GAA Handball Leinster 40 x 20 Championships.
The Leinster over 35 doubles final with Gavin Buggy and Tony Breen representing Wexford ended in controversy as their Kilkenny opponents Eddie Burke and Michael Clifford refused to play on with the third game on a knife edge at 20-20. With the Kilkenny duo serving for the match they were unhappy with a call made by the referee and downed tools. In what had been a splendid game of handball it was a pity the result was not finished on the court .The Kilkenny men took the opening set on a 21-15 score line before Breen and Buggy took the second set on a 21-16 score line. The third game was a thriller and with only one point needed by either side for the win, it was a nervous tenacious atmosphere and unfortunately the game may be now decided at a Leinster council meeting.
There was plenty of action in semi finals of the Leinster championships involving Wexford players and there was plenty of success for the model county. Galeon Riordan booked his place in the minor singles final with an impressive display to see off the tough challenge by Daniel O’Leary. The Ballyhogue man won the game on a 19-21, 21-20, 21-8 score line.
It was hoped it would be an all Wexford final in the Junior B doubles but it now sees a Wexford Kilkenny final . Darren O’Toole and Malachy Whelan carry Wexford hopes after they hammed Anthony Martin and Dan Breen 21-3, 21-5 , however there was no such luck for David Kenny and Jason Murphy as they lost out 21-16, 21-17 to Burke brothers from Kilkenny Diarmuid and Brendan.
Justin Heffernan booked his place in the final of the Over 35 B singles when he put paid to the chances of John Morrissey from Kilkenny on a 21-11, 21-20 score line. Mick Armstrong made little work of another Kilkenny man in the semi final of the Silver Masters B singles , as he dished out the medicine to Chris Dunne on a 21-9, 21-10 score line.
Tony Breen put in a very impressive performance in the Emerald masters A singles as he got the better of his old rival Johnny Brennan from Kilkenny on a 21-7, 21-17 score line, and Breen will hope to carry this form into the final.
Ned Buggy felt the wrath of John Rossiter from Carlow as the Barrow side man dished out a 21-4, 21-5 defeat to Buggy who had no answer on the day to a very strong Rossiter.
Wexford farmers Co-op GAA Handball 40 x 20 County Championships
The action in the Wexford Farmers Co-op county championships picked up some pace during the past week as nearly all grades are now down to the semi final stages.
Malachy Whelan and John Roche put in a good hours work to see off Declan Harte and Benny Doyle from Horeswood on a 21-7, 21-8 score line.
Darren O’Toole from Coolgraney is into the semi finals in the intermediate singles championships after his game with Jim Bergin (ST Martin’s) ended prematurely with Bergin retiring injured after losing the opening set 21-20. Joining O’Toole in the hat for the semi finals is Galeon Riordan (Ballyhogue) after he overcame Justin Heffernan from Oulart on a 21-17, 21-11 score line.
Fergal McWilliams stormed into the semi finals of the Junior singles with a 21-5, 21-5 win over Ricky Barron from Barntown and McWilliams from Horeswood also advanced in the Junior B singles with a 21-12, 21-12 win over Matthew Hynes from Horeswood. Also in the Junior B singles there was wins for Sean Stanners (St Martin’s) over Paddy Cheevers from Horeswood on a 21-12, 21-12 score line while Michael Busher from Bridgetown dealt out a perfect game to Robert Dunne from Oulart with Busher triumphing on a 21-1, 21-4 score line.
The quarter finals of the junior doubles saw John Roche and Brian Kehoe take the spoils for Castlebridge over St Joseph’s duo Eoin and PJ Leacy on a 21-6, 10-21, 21-12 score line , and joining them in the next round is Damien Kelly and Ned Connors from Coolgraney who defeated Oulart duo Tom and Jim Murphy 21-6, 21-15.
Eugene English was the first man over the line in the Junior C singles quarter finals with a 21-10, 21-8 win for the Ballyhogue man over Ronan Greene from Barntown, Robert Byrne from Bridgetown advanced in similar fashion with a 21-12, 21-6 win over James Maddock from St Martin’s , while Paddy Cheevers (Horeswood) secured his semi final berth with a 21-10, 14-21, 21-9 win over Kevin Doyle from Davidstown.
Three of the four semi finalists in the Junior D singles will come from Templeudigan .Dermot Flynn was a 21-13, 21-7 winner over Kevin Codd from Bridgetown, Sean O’Neill was an impressive 21-4, 21-16 winner over Noel Sinnott from St Martin’s , while the third Templeudigan man home was Robbie Codd as he saw off the challenge of Robert Ryan from Horeswood on a 21-13, 20-21, 21-4 score line. The only man who can now stop it being a Templeudigan champion is Andrew Corish from Horeswood as he won the final semi final spot with a 17-21, 21-6, 21-5 win over John Byrne from Ballymitty.
Robert Ryan and Tom Cummins from Horeswood advanced to the semi finals in the Junior D doubles as they defeated James Mernagh and Eddie O’Byrne from Oulart.
Wexford GAA Handball Juvenile 40 x 20 Championships
Under 12 singles
James Creane (St Joseph’s) beat Mark Delahunty ( Ballyhogue)
Jake Clancy (St Joseph’s) beat Craig Murray (Coolgraney)
Ben Barnes (St Mary’s) beat Adam Butler (St Joseph’s)
Todd Hynes (St Mary’s) beat Michael Kearny (St Joseph’s)
Ciaran Connolly (Templeudigan) beat Patrick Dobbs (St Joseph’s)
Under 12 Girls Singles
Cora Doyle (St Joseph’s) beat Cliodhna O’Connell (Coolgraney)
Emma Sweeny (St Joseph’s) beat Ellen Murphy (St Joseph’s)
Andrea Carley (St Joseph’s) beat Lettie Whelan (St Martin’s)
Eva Creane (St Joseph’s) beat Ciara O’Sullivan (Coolgraney)
Emer Phelan (St Joseph’s) beat Elle O’Connor (St Martin’s)
Haley Furlong (St Joseph’s) beat Lauren Flanagan (Coolgraney)
