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McCarthy the Champ in Thriller

Paul Fitzpatrick

It was one of the most eagerly-awaited All-Ireland senior finals in living memory and yesterday's decider at Kingscourt didn't disappoint as Westmeath's Robbie McCarthy saw off Armagh's Charly Shanks 21-20 in the third game of a dramatic two-hour slugfest.

Eleven years have passed since a senior singles final went down to the closest possible margin – when Cork's Tony Healy edged past Cavan's Paul Brady at O'Loughlin's, Kilkenny – but what made this epic all the more memorable was that McCarthy looked dead and buried.

The Mullingar maestro had dropped the first game 21-12 to the Lurgan man, who was fired up and controlling the exchanges from the service box, but bounced back to take game two 21-6, dominating front court and consistently ending rallies with trademark dump shots in both corners.

The exchanges were tight at the beginning of the deciding set but Shanks (32), roared on by a huge travelling support, looked set to take his maiden senior 40x20 title when he raced into a 12-4 lead.

And while McCarthy rallied, the Lurgan right-hander pulled clear again to lead 18-13 and then 20-15, greeting his arrival at game-ball with a huge fist pump.

But McCarthy proved that he has ice in his veins. In a tense closing passage of play, he flattened the ball off the back wall on Shanks' first serve for the match and then held off a second game-ball to close the gap, before drawing level at 20-all when a soft paddle attempt in the front left fell agonisingly short.

The defending champion made the most of his chance when he found himself serving for the match, playing a perfect rally. And when Shanks forced the issue with a kill attempt from 30 feet, McCarthy pounced, dumping the ball dead-weight around the front corner for the winning point.

It was heartbreaking for the Ulster champion but Naval recruit McCarthy had proven his mettle and came through the toughest of examinations.

McCarthy will now captain Team Ireland at the World Handball Championships in Canada this August; for now, though, he will be entitled to take some time to celebrate and reflect on a job well done.

The two-time winner also proved himself to be an outstanding sportsman, making at least four calls against himself which drew sustained applause from the crowd.

Although both played extremely well in patches, nerves were possibly a factor as neither man consistently played their best handball over the course of a match which fluctuated from the scrappy to the sublime. There were numerous prolonged ceiling exchanges and some stunning picks but in the end, Shanks' sensational serve deserted him at the wrong time and McCarthy timed his run from off the pace and just caught him on the line.

The champion was gracious in victory.

“I can't believe I'm here myself with the cup,” he said.

“While I'm absolutely delighted with the win, I do feel very sorry for Charly, he was so close and I hope he gets a senior All-Ireland because he deserves it.”

At 20-15 down, his plan was simple – keep battling.

“You just have to keep taking it one ace at a time, keeping going for my shots. I got a bit of luck but I knew if I just kept going, I'd have a chance. The navy training has really helped in my fitness and I think that showed there as well.”