Categories: Sport
Date: 07 / 03 / 2010
Title: Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann win Connacht Handball Doubles title
Favourites, Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann secured the provincial senior doubles title with a two games to nil victory over challengers Vincent Moran and Campbell Brennan at Ballaghaderreen yesterday afternoon.
Keegan and McCann were easy winners of the first game on a 21 aces to 3 scoreline but Brennan and Moran made a real fight of it in the second and were unlucky not to bring the match to a deciding third - but the all-Ireland champions did just enough to secure the win 21 aces to 17.
Roscommon's Marianna Rushe was never really troubled by club mate Leona Doolin in the Ladies Senior singles final and the St. Coman's girl powered to a convincing 21-8, 21-10.
The opening match - the Boys Minor Singles Final - was the most entertaining of the afternoon. Galway duo, Martin Mulkerrins and Seamus O' Conghaile just did enough to see off the spirited challenge of Roscommon duo Cian Connolly and Mark Nally in three games. The Galway pair won the first 21 aces to 12 but Nally and Connolly forced the match to a deciding third as they won the second 21 aces 18. Mulkerrins and O' Conghaile kept there nerve in a thrilling third which they
won 21 -17 to send Galway duo into the all-Ireland Minor Doubles semi-final in three weeks time.
Joe McCann was in action once again this afternoon in the final round of the all-Ireland Senior singles qualifiers at Kells. However the Ballaghaderreen man's involvement in the singles championship came to an end at the hands of Antrim's Ricky McCann in three games. He lost the first heavily but won the second 21 -18 but he made little impact in the deciding third which he lost 21 aces to 4.