The 4-Wall season opened with a bang at the weekend with some fantastic handball at the Golden Gloves in Belfast.
In the game of the weekend, Martina McMahon just edged Catriona Casey to claim the Ladies Open title, in yet another classic between these two incredible players. Martina showed her form and ruthlessness in the SF, easily dispatching Fiona Tully, whilst Casey also was impressive in seeing off Aisling Reilly.
It looked as if Casey would retain her title when she took the first game 15-8, but Martina raised her game and her long range kills started coming off as she proceeded to win 15-13, 11-9, much to the joy of the packed galleries.
The early stages of the Men's Open saw two younger players Jordan O'Neill (Antrim) & Fergal Coughlan (Clare) pull off some good wins and advance to their first QF showings. Local man O'Neill seeing off Daniel Relihan & Patrick Funchion before falling to finalist Colin Crehan in a tiebreak. This years Junior All-Ireland champ Coughlan defeating Ger Coonan & Michael Gregan, albeit the latter due to an injury withdrawal.
In the SF's, Crehan finally got the better of his Doubles partner Diarmaid Nash in two close games, whilst Robbie McCarthy looked dead and buried after the his opener versus Martin Mulkerrins. But the current All-Ireland Senior champ showed his class to prevail in three games, before going on to blitz Crehan in the final.
Next up on the Senior Ranking Tour is the Breacach Open in Tyrone on Dec 13th - 15th.
Results:
Ladies Open
Prelims:
- Megan McCann (Arm) dft Aoife McCarthy (West) 15-7, 15-4
- Mollie Dagg (Kild) dft Doireann Murphy (Clare)
QF's
- Catriona Casey (Cork) dft Megan McCann (Arm) 15-4, 15-6
- Aisling Reilly (Ant) dft Aishling O'Keeffe 15-0, 15-7
- Fiona Tully (Ros) dft Niamh Heffernan (Gal) 8-15, 15-8, 11-3
- Martina McMahon (Lim) dft Mollie Dagg (Kildare) 15-4, 15-3
SF's
- Catriona Casey dft Aisling Reilly 15-3, 15-4
- Martina McMahon dft Fiona Tully 15-0, 15-0
Final
- Martina McMahon dft Catriona Casey 8-15, 15-13, 11-9
Men's Open
Prelims
- Tadhg O'Neill (Cork) dft Diarmuid Mulkerrins (Gal) 15-10, 13-15, 11-7
- Peter Funchion (KK) dft Sean Clarke (Ant) 15-7, 15-3
- Jordan O'Neill (Ant) dft Daniel Relihan (Cork) 15-7, 15-8
- Owen McKenna (Ant) dft Kevin Diggins (Kild) 15-5, 15-3
- Ryan Mullan (Tyr) dft Michael Hedigan (Cork) 15-11, 14-15, 11-0
- Fergal Coughlan (Clare) dft Ger Coonan (Tipp) 15-9, 15-7
- Eoghan McGinnity (Mon) dft Paul Moran (Kild) 15-12, 15-6
- Galen Riordan (Wex) dft David Walsh (Cork) 15-10, 15-3
Last 16
- Diarmuid Nash (Clare) dft Tadhg O'Neill (Cork) 15-9, 15-4
- Peter Funchion (KK) dft Gavin Buggy (Wex) 15-7, 15-2
- Jordan O'Neill (Ant) dft Patrick Funchion (KK) 6-15, 15-5, 11-5
- Colin Crehan (Clare) dft Owen McKenna (Ant) 15-5, 9-15, 11-0
- Martin Mulkerrins (Gal) dft Ryan Mullan (Tyr) 15-9, 15-2
- Fergal Coughlan (Clare) dft Michael Gregan (Wick) 6-15, 11-4 ret inj
- Eoghan McGinnity (Mon) dft Charly Shanks 4-11 ret inj
- Robbie McCarthy (West) dft Galen Riordan (Wex) 15-3, 15-9
QF's
- Diarmuid Nash dft Peter Funchion 15-12, 15-2
- Colin Crehan dft Jordan O'Neill 9-15, 15-6, 11-6
- Martin Mulkerrins dft Fergal Coughlan 15-7, 15-1
- Robbie McCarthy dft Eoghan McGinnity 15-3, 15-3
SF's
- Colin Crehan dft Diarmuid Nash 15-14, 15-11
- Robbie McCarthy dft Martin Mulkerrins 4-15, 15-13, 11-7
Final
- Robbie McCarthy dft Colin Crehan 15-3, 15-1
Other Finals:
- Men's A: Michael Hedigan (Cork) dft Kevin Diggins (Kild)
- Men's C: Michael Armstrong dft Lee Fitzpatrick (Ant) 15-5, 15-9
- 40+: Sean Devine (Ant) dft Paul Graham (Ant) 15-5, 7-15, 11-6
- 40+ B: Con Collins dft Mickey Kettle 5-15, 15-8, 11-8
- 50+: Thomas Donegan (Lim) dft John Herlihy (Cork)
- Ladies B: Sabrina Hughes (Dub) dft Laura Mannion (Ros) 15-5, 15-3
- B13&U: Noah Minogue (KK) dft Joshua Roche (Wex)
- B15&U: Mikey Kelly (Gal) dft Gary McAleer (Tyr)
- B17&U: Mark Doyle (Wex) dft Cahir Munroe (Tyr) 15-8, 15-13
- G13&U: Christine Percy (Tipp) dft Emily McGinnity (Mon)
- G15&U: Clodagh Munroe (Tyr) dft Cloda Nic Con Midhe (Tyr)
- G17&U: Noelle Dowling (KK) dft Louise McGinnity (Mon)