No glory for Glenbeigh handballers in Munster Inter-Club finals
Con Dennehy
DEFEAT in sport at the highest level of competition for Kerry sportsmen brings disappointment and an underlying fear of further loss but when that defeat comes at the hands of a team from Cork it is less palatable to swallow.
The magnificent Ballydesmond Indoor Complex on the Kerry/Cork border was the venue on Friday night for the clash of the titans as Kerry took on Cork in the highly prestigious Munster 40x20 Senior Handball Inter Club final.
Reigning champions Glenbeigh put their hard earned 2018 title on the line when they took on a youthful and talented Mallow team with victory ensuring the Mid Kerry side took a step closer to an elusive All Ireland Inter Club title.
However what started as a dream ended in a nightmare for the Kerry side as Mallow travelled home with the laurels and the honour of being named the best senior club in Munster despite a spirited performance from the Glenbeigh players.
Mallow lost a thrilling final to Glenbeigh in 2018 having won the title the previous year. However they made no mistake on Friday winning on a cumulative score of 78 points to 64 points following two singles and a doubles final.
“In the first singles game Dominick Lynch played Tadgh O’Neill. Despite playing with a flu, Dominick was in control of the game from the start. Some superb serving and timely kills saw him win the opening game. The second game was a little closer with O’Neill racing to a 10-5 lead and despite good play from Dominick, Mallow took the game 15-10. This resulted in Glenbeigh moving into a 4 point lead,” said Jack O’Shea, PRO of the Kerry Handball Board.
In the Doubles contest John Joe Quirke and Jack O’Shea from Glenbeigh took on David Walsh and Dale Cusack. In the first game Mallow ran out winners on a 15-10 scoreline. In the second game Glenbeigh settled quickly to produce an outstanding display of skill, fitness and passion that resulted in a 15-12 victory. At the end of the doubles competition Glenbeigh still commanded a slender 2 point lead.
“In the final singles game Daire Keane played the very promising Cork player, Cian O’Driscoll. Despite some great play from Daire he found it difficult to match his opponent and lost both games 15-7 despite some great rallies. In the end Mallow took the championship title 78-64 and we wish them well in the All Ireland championships. Thanks to Ballydesmond for hosting the championship and the hospitality they extended to all the players and supporters.”