Wexford Farmers Co-op 40×20 County handball finals
The local small alley handball season is coming to its end and last week saw more of the finals of this year’s Wexford Farmers Co-op 40×20 county handball finals played out, with the top event taking place over the past week as Barry Goff dethroned the three in a row champion Gavin Buggy in a fantastic final played last Wednesday night in St Joseph’s handball centre in Wexford town.
With Gavin Buggy being the champion for the last few seasons he was once again favourite to claim the top honour of the county championships , although since his return to the handball scenes after a number of years away Goff has fast become the biggest threat to Buggy. Gavin Buggy took last year’s final but he was blown out of the water in the opening set of this year’s repeat as Barry Goff stormed to a 21-6 win in the opening set.
Gavin however stood up to the challenge in the second set and showed why he has been champion on so many occasions with a grafting 21-17 win in the second set to set up a tie breaker in the final.
Both players delivered top class handball, with fantastic serving and returning some deadly kill shots and some unbelievable rallies that kept the crowd wondering who would collect the gold medal. It was to be Goff’s night as he pressed for home and took the game 21-19.
Amanda Kelly collected her first ever senior county medal last Wednesday night in the opening game in ST Joseph’s handball court as she took on and beat Laura Anne Furlong from Bridgetown in the Ladies Senior singles final. The Templeudigan star showed her best handball on the night and was just always able to hit the winning shots as she took the title on a 21-11, 21-11 score line.
Galeon Riordan from Ballyhogue won the battle between youth and experience in the final of the intermediate singles as he was made to fight all the way by Benny Doyle from Horeswood. The minor star in blue and white took the opening set 21-14, but was given a handballing lesson in the second set by Doyle who set up a tiebreaker with a 21-7 win. The third set was a great battle with both players looking destined for victory at certain stages in the event before Riordan pushed on to win 21-16 and move to the senior ranks after this fine win.
Templeudigan duo Noel Holohan and David Redmond showed signs of getting back to their best handball with a very good win in the intermediate doubles final last Monday night in Bree. Up against in form Darren O’Toole and new comer Greg O’Rourke, it was a fast tempo and some great picks off the floor that saw the men in green and white down the Coolgraney boy’s on a 21-7, 21-14 score line.
Michael Busher collected two singles titles last week as he was crowned champion in Junior and Junior B singles after two fine wins. In the final of the Junior singles the Bridgetown native was in too good of form for Fergal McWilliams from Horeswood winning on a 21-8, 21-8 score line , while in the Junior B singles final Busher completed his double of success with a 21-13, 21-10 win over Shane Rossiter from Ballymitty.
Robert Byrne took the honours in the junior C singles final as he triumphed over Eugene English from Ballyhogue in another three set game that was very entertaining. Byrne collected the gold medal after he completed a 9-21, 21-7, 21-10 win .
Sean O’Neill got the better of his doubles partner and hurling team mate from Rathnure, Dermot Flynn in the final of the Junior D singles. A week after winning the Junior D doubles title the partnership was left to one side for this game as Sean O’Neill played some fantastic handball in a 21-14, 21-1 win, with both of these players certain to be big contenders in junior C singles next year.
Padraig Foley from Castlebridge was in fantastic form in the final of the Minor singles as he completely out played Richard Martin(Jnr) in the final as the man from Castlebridge romped home on a 21-3, 21-4 score line.
Shane Rossiter made up for his disappointment in the Junior B singles final by collecting the honours in the Masters B Singles as the Ballymitty man beat Damien Kelly from Coolgraney on a 21-15, 21-10 score line, in a great game from two men more associated with big alley handball.
Pechelli English and Eammon Bowe partnered up to collect the Golden Masters Doubles for their club Davidstown, in a three set game it was Billy Rossiter and Sonny Sheils from Ballyhogue who tasted defeat but they played their part in another fantastic final with the Davidstown men getting through 8-21, 21-13, 21-14.
Jim Doyle is the champion of the Diamond Masters singles as he produced the goods on finals night for his club Barntown in seeing off the challenge of Harry Leacy from St Joseph’s on a 21-1, 21-13 score line.
