Handball
Wexford handball celebrated another bumper championship weekend with numerous Leinster titles being won by the county. On Friday night Paul Lambert won the Leinster junior 60×30 singles title when he won his fifth title on the trot by defeating Stephen Quinn from county Meath in Garryhill. The opening game went to Paul ‘Curley’ Lambert 21-8 but the Meath man replied with a 21-6 win in the second game. The third set was near domination from Lambert as he romped home 21-6.
Daniel Kavanagh and Keith Armstrong completed a Leinster minor double by collecting the doubles title on Saturday as they were at their brilliant best in seeing off Kilkenny pair Shane Dunne and Padraig Cooney on a 21-13, 21-8 result, and the Wexford pair will now be among the favourites to collect the All Ireland title and if they could it would be the double in the year of 40×20 and 60×30.
Galen Riordan and Bryan Kehoe put in a sterling performance in the under 21 doubles as they also captured provincial honours with a 21-20, 21-11 win over Kilkenny duo JJ English and Brian Mahon, with the win in the opening set breaking the heart of the Kilkenny men.
Riordan has now completed the double of singles and doubles as he beat Brian Mahon from Kilkenny in the singles final as well on a 21-7, 21-17 score line.
Padhraic Roberts came from behind in the final of the junior B singles to beat Kildares Jamie Balfe. Roberts lost out to the Kildare man in the doubles final but made amends in the singles. He lost the opening set 21-14, but recovered well and took the second 21-14 and with the momentum behind him he got over the line in the third set 21-12.
The Masters B doubles crown was also collected by Wexford last week as John Roche and Damien Kelly retained their title after a fine performance saw them defeat Kildare opposition on a 21-20, 21-9 score line and it’s now hoped the pairing can get over the line and take national honours as well.
Billy Rossiter collected the Diamond Masters B singles crown when he proved too strong for John Bail in an all Wexford final played last week.
It was a fantastic week for Wexford handball and there may be more titles to come with Tommy Hynes and Paul Carthy in with a chance of collecting the masters singles and doubles next week, but have one main man in their way by the name of Michael Duxie Walsh.