Handball action goes according to script

The weekend’s handball action went according to the script, as all the top seeds survived their respective DALKIA Senior Singles Championship clashes to confirm quarter-final spots.

Despite the current refereeing saga in Offaly, Crinkle hosted three entertaining games yesterday afternoon, with the top two current seeds, Cork’s Tony Healy and Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy, in action. Healy saw off the challenge of Mayo’s Joe McCann in a well-fought encounter, 21-13, 21-8, while Kennedy defeated Kerry’s Dominick Lynch after a tough battle, 21-7, 21-7.

Meath’s Brian Carroll and Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll opened proceedings at the Faithful venue. The first game was a tight affair with the Kells clubman just edging the young Treaty player 21-17. However, Carroll pushed into top gear for the second game to book a quarter-final meeting with Cavan’s Paul Brady.

Brady made his return to competitive handball action with a bang on Saturday, where he defeated Antrim’s Owen McKenna with ease in his first real cut-throat outing of 2008. Brady cruised through the first game, showing spells of the form he can produce, to take the opener 21-9. McKenna continued to rally with the former Cavan footballer, but was unable to contend with the sheer athleticism and power of the Mullahoran man and went down 21-8.

It was a bad day of the office for Antrim handballers, as McKenna’s fellow Belfast men, Seamus Ó Tuama and Sean Devine also made their exits from the championship. Young Westmeath star, Robert McCarthy continued his good form, booking a quarter-final spot at the expense of Ó Tuama, while Devine pushed Armagh’s Charly Shanks to a decider, which finished 21-12 in favour of the Lurgan man. Gort na Mona’s Ricky McCann eventually put a stop to the poor fortunes of the Saffron men with a comfortable win over Mayo’s Vinny Moran.

Moran’s Ballaghaderreen clubmate, Dessie Keegan and Cavan’s Michael Finnegan played out a thriller in Abbeylara where a tiebreaker decided the winner. Keegan took the first game 21-20 as Finnegan battled to take the second 21-9. In the tiebreaker, both players delved deep into their reserve tank as the Mayo man held out for a 21-19 win to book his quarter-final spot.

In the DALKIA Ladies Senior Singles Championship, Kerry’s Ashley Prendeville opened her campaign in style with a 21-3, 21-9 victory over Roscommon’s Katie Costello. Fellow Ballmacelligott clubmate, Maria Daly also advanced with a 21-3, 21-2 win over Limerick’s Fidelma O’Reilly.

Bernie Hennessy made an impression in her return to the competitive game, where she overcame the challenge of Mayo’s Pauline Gallagher, 21-7, 21-8. Marianna Rushe (Roscommon) continued her winning ways, with a victory over Limerick’s Sarah Flavin, while her club-mate Deirdre Donohoe lost out to the in-form, Anna Spence (Kildare).

With the DALKIA Senior Singles quarter-final line up now confirmed, doubles action resumes with Charly Shanks and James Doyle (Armagh) taking on Meath’s Tom Sheridan, Brian Carroll in what looks set to be a top-class encounter at Saval tomorrow (Tuesday). Carroll makes his debut alongside the Royal veteran and the pairing have the potential to make their mark on this year’s championship.