Cork handballers focusing on softball juvenile finals

THE main focus in handball this weekend will be on 60x30 Softball Boys and Girls Juvenile Finals which are down for decision on Sunday at Galway venue Moycullen and Roscommon venue St Comans both with an 11am start.

It’s an important day for Cork boys and girls as the boys contest two finals at Moycullen with the two girls finals down for decision at St Comans. Looking first at St Comans programme which hosts four boys and three girls finals, and first into action in Girls U-16 Doubles will be Cork pair Sarah Walsh, Mallow, partnering Cliona Dunning, Conna, they face Wexford pair Emily Moran and April Moran. This will be a close contest, The Cork pair have been impressive to date particularly so in their Munster Final win over Tipperary. They have put in a lot of work since and are definitely up for the challenge facing them here. All Wexford players who reach All-Ireland Finals are hard to beat but let’s hope Walsh and Dunning can shade it.

The second final on the St Comans programme is Girls U-17 Doubles in which Cork pair Celine Kelleher, Boherbue, and Muireann O’Brien, Kilworth, take on Kilkenny pair Emily Kenny and Lauren Grace and again another tough battle should ensue.

The Cork pair are experienced they won a 40x20 All Ireland U-15 Doubles title in 2017 they are dour battlers never giving up easily. Kilkenny will probably start favourites but the Cork pair on their best form won’t be easily beaten.

Moving on to Moycullen programme Cork Boys will contest both Boys U-15 and U-16 Doubles finals, The programme commences with Boys U-16 Doubles in which Gearoid Healy, Liscarroll teams up with Kealen Murphy, Ballydesmond, to face Tyrone pair Jack Darcy and Ciaran Mullan.

The Cork pair have been impressive in winning Munster and in their All-Ireland semi-final win over a fancied Kilkenny pair but will face another big challenge from a strong Tyrone pair.

The Cork pair have put in a lot of work and another strong performance from them puts them in there with a big chance of taking the title.

The second final on the programme will see Cork and Ballydesmond pair Eoghan Daly and John Cronin face Tyrone’s Thomas Duff and Conor Fox. To date the Cork pair have done all that has been asked of them the were impressive in winning the Munster title and also delivered a big performance against a fancied Kilkenny pair in the All-Ireland semi-final. They have prepared diligently for the final.

Tyrone looked impressive in their defeat of Galway in their semi-final, if the Cork pair continue to improve they wont be easily beaten.

Last Saturday was a historic

Cooraclare (Clare) v Inch Rovers (Cork), Mallow GAA Complex 3.30pm day in Croke Park Handball Centre as the last Softball Finals to be played there were decided, the new centre under construction is nearing completion.

Meath pair Brian Carroll and Gary McConnell won Senior doubles defeating Westmeath Robbie McCarthy, and Colm Jordan, Shane Dunne, Kilkenny, won Intermediate Singles with Kilkenny pair Kyle Dunne and Billy O’Neill winning Minor Doubles.

Work continues in the preparation of Mallow Credit Union sponsored U-12/13 and U-14/15 Cork team s for Munster Inter County team championship.