It's Ladies Finals Day in the Myclubshop.ie All-Ireland 60x30 Championship on Saturday in Abbeylara, with three other enticing Men's Senior SF's also on the four match programme.
The showpiece match will see reigning three time champion Catriona Casey (Cork) take on Limerick's Martina McMahon in what is a repeat of last years final. On that occasion Casey saw off the first time finalist McMahon in two straight games 21-11, 21-10, but with another year of Senior Handball under her belt, the stylish Limerick left hander will be eager to push Casey closer this time round.
McMahon had a good testing SF against Kilkenny's Ciara Mahon, but will have to up her game another level if she is to end Casey's dominance of the softball code, which has been very impressive over the last 3 years. She has won the last three singles and three doubles All-Irelands, all in straight games, and looked in imperious form in her dominant 21-2, 21-3 SF win over Mayo's Amy Corrigan last week. This match up will be the second game on the programme (3.30pm).
First up will be the Men's Senior Doubles SF between Limerick (CJ Fitzpatrick/Evan Murphy) & Kilkenny (Michael Ducksy Walsh/Ciaran Neary). With the withdrawal of the reigning three time champions Meath (Brian Carroll/Tom Sheridan) from the field, this Championship has now been thrown wide open with all four semi-finalists now eyeing glory. The experience of Kilkenny will see them enter this SF as slight favourites. Ducksy Walsh showed he still is one of the top players in the game when pushing Eoin Kennedy to 21-17 in the second game in last weekends Singles SF, and with left handed Neary his partner, they will be a tough duo to overcome given their consistency. The Limerick lads are a young team however and will hold no fear over their elder opponents, and although they received a QF bye, they did produce an eye catching and dominant Round of 16 win over Mayo (Vinny Moran/Campbell Brennan), so they too will have plenty of confidence in their ability.
The third match on the bill is the second Men's Singles SF between Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) & Ger Coonan (Tipperary), with reigning champion Eoin Kennedy (Dublin) awaiting the winner in next weekends final. McCarthy is a class act in the softball code, and after a 21-5 first game win in last years Singles final, he looked to be in cruise control to go on and win his 4th consecutive title. What happened in the next two games will ensure that final will go down as one of the most memorable in history, but regardless of that outcome, McCarthy is a silky player and will be strong favourite this weekend. Coonan himself is a very natural player and is at home in the big court. In route to the SF he comfortably saw off Ciaran Neary (Kilkenny) & James Brady (Cavan) in straight games, and he will be hopeful to continue his form against McCarthy, but will have to be very clinical and take all his chances when they arise against the top seed.
The final match of the day is in many peoples eyes going to be the most competitive. It is the second Men's Doubles SF between 2014 Irish Nationals champs Eoin Kennedy & Carl Browne (Dublin) and Mayo men Joe McCann & Dessie Keegan. The Mayo men are the highest seeds left in the draw, and may see this year as their best ever opportunity to claim that elusive All-Ireland they crave as their big rivals Meath (Brian Carroll/Tom Sheridan) are not in the draw. McCann & Keegan have reached the last 4 Finals, losing the last three to Meath, with this year marking 10 years since their first final defeat in 2005, ironically to Saturday's opponent Eoin kennedy, alongside then partner Egin Jensen. This match on paper looks like a cracker considering the experience and quality that will be in the court, and is scheduled for a 6pm start.
Fixtures - Myclubshop.ie All-Ireland 60x30 Championship:
Saturday 3rd October 2015 in Abbeylara
- 2.00pm MSD SF 1: Limerick (CJ Fitzpatrick/Evan Murphy v Kilkenny (Michael Walsh/Ciaran Neary)
- 3.30pm LSS Final: Cork (Catriona Casey) v Limerick (Martina McMahon)
- 5.00pm MSS SF 1: Westmeath (Robbie McCarthy) w/o Tipperary (Ger Coonan) *** Note w/o - 2/10/15
- 6.00pm MSD SF 2: Dublin (Eoin Kennedy/Carl Browne) v Mayo (Joe McCann/Dessie Keegan)
