McCann & Golden star in the Collooney handball league win
June 02, 2010Players from Mayo, Roscommon ,Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo took part. There were 4 teams of 8 players (4 doubles pairs) which provided for very competitive and close games throughout the past 3 weeks. The outcome of the winning team was in doubt up to the very last game such was the closeness of the games. None more so than the opening doubles match with McCann & Golden up against the Bofield club duo of Jason Judge & Michael Ginley. It was a tremendous advert for handball with all four players giving exhibitions of handball in an enthralling contest. McCann as ever covered every inch of the Collooney court and was in inspired form right from the word go. Still it was Judge and Ginley who stunned the more illustrious duo from Ballymote when taking game 1 by 21-10.
In the second McCann and Golden weaved their magic when getting the upper hand with a big lead of 9-1. Golden tightened up on the right side while McCann with a Rolls Royce engine covered all over the Collooney court and ran himself to a standstill. Left handed Judge and with Ginley's sweet touches off his right hand made it difficult for the Ballymote men. Ginley & Judge could not pull back the lead and it finished 21-6 thus forcing the 1st doubles game in final to go a tie breaker to 11.
The Ballymote men raced into a 6-1 lead and look on odds to win. Judge & Ginley hit back in tremendous style and rocked McCann & Golden. The large crowd now in attendance warmed to the spectacle before them and Judge & Ginley were energized by the support in the gallery. The duo stormed back into contention and drew level at 6-6 and continued their relentless surge that they would not relinquish. In the end they did enough to secure the win by 11-7.
In the second doubles representing McCann's side were Collooney's John McLoughlin & Michael McGee as they faced off against Michael McMorrow and Tim Hughes. Hughes & McMorrow took an early lead and were ahead in the opening exchanges. Despite playing well and having opportunities to build on their early lead they could not open up a lead against McLoughlin & McGee who started slowly. McMorrow & Hughes were made to pay for missed chances as McLoughlin to the fore especially repelled everything that came his way. At the end McLoughlin & McGee overwhelmed McMorrow & Hughes by 21-13, 21-7.
In the 3rd doubles match Castleconnor's Mark Murphy & Michael O'Reilly from Castlebar who is celebrating his 75th birthday later this year had a big 21-6, 21-7 win over Castleconnor's Michael Browne & Tom Foody. This left only 5 points going into the last doubles match.
McCann's last doubles pair of Michael Bruen Collooney & Michael Connell Bofield went into battle with all to play for against Leitrim's Dessie McKeever and Tommy Trill from the host club. McCann was rewarded when his charges came home with an 21-11, 21-5 victory. The final score was 138-117 for Francis McCann's side. Connacht handball Secretary Connell Cannon presented the trophies to the winners and runners-up. The Sligo Handball Board would like to thank everyone who took part in the league and to Connell Cannon for his overall organization of the entire tournament. Tweet
