CLARE DUO, Diarmaid Nash and Colin Crehan secured a third senior doubles title in the O’Neill’s All-Ireland 4-Wall Senior Championships.
Nash of Tuamgraney and Crehan from Oatfield defeated first-time finalists Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan of Cork at the new show-court in Croke Park.
There was no sign of nerves from the Liscarroll duo as they matched the Banner most of the way in game one. While Clare led 16-10 and 18-12, Relihan’s shot-making was impressive, as was Hedigan’s solid right-side play.
They took the lead and surged 19-16 in front but the experienced duo refused to panic. Nash’s speed in the front court was extraordinary as he consistently picked anything that wasn’t rolled out while Crehan, who switched to the left when he was serving, came up with the big shots on the home stretch.
A right-handed Nash kill from deep got Cork out of the service box at 16-19. Crehan took Clare to 18 with a left-handed pass with a big hook on it. A Nash re-kill in the right corner tied it, Crehan paddle-killed in the left corner and then drove one at Relihan and forced a hand error to claim the first game.
After that reprieve, there was always a sense that the two-time winners would come to the fore and that was the case in game two as both men played their best stuff of the season to run out 21-13 victors.
David Considine and Mici Sheedy contested the men’s Minor All-Ireland final but lost out to Kilkenny’s Conor Doyle and Noah Manogue 10-21 8-21. They had defeated the Tyrone pair of Ruairí and Killian Kerr in the semi-final.
Leah Minogue and Amber Nolan lost out in the Ladies Junior All-Ireland semi-final against Caitlin Conway and Elizabeth McGarvey 18-21, 21-20 9-11.
Seamus Ryan of Tuamgraney and Kilkishen’s Mike Baker team up this weekend to face Ulster opposition in the semi-finals of the Masters Doubles this weekend. They are competing in the Silver Masters B competition. In the Ruby Masters semi-final, Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Mike Kelly teams up with Pat Lynch of Toonagh to take on Antrim pair, Roy McCoy and John McManus.
