The finalists in the Myclubshop.ie Mens and Ladies All Ireland Singles Championship were confirmed today as the favourites all advanced from their respective semi finals.
Reigning champion Robbie McCarthy was at his brilliant best at times as he brushed aside the challenge of Meath's Gary McConnell. McConnell was the form player of the championship coming into today's game and it was he who started the better and looked confident and at ease in his first senior semi final as he raced into a 7-1 lead. McCarthy never looked rattled and began to reel in the Meathman with some mesmerising shots and soon the game was level before the Mullingar man hit top gear and accelerated to a 17-7 lead. This killed any momentum McConnell may have had and McCarthy continued to a 21-9 victory.
The second started off in a cagey affair and was level at 2-2 as McConnell looked to make a game of it. McCarthy however was more clinical and again built up a lead that was impossible for McConnell to catch. Try as he might McConnell could not find his form when it mattered most and a number of chances to put points on the board went begging. Despite a flat patch in the middle of the game McCarthy found his groove once more and sealed a 21-9, 21-9 win to advance to the final.
In the other Mens Semi Final Dublin's Eoin Kennedy survived a major scare when he was pushed all the way by Meath's Brian Carroll before prevailing on a 21-18, 21-20 scoreline. Carroll shocked Kennedy in the first racing into a 13-3 lead and the crowd sensed a shock on the cards as Kennedy seemed to have no answers to Carroll's sublime shooting and retrieval skills. Kennedy is not a nine time champion for nothing though and he summonsed all his experience as he ran off a succession of points to level the game at 14-14. Carroll pushed his score to 15 and Kennedy once more levelled and then led incredibly for the first time in the game at 16-15 which he then stretched to 18-15 as he looked to have got the upper hand. Carroll however showed great spirit and closed the gap to 18-20 before a missed chance allowed Kennedy in to seal the game much to the relief of his supporters.
In the second Carroll took a 6-2 lead before Kennedy once more reigned him in and took a 14-6 lead as he looked to be coasting towards the finish line. Carroll to his credit kept fighting and came back once more and despite trailing 18-15 he levelled at 18-18 and 20-20 as the crowd were on the edge of their seats. It would only take one point to send it to a third game but one slip let Kennedy in and he closed out the game 21-20 to reach his 16th Senior Singles Final and 14th in a row. This semi final victory will surely rank up there as one of his greatest.
The first game of the day saw reigning champion Martina McMahon (Limerick) advance to her fourth final as she overcame the challenge of Kilkenny's Ciara Mahon. In the first McMahon was at her imperious best and despite a slow start she soon found her rhythm and sealed a 21-4 win over the number 3 seed. Mahon fought back in the second and pushed the number two seed all the way but McMahon was just too strong as she closed out the game 21-10 and sealed her passage to the final in two weeks time where she will meet Cork's Catriona Casey in a repeat of last year's decider.