Handball
Mayo’s Dessie Keegan bowed out of the All-Ireland senior 60x30 singles championship at the quarter-final stage following his two games to one defeat by Wexford’s Gavin Buggy at Mullingar on Saturday evening last. Keegan, normally quick out of the blocks, lost the opening game 21 aces to 11 but recovered well to take the second 21-12. One might have expected Keegan to push on from there, however the Ballaghaderreen never really go going in this third game against the determined and well-prepared Buggy and this was summed up by the bad start in the third which saw him go 11 aces to nil behind. Keegan did recover some ground but it came too late to affect the outcome and so the Mayo man exited the senior singles at the quarter-final stage as he lost the third 21 aces to 12.
Buggy’s reward is a semi-final meeting with reigning champion Eoin Kennedy of Dublin, while Robbie McCarthy from Westmeath and Ducksy Walsh of Kilkenny meet in the other semi-final in two weeks time.
Both Amy Corrigan and Pauline Gallagher were also casualties of the ladies’ senior quarter-finals, Gallagher was beaten in two games by top seed, Maria Daly from Kerry while Corrigan lost out to Ashley Prendiville also in two games at Hospital, Co Limerick.
Mayo were involved in three provincial juvenile semi-finals over the weekend.
Jonathan Geraghty lost out to the impressive Leitrim’s Donal Wrynn in two games, while Ballaghaderreen duo Christopher Finn and David Maloney were narrowly beaten by Leitrim duo Michael and Shane Doonan in a thrilling semi-final played at Feenagh on Friday night on and overall, 21-19, 17-21, 21-19.
Swinford’s Martin Maughan booked his place in the Connaught under 17 singles final when he put in an impressive performance to defeat Sligo’s Adam McGoldrick in two games at Collooney the same evening. Belcarra’s Darragh Cunnane did just enough to see off the challenge of Sligo’s Tommy Trill in the boys under 15 singles semi-final at Collooney. Cunnane won the opening game 21-9, lost the second 19-21, but won the tie-break third 11 aces to 9.
Dessie Keegan teams up with Joe McCann for a delayed first round tie against Tipperary duo Ger Coonan and Martin McInerney and should they win that match, as expected, they take on Barry Goff and Colin Keeling of Wexford in the senior doubles quarter-final at Thurles on Saturday next at 4pm. Next weekend also sees the first series of all-Ireland 60x30 semi-finals in which Connacht winners take on their Leinster counterparts.
Joe Dowling makes the trip to Clough in Kilkenny this Thursday to play Canice Quigley of Kilkenny in a rescheduled match. Castlebar host two masters’ singles games on Saturday evening from 5pm with Tim Hughes and Martin Vahey in action against Kilkenny opposition. There are two further matches at Castlebar on Sunday from 3pm as Ollie Cassidy and Paul Flynn bid to reach the intermediate doubles final against the experienced Timmy and David Clifford of Kilkenny, while Martin Cronin takes on Carlow’s John Rossiter in the emerald A singles semi-final. Brian McCarthy from Castlebar is in action at Ballymore Eustace on Saturday while u21 doubles duo Ian McLoughlin and Garoid Hughes, and golden masters B singles hopeful Frank Macken made the long trip to Talbot’s Inch for their semi-finals against Kilkenny opposition. Williamstown and Ballymoe host the Connaught juvenile A finals from 10.30am this Saturday, and Mayo have contenders in six of the either finals against either Galway or Roscommon opposition.
