the St. Mary’s (Emmet Place) duo of Jamie Barnes and Jack Creane against St. Joseph’s pair Rory Gilbert and James Walsh.
These four boys know each other’s game inside out, having fought many exciting battles over the years since the age of 10, and this game was no exception to that.
The Mary’s boys started slowly, and the Joseph’s duo took firm advantage of this, taking a comfortable lead. With exceptionally good, skilful handball being displayed by all players on the court, the Joseph’s pairing piled on a little more pressure when required to take the first game.
The second game produced much of the same hard-hitting, stylish play as the first, with neither side allowing the other to pull too far ahead.
When the game needed something a little more special, it was Rory Gilbert who stepped to the forefront, with well-placed and executed shots and kills securing this prestigious blue riband title for the Bishopswater club.
The last game on the programme – the boys’ Under-17 singles final – brought two loyal and long-serving Juvenile handballers onto the court in the form of Conor Murphy (Taghmon, brother to Ellie) and Conor Dobbs (St. Joseph’s, brother to Rory) to compete in their last four-wall county Juvenile championship as both young men will make the permanent transition to adult handball next year.
Both certainly did not want to miss this opportunity to add one last county four-wall Juvenile title to their collections. With excellent skills, serving, shot choice and determination shown by both players, this game was going down to the wire.
Having matched each other point for point throughout the first game, and with the scoreline standing at 18-18, Conor Murphy took his chance and the next three important aces to reach the golden score of 21 aces and take the first game.
After losing such a close and hard-fought battle in the first game, Conor Dobbs found it hard to regain that pace, and he quickly found himself behind and faced an uphill climb.
Although Dobbs has the most amazing resilience and never-saydie attitude, battling and fighting until the end, and making his skilful opponent work for every score, it was not to be the Joseph’s lad’s day. Murphy took the Under-17 boys’ singles title, and another county Juvenile title went out the road to Taghmon.