Hannon and Cavanagh to contest Junior B final

The provincial 60x30 doubles season concluded over the weekend with all bar one title decided.

Sligo handballers, Kevin Meehan and Michael Bruen featured as Sligo’s only remaining masters title contenders in the opening game of a four-match programme at Roscommon on Saturday. Having defeated Galway duo Graham Casburn and Pat Murphy in their semi-final in three games at Castlebar the duo were hopeful of securing a first title together. However, it wasn’t to be as the impressive Galway pairing of Kieran Hanley and Alan Byrne secured the victory and the masters B doubles title on a 21-8, 21-13 scoreline. Sligo are assured of at least one provincial doubles title as Collooney duo David Hannon and Simon Cavanagh defeated Roscommon duo, Damien McDermott and David Boyle in the provincial Junior C Doubles semi-final on a 21-15, 21-8 scoreline at Collooney on Friday evening. They now face Drumcliffe duo, Hugh Slevin and Darragh Murphy next weekend at Collooney in the decider. Galway’s, Seamus Conneeley and Tubbercurry-based Conor Noone secured the provincial junior doubles title in a very disappointing one-sided final against Roscommon at the same venue. Leitrim duo, Joel Smith and Anthony O’Flynn took the provincial honours in the Silver masters B provincial final when they got the better of Claregalway to Keith Grealey and Joe O’Connell on a 21-13, 21-15 at Moycullen on Thursday evening last. Sligo’s Cormac Finn has risen to eleventh position in the Senior player rankings following his successes in the U21 grade and his fine showing at the Irish national last week. Indeed Finn’s ranking would have been in the top 10 but for his agonising quarter-final loss to the 2023 All-Ireland senior singles finalist, Gary McConnell from Meath. Finn won the opening game 15 aces to 13 and served out game ball at 14-13 only to loose this second game by a singles ace and McConnell went on to take the tie-break third from there. McConnell did loose out in the semi-final to the eventual winner, Brian Carroll from Meath. Finn can now look forward to a good run in the provincial intermediate singles championship which commences early next month.