Search Results for 'Ollie Cassidy'

Amy Corrigan and Pauline Gallagher carry the hopes of Mayo handball as they line out in their first senior final at Thurles this Saturday against favourites Maria Daly and Ashley Prendiville of Kerry. The Ballaghaderreen-Swinford duo played the match of their lives in the semi-final to comprehensively defeat second seeds, Marianna and Hilary Rushe of Roscommon, in the semi-final three weeks ago to merit a shot at the title, and while the Kerry pair, who also meet each other in the singles final later this month, represent formidable opposition, Corrigan and Gallagher should provide worthy opposition. It is a particularly busy spell for Corrigan who lines out again Cathriona Casey in the ladies’ minor singles final a week on Saturday.

Mayo's Ollie Cassidy and Paul Flynn lost out on a place in the all-Ireland intermediate doubles semi-final on Sunday last as they went down in two games to Kilkenny duo Timmy and David Clifford. The Swinford/Ballaghaderreen duo got off to a bad start in the opening game and lost is 21 aces to 10. It was a different story in the second as the Mayo duo really got stuck in and, playing some great handball coupled with top class serving, they led 16 aces to 8 at one stage. However try as they might they simply could not finish off this game and despite serving out game ball at 20 aces to 19 they lost the second by a single ace 21-20 and with it their hopes of a tilt at the title in three weeks’ time. However much credit must go to Cassidy who put the heartbreak of his father’s death just nine days ago behind him, to turn in a fine performance on the day.

Mayo duo Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann made a somewhat disappointing exit from the All-Ireland senior doubles championship as they lost out to Wexford duo Barry Goff and Colin Keeling in three games at Thurles on Saturday evening. There were hopes that the pair would at least threaten for a place in the last four of the doubles championship, and they started with great intent. This was rewarded with a fine 21 aces to 13 win in the opener that set them up nicely for victory. However matters took a turn for the worse after that initial good showing and Keegan, who had been unwell during the week, was unable to maintain the intensity of the first game and the duo paid the price, losing this second game heavily, 21 aces to 5.

Handball

Mayo’s Dessie Keegan remains Connacht’s only senior softball singles quarter-finalist after the third round matches were decided over the weekend. Keegan had the expected victory over Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll in two games at Roscommon on Sunday. Always quick out of the blocks, the Ballaghaderreen club man won the first game impressively 21 aces to 3 and added the second 21-13 to advance to a quarter-final meeting with Wexford’s Gavin Buggy this weekend. However it was a different story for Keegan’s club mates, Joe McCann and Vinnie Moran, as they lost out heavily to Barry Goff (Wexford) and Eoin Kennedy (Dublin) respectively at the weekend. Pauline Gallagher recorded a hard-earned win over Cork’s Aisling O’Keeffe in her senior singles match at Ballina on Saturday last. The Swinford star showed a lot of determination to win out on a 8-21, 21-6, 21-19 scoreline.

Mayo’s senior handballers saw competitive action for the first time this year as the provincial singles and doubles semi-final were played last week. Dessie Keegan defeated club mate Vincent Moran very comfortably to reach the provincial senior final while Joe McCann accounted for Galway’s Ollie Conway in the other semi-final despite the loss of the opening game on an overall 16-21 , 21-6, 21-1 scoreline.

Senior club specialists Ballaghaderreen took a major set in the defence of their senior softball club title when they narrowly defeated top Leinster side, Kells, in the semi-final on Monday night last at Mullingar. Kells were the only side to beat the Mayo club side in the past three years and they included Carl Browne in top class line out while Ballaghaderreen stuck with their tried and tested foursome.

Mayo featured in a number of all-Ireland 40x20 semi-finals against Leinster opposition last weekend, and while there was the odd success, it was the Leinster champions who were the better for the exchanges.

The main highlights of the weekend were the two provincial senior finals at Ballaghaderreen on Saturday. Much had been made of the all-Ballaghaderreen clash between Joe McCann and Dessie Keegan in the men’s final and a good attendance was expecting a close match. However it was clear from the off that while Keegan was on fire there was something seriously amiss with Joe McCann’s game. Keegan blitzed into a commanding 10 aces to nil lead, thanks to some powerful serving and what can be best described as a nightmare start for McCann. Although the game opened up somewhat toward the end of the first, Keegan maintained a hefty lead and won it comfortably 21 aces to six. Any hopes of a recovery by McCann in the second game were short lived as once again the impressive Keegan piled on the aces and the agony for McCann. While Joe McCann did cut the deficit to six aces at 13-7 and it looked for a brief moment that Keegan had lost his momentum this was quickly regained, as Keegan ran out a comfortable winner on a 21 aces to 9 scoreline.

It was a busy week on almost all handball fronts with action for seniors, juniors, masters, and students alike. Vincent Moran and Campbell Brennan have reached the provincial senior doubles final as they recorded a hard-earned two games to one victory over determined Roscommon pair Neil McDermott and Niall McGrath at Roscommon on Friday evening. The Ballaghaderreen club men won the first game 21 aces to 10 but lost the second 21-13. They had to battle all the way in the third before winning it by a singe ace 21-20 to set up an all-Mayo final. The second semi-final, postponed due to the US Collegiates, features Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann against Stephen Cooney and Ian McLoughlin.