Martin Golden through to Golden Masters B singles Connacht final
Mick McMorrow confident performance reaches Connacht final
Disappointment for Seamus Duffy in Sunday Diamond Masters singles semi-final
Bruen’s brilliant display reaches
Connacht final
There was mixed fortunes for
Sligo handball players in the Connacht handball championships semi-finals
against Galway opponents last Sunday.
St. Mary’s handball club hosted 3 matches and Ballymote’s Martin Golden
got Sligo off to a winning note. Golden made a slow start against Galway’s
Willie Corcoran and it was the Galway man early running that earned him the
opening game by 21-13. Golden then took control. With some winning aces to
Corcoran’s right side and strong passing shots the Ballymote man built up a big
14-3 lead. Golden was killing the ball into the right corner and controlling
the strategic centre court where he was able to dictate play. Corcoran had a
mini revival with 3 points in a row but it was near enough as strong play from
the Ballymote seen him take the second game by 21-10. In the tie break Golden’s greater fitness
began to tell as Corcoran’s fightback wilted under the constant pressure
exerted by the Sligo man. Golden raced
away in the tie breaker comfortable winning it by 21-13 to qualify for the
Provincial final. St. Mary’s Michael McMorrow was never fully extended in his
match with Galway’s Pierce Lalor and could always have upped an extra gear or
two if he was forced too. McMorrow eased his way into the final with a composed
21-10, 21-13 victory over the Galwegian. Seamus Duffy in the Emerald Masters A
singles met an inform Tony McInerney. The more clinical McInerney punished Duffy for any mistakes. Despite a
battling performance in the second game Duffy’s fightback just fell short with
McInerney recording a straight sets victory.
Castleconnor hosted 2 games
also on Sunday. Collooney’s Shane Bruen
(Masters B singles) was expecting
a tough battle against Galway’s Morgan Duggan. Duggan went in as the
clear favourite following the Galway man’s finishing runner up in last year’s
World handball championships Masters B singles final in Citywest. It was the
Sligo man that took the fight to Duggan right from the start. Bruen was on fire
and shocked Duggan with a near flawless
performance. Bruen was on top for most of the game and with great hunger and
instinctive play brushed aside Duggan’s challenge quite easily in the end by
21-11, 21-5. Michael Browne lost out to Darren Beattie in the Junior B singles
while Francis McCann Golden Masters A singles and Paddy Walsh Over 70’s both
received walkovers.
Diamond Masters B singles:
Larry Jones (Sligo) lost to Seamus O’
Fatharta (Galway) 21-11, 10-21, 18-21
Masters B singles: Shane Bruen (Sligo) dft Morgan Duggan (Galway) 21-11, 21-5
Golden Masters A singles: Francis McCann (Sligo) w/o Eamonn Conneely (Galway)
Junior B singles: Michael Browne (Sligo) lost to Darren Beattie
(Roscommon) 12-21, 14-21
Golden Masters B singles: Martin Golden (Sligo)
dft Willie Corcoran (Galway) 13-21, 21-10, 21-3
Emerald Masters B singles: Mick McMorrow (Sligo) dft Pierce Lalor (Galway) 21-10, 21-13
Diamond Masters A singles: Seamus Duffy (Sligo)
lost to Tony McInerney (Galway)
16-21, 10-21
Over 70’s: Paddy Walsh (Sligo) w/o Colm
O’Culain (Galway)
Wednesday
6TH February in Moycullen Co. Galway at 8 p.m.
Silver Masters B singles: Martin Cooney v Priosias Maughan (Galway)
Thursday 7th
February in St. Comans’s Roscommon at 8 p.m.
Junior C singles: Micheal Jones
(Sligo) v John Kelly (Roscommon)
Sligo doubles pairings face Galway
Attention now
turns to the Sligo doubles pairings who will face Galway opponents in the
semi-finals of the doubles championships.
Both Junior B & C doubles pairs are expected to do well while the
Masters B doubles pairing of Shane Bruen & Mark Murphy will be favourites
to advance to the provincial decided. The Sligo pair reached the final of the
Over 35 B doubles final in 2012 and will be hoping to continue on winning ways.
Martin Cooney & Tom Foody both from the Castleconnor club will be hoping
for a good performance in the Silver Masters B singles. Cooney is struggling to
be fit for the match with flu. Francis
McCann & Martin Golden tussle with the Conneely brothers Eamonn &
Martin in the Golden Masters A singles category has the potential of being a
very close encounter. Golden had a good win in the singles last weekend and
with McCann as reliable and consistent as ever should do enough in what is
likely to be a close and exciting contest.
Peter Chambers & Ken Cunningham
are both starved off success in the Sligo colours. On their day they
have a really big performance in them. If the Sligo players can gel together
there is every possibility the Golden Masters B pairing will reach another Connacht final. The Emerald Masters B doubles pairing of
Michael McMorrow & Hugh McGarry are a new combination. McGarry more
accustomed to the bigger 60 x 30 court will be tested by the Galway men.
McMorrow will be boosted by the win in
the singles and playing with a great deal of confidence. McGarry’s great work
rate and willingness should see the pairing qualify for the final. Seamus Duffy
& Pat O’Sullivan in the Diamond Masters A singles will be hoping to repeat
former glory’s when they face Galway opponents. Seamus Duffy will be
disappointed having lost the singles last weekend and will be all the more
determined to make amends. And with O’Sullivan
both very experienced campaigners
will be hoping for an extended run in the competition.
Connacht handball
40 x 20 championships semi-finals 2013 away to Galway next weekend fixtures
Junior C
doubles: Gerry Coleman & Michael
Bruen v Galway
Junior B
doubles: Michael Browne & Joe Gorman v Galway
Masters B doubles: Shane Bruen & Mark Murphy v Galway
Silver
Masters B doubles: Martin Cooney & Tom Foody v Galway
Golden
Masters A doubles: Francis McCann & Martin Golden (Sligo) v Eamonn &
Martin Conneely (Galway)
Golden
Masters B doubles: Peter Chambers &
Ken Cunningham (Sligo) v Galway
Emerald
Masters B doubles: Michael McMorrow & Hugh McGarry (Sligo) Padraig Kelly
& Pierce Lalor (Galway)
Diamond
Masters A doubles: Seamus Duffy &
Pat O’Sullivan (Sligo) v Galway
Over
70’s: Paddy Walsh & Padaig Maye
(Sligo) bye v Galway
