Doyle does the business to claim Over-70 crown
LAST WEEKEND saw the end of the All-Ireland singles competitions at various grades in the 60 x 30 handball season, and a number of Wexford players were spread out across the country in action.
The finals began on Saturday afternoon and Jim Doyle from Barntown made full use of the early weekend start to claim the Over-70 singles title when he defeated Corkman Pat O’Brien on a very impressive 21-2, 21-5 scoreline, backing up his fine semi-final win on home soil a few weeks ago.
The action switched to various venues on Sunday afternoon, and Tinahely did not prove to be a happy hunting ground for Wexford as three men in purple and gold were snared by the Premier county.
First up in the recently re-developed Wicklow venue was Tony Breen who was making a welcome return to an All-Ireland final after a few health problems in recent years, but he found the going very tough against Billy Mullins who was en route to adding his seventh title on the bounce.
In a lack-lustre opening game for the Templeudigan man, he never got up and running and couldn’t get a foothold in the game, losing out 21-2. The second set began in similar fashion, with the winner Mullins racing into an early commanding position before Tony put in five very good minutes to get to double figures in the set.
It looked like a comeback was possible, however Mullins got in one more time and made sure of the victory on a 21-10 scoreline in the second set to secure the All-Ireland Diamond Masters ‘A’ singles title.
Tony’s clubmate Noel Holohan was next in action in the Over-35 ‘B’ singles final. Noel was motoring along nicely in the opening set and looked the most likely winner, leading 19-12.
However, a missed kill proved costly and he soon found himself a set down after losing 21-19 to a very confident Kevin Dempsey from Tipperary.
Dempsey began well in the second set before Holohan hit a run of winning shots to close at 9-9. However, the game rapidly got away from Holohan and he was punished from there to the end of a disappointing 21-12 loss in the second set.
Gavin Buggy then entered the arena to try to save the day for the Model county in the Masters ‘A’ singles final against champion David Maloney from Tipperary. A blistering serve down the left wall from Maloney was causing Gavin all sorts of problems in the first game, and with the returns coming back favourably to the Tipperary man he hammered the red line on several occasions and quickly took the opening set 21-9.
Gavin is certainly not a player to dwell on what’s gone on in the opening set, with his fighting qualities up there with the best players. He upped the tempo in the second set and began to hit more winners, and a more productive serve began to find weaknesses in the Tipperary man.
Both players hit some fantastic shots in the second set and it went right down to the wire, with the Tipperary man hanging in there when Buggy was on top. And on any occassion when he got a straight shot he powered the ball to the red line and ultimately this shot would seal Gavin’s fate as Maloney prevailed 21-19 in the second set.
Tom Byrne from Kilmyshall was in Thurles on Sunday for the final of the Emerald Masters ‘B’ singles, and he made the trip to Tipp. count as he defeated Kerryman Pat Lacey in the final with a troop of his own clubmates on site to see Tom claim a much-deserved title. In what was an attack-minded performance, Byrne was on the front foot from the beginning of the game and powered to an impressive 21-2, 21-7 victory.
Brendan Murphy had the long journey to Virginia in Co. Cavan for his All-Ireland final against Sligo man Mick Murphy in the Diamond Masters ‘B’ singles. This was a case of so near and yet so far for the Castlebridge man as he was very close in the opening set before losing out by the odd point in 41, going down 21-20.
Momentum from a close game like that can drive the victor on, and Mick Murphy certainly took the game by the scruff of the neck and he was victorious in the second set 21-11.