Paddy Walsh into All-Ireland Over 70's final
Walsh into All-Ireland final
The legendary Paddy Walsh is into this year’s All-Ireland Over 70 singles final without having a game in this year’s championships. Walsh was due to play Dublin’s Mick O’ Brien last Saturday in Collooney but the game was called off after the Dubliner got injured prior to the match. Walsh will now play Cork’s Pat O’Brien in the final. Another Sligo player Francis McCann had to withdraw from the semi-finals following a rib injury picked up in the week before his semi-final contest with Westmeath’s Robbie Mc Carthy. It was disappointment for Mc Cann as the Ballymote man had his sights on winning the All-Ireland this year.
Martin Cooney & Noel Holden Kilkenny All-Ireland Silver Masters B singles semi-final
Castleconnor’s Martin Cooney had a high noon showdown with Kilkenny’s Noel Holden in the Silver Masters B semi final on Sunday. It was looking good for Cooney as he comfortably took the opening game by 21-9. Unfortunately he picked up a shoulder injury in the second and this allowed the Kilkenny man back into it. It was a very tight second game with Holden just holding off Cooney by 21-18. In the tie breaker it was equally as close. Cooney tried to shake off the injury but Holden just did enough to reach the final.
All-Ireland handball 60 x 30 championships semi-finals:
Silver Masters B singles: Martin Cooney (Sligo) lost to Noel Holden (Kilkenny) 21-9, 18-21, 16-21.
Over 70’s singles: Paddy Walsh (Sligo) recd a walkover from Mick O’Brien (Dublin)
McCann in a race against time to be fit for Sundays All-Ireland semi-final
Ballymote’s Francis Mc Cann & Martin Golden have home
advantage in their semi-final outing with Meath’s Christy McGovern & John
Boy Molloy. For Francis McCann is in a race against time to be fit for the tie
following an injury picked up in training that forced out of last weekend’s
All-Ireland singles semi final. The Ballymote duo have amassed 10 Connacht
titles to their credit but have yet to taste All-Ireland success together.
Their Meath opponents have already won
this year’s All-Ireland Golden Masters A 40 x 20 doubles title together and
will go in as firm favourites. Both McGovern & Molloy became world handball
champions last October in Citywest and have a great pedigree. McCann &
Golden defeated Roscommon’s Ger Walsh & Dermot Doolin by 21-14, 21-19 while
McGovern & Molloy defeated Kildare’s
Mick Dowling & Padraig Maguire. It is a big ask of the Sligo men but a
fully fit McCann & Golden will press the Meath men to their limits in
Ballymote and could cause a shock in their home court. The Sligo players will
have large support from Sligo in what is expected to be an intriguing
contest.
Martin Donnelly
sponsored All-Ireland 60 x 30 championships semi-finals
Sunday 1st September At Ballymote at 3 p.m.
Golden
Masters A doubles (Francis McCann & Martin Golden (Sligo) v Christy McGovern & John Boy
Molloy (Meath)
Aaron Scollan Leitrim congratulates Jason Earlis on his quarter final victory in the Boys U-17 singles
Sligo Juveniles into Connacht finals
Jason Earlis is again back in action this weekend in the semi-finals of the Boys U-17 singles. Earlis from the Castleconnor club is having a great year in handball having helped Castleconnor to an historic first Interclub Connacht title at Junior B level. Earlis defeated Leitrim’s Aaron Scollan 21-12, 21-9 last Friday and he should account for Galway Ronan O’ Beolain in the semi-finals on Saturday. A number of Sligo players are already into two provincial finals. Aoife Quinn who won an historic Irish Nationals Girls U-15 singles 40 x 20 title earlier this year will be hoping of adding a Connacht title to an already successful season. While Stanley Harte & Patrick Fox both from the Collooney club will be hopeful of victory in the Boys U-17 doubles final
Connacht Juvenile A 60 x 30 championships
Saturday 31st August in Belcarra Co. Mayo
U-16 Girls singles final Aoife Quinn (Sligo) v Fiona Tully Ros or Tara Gibbons Mayo
U-17 singles Boys semi-final: Jason Earlis (Sligo) v Ronan O’ Beolain (Galway)
U-17 Boys doubles final: Stanley Harte Jnr & Patrick Fox Sligo) v
Alan Kenny, Nathan Massey (Mayo)
