The 2016 Gaffney Memorial National Ranking event, sponsored by Drury Oils Ltd, and hosted by Ballaghaderreen HC has been won by current All-Ireland Champion Robbie McCarthy in a gripping final encounter with reigning Gaffney Memorial champion Killian Carroll.
Semi-Finals:
Killian Carroll (Cork) dft Charly Shanks (Armagh) 21-19, 21-10
Both men are in fine form so this SF was set up nicely. Killian started best and led 15-8, but Shanks fought back to level the game at 19-19. Both men knew the importance of the first game but both struggled to make the breakthrough, with 7 consecutive handouts without a score. But Killian scored two quick points, flattening a ball at 20 to win 21-19.
That was a sucker blow for Shanks, and it gave Killian the momentum going into the second game, which he made the most of, leading 15-4. This lead proved too big to reel in for the second time, and Killian advanced to his three consecutive final on a score line of 21-10.
Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) dft Martin Mulkerrins (Galway) 21-19, 21-14
What a strange game! Martin blitzed McCarthy with a serve and shoot masterclass to go 12-0 up in the first! But McCarthy responds with a 19-1 return to lead 19-13. Martin gets back to 20-19 but can get no further as Robbie seals the first 21-19.
The second wasn't quite as dramatic but tense nevertheless! Robbie held the slight advantage throughout and at 18-14 he went on a run of three quick points to seal his final spot, a 4pm shootout with reigning champ Killian Carroll.
That was a good tournament for Mulkerrins, with three tough, competitive games that will stand him good for the upcoming All-Ireland Championships!
Final:
Robbie McCarthy dfts Killian Carroll 19-21, 21-9, 11-4
A cracking way to end the tournament as McCarthy defeats the reigning champ to claim his 3rd Gaffney Memorial. There was little to separate both players in most people’s minds, with Carroll having impressed to recently reach the World Championship final in Calgary, Canada, while McCarthy is the current All Ireland senior champion.
The final did not disappoint. The semi-final had clearly taken a lot out of McCarthy, and a player with the speed and endurance of Carroll who revels in attritional matches was the toughest match-up he could have come up against. However, as the match began to settle the Westmeathman hit a splendid run of form, coming back to level the match at 19-19. The sportsmanship on display from both players was a joy to watch, and one might speculate that Carroll reaped some positive karma after calling an avoidable block on himself to allow McCarthy regain serve, only to get back in himself serve out the game 21-19.
Despite narrowly losing the first game, McCarty’s play had come through a lull to reach the dizzy heights of his semi-final performance. Quick out of the blocks McCarthy rocked Carroll with a series of big kills from the back court, cutting rallies short and denying the defending champion any time to get set on his shots, and taking game two 21-9. In the tiebreak McCarthy continued to ride this wave of thunderous serving and un-gattable kill shots. Despite noble efforts from Carroll, putting his body on the line and chasing down lost causes, McCarthy ran out deserving winner on a score line of 11-4 to rapturous applause from the packed crowd in Ballaghaderreen.
Ballaghaderreen handball club would like to extend special thanks to our main sponsor, Drury Oils Ltd., and our other sponsors, Durkin’s Hotel & Restaurant, the Connaught Handball Council, GAA Handball, Spells Bar, McHugh’s Wholesale, Noel Regan & Sons, Gaelectric, Jennings Pump Hire, Ros Plant Hire, O’Hara Bakery, DS Signs, Moriarty Civil Engineering Contractors. Without this continued sponsorship, great events like this would be impossible.