Captains rally their men as a battle looms for the EEW sponsored team league Div 1 title

After ten group matches and two semi finals, the way is now clear for the final of the EEW sponsored county D1 team of 4 league and as if to emphasise the competitive nature of this competition, the final will not involve either of the teams that finished first and second in those group stages. 

Team E Blue, powered by Robert Cogley, Liam Rossiter, Eamonn Codd and Conor Horan had led the way going into the semi finals but they were turned over 3-1 by a determined Team C Black, made up of Noel Holohan, Shane Terry, Tommy Armstrong and Keith Devereux, who were reversing the result and scoreline from their earlier league meeting. This tie was very much in the balance going into the last game at which stage Team C, courtesy of a 15-14 win in the previous game, had just taken a 2-1 lead and with it, a slender 41-40 ace advantage with one game to go.

The second semi final proved to be a real cliffhanger too, with Team B Red, David Stanners, Alan O’Neill, Ricky Barron and Liam Murphy battling back from 2-0 behind in games and 30-14 behind on points against Team A Mango, James Stanners, Mick Armstrong, Damien Kelly and Conor Keeling, before scraping home 44-41 on aces after the sides had finished level at 2-2 in games.   

On the basis of those semi finals its clear that league results count for nought in the knockout stages and that will surely be of some comfort to Team C Black who were thumped 4-0 by Team B Red when the side met previously. The final will be played in the next week or two.