Leinster 60 x 30 Handball Championships.
Wexford handballers scored a perfect week in the Leinster championships last week as four wins from four were recorded in Junior and Junior B doubles.
Last year’s winner on the Junior B scene Paddy Haughton and Michael Busher are making a nice transition into the Junior grade with a fine 21-19, 21-10 win being recorded over Meath men Stephen Quinn and Mark Farrell. One of the main contending pairs in this grade both in the province and nationally Paul Lambert and Peter Hughes were made to work very hard in a two set to one win over Fergal O’Riain and Mick O’Donnell from Dublin. All looked to be going to plan in the opening set as the Wexford pair led 21-7 but their gallop was halted in the second set as the Dublin boys hit hard for a 21-14 win. The final say was purple and gold however as the St Joseph’s/ Ballyhogue combination blitzed away 21-3 in the decider.
In the next grade down Junior B doubles saw Wexford continue their impressive week on the 60 x 30 courts as JR Finn and Alan O’Neill were in too good of form for John O’Neill and Fergal Lawlor from Kilkenny and won through 21-16, 21-8. Coolgraney duo Ned Connors and Damien Kelly also made an impressive start in the same grade taking out a favoured Laois pairing in the opening round on a 21-6, 14-21, 21-15 score line.
Wexford Farmers Co-op 60 x 30 County Semi Finals
The big alley handball season reached the penultimate rounds during the past two weeks as the semi finals of the Wexford Farmer’s Co-op 60 x 30 championships took place in some fantastic courts around county Wexford.
The top billing event is the senior singles and it will be a clash of Wexford town duo Gavin Buggy (St Joseph’s) and Tommy Hynes (St Mary’s). Gavin Buggy made it through to the final after beating his club mate Paul Lambert in a routine 21-7, 21-13 fashion. It was far from plain sailing for Tommmy Hynes however as Mikie Berry from Barntown really did his best to throw a spanner in the works of the favourites tag. In a brilliant opening set for the underdog Berry powered shots past Hynes in winning 21-7. Tommy Hynes is around the handball scene for a long time and all his hunger, desire and experience was called upon to get him out of trouble in the second as he won 21-20. With the momentum in his corner Hynes pushed for home and won 21-7. It will make for an interesting final as Buggy this year left St Mary’s and transferred to St Joseph’s and should add an extra spark to an already promising final.
Marguerite Gore and Holly Hynes will contest an all St Mary’s women’s singles final in two weeks time as they both had impressive semi final victories. Gore blitzed Lorraine Maddock from St martin’s on a 21-2, 21-5 score line , while Holly Hynes took a comfortable opening set 21-3 against Tanya O’Toole from Coolgraney before being pushed all the way in a 21-17 win in the second set.
Castlebridge duo Malachy Whelan and John Roche from Castlebridge held the aces in a fine win over Templeudigan pair Tony Breen and Michael O’Neill winning 21-6 , 21-12 in the intermediate doubles semi final.
Moving onto the Junior grades and again there was some high octane handball played out JR Finn from Ballymitty secured his final berth in the junior singles beating Padraig Roberts from Kilmyshall 21-16, 21-8, and in the final it will be Coolgraney man Damien Kelly who will provide the opposition after he got past Robert Byrne from Bridgetown 21-6, 21-10.
County chairman Alan O’Neill (Ballymitty) did his talking on the court in the Junior B singles last week as he won a final spot 21-8, 21-9 against Ronan Greene from Barntown.
It’s going to be an all Ballymitty match up in the junior C singles final as Seamie O’Neill beat Richard Martin from Bridgetown 21-13, 21-17, while Paul Cleary completed an all blue and white final after beating John Murphy from Kilmyshall 21-10, 21-18.
IN the junior D singles championships Eugene English from Ballyhogue defeated Jason Byrne from Ballymitty 21-9, 21-14 while in the final he will meet Tommy Byrne from Kilmyshall after he beat PJ Martin from Bridgetown 21-14, 13-21, 21-15 in the semi finals.
Phil Coleman was another Ballymitty winner this time in the Masters A singles semi final where he took care of Mick Armstrong from Davidstown on a 21-14, 21-17 score.
Jimmy Moran and Frank Maddock had a successful night in the Masters B doubles semi finals winning for Ballymitty on a 13-21, 21-18, 21-10 score over Mick Carthy and PJ Leacy from Taghmon, while in the final they will meet Barntown duo Mick Donovan and Ricky Barron (Barntown) who beat David Cleary and Marty Kinsella from Ballymitty 13-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Pechelli English (Davidstown) advanced to the Golden masters singles final after a 21-8, 21-8 win over Jim Doyle from Barntown, while in the Golden Masters doubles semi final it was a fine win for Stephen and Brendan Murphy from Castlebridge as they beat Tom Byrne and John Dunne from Kilmyshall 18-21, 21-7, 21-14.
