Leinster Handball Championships 40 x 20 2013
Lilywhite O’Connor denies Lambert in thriller.
There was a mixture of success and failure for Wexford in the second week of the 40 x 20 provincial handball championships.
Paul Lambert crashed out of the opening round of the intermediate singles as he was unable to get the better of Niall O’Connor from Kildare in a thrilling three set encounter. In the opening set Lambert was in good form and won 21-17, however the man from the midlands struck back in the second set with a 21-18 win and from there O’Connor and Lambert went head to head in a classic third set that eventually saw the Lilywhite take the win on a 21-20 score line.
There was another belter of a game in the first round of the junior doubles as last year’s Junior B doubles winners Darren O’Toole and Malachy Whelan beat very good Carlow pairing Padraig Townsend and David Donovan 21-17, 21-20.
It was a very good week for the McWilliams brothers Barry and Fergal as they had two wins in the junior b doubles grade. In the opening round the Horeswood pairing saw off Richard Delaney and Steve Doyle from Carlow 21-10, 21-4, and they followed up that success by coming through a tough encounter against Laois duo Michael Donovan and Eamon Dunne on an 11-21, 21-9, and 21-11 score line.
Michael Busher and Paddy Haughton secured their route through to the second round of the same competition as they blitzed past Gary and Jamie Balfe from Kildare on a 21-17, 21-5 score line.
John Roche had a fantastic victory in the opening round of the masters B singles as he won a three set clash against Ollie Falsey from Kilkenny on a 21-16, 5-21, 21-9 score line. However Phil Coleman was unable to replicate that result as he lost in the Silver Masters B singles to Kilkenny’s Tom O’Keefe on a 21-6, 21-8 score line.
Marguerite Gore was in good form in the first round of the Ladies Junior singles as the St Mary’s club woman put in a solid 21-14, 21-6 win over Ciara Dowling from Laois.
