Diamond Double for Wexford in All-Ireland Softball Finals

 

There were double celebrations for Wexford in Ballina on Sunday last as both the Diamond Masters A pairing of Tony Breen & James Mythen and the Diamond Masters B pairing of Ray Wickham & Nicky Casey won their respective All-Ireland softball finals.

 

Breen and Mythen got the afternoon off to the best possible start on the banks of the River Shannon as they saw off the Galway duo of Willie Corcoran & Mike Shaughnessy in two straight games. The opening game saw the tribesmen struggle to land a blow with the Wexford duo winning out 21-9.  The second game saw Corcoran and Shaughnessy edge closer with the sides level on four occasions. However, from when the Wexford pair went 13-12 in front, the tribesmen struggled to land any further blow. Breen and Mythen got five points without reply before Corcoran and Shaughnessy responded with two points, 17-14, though from that point it was all Wexford as Breen and Mythen ran out 21-14 winners, to become Diamond Masters A champions. A memorable day for the Templeludigan and Castlebridge duo, perhaps more so for Breen who was returning to action having missed the semi-final on medical grounds, with Michael Rossiter stepping in on that occasion.

Ray Wickham and Nicky Casey were bidding to follow up the success of their county colleagues in the Diamond Masters B decider and the St Mary’s men did exactly that with relative ease when accounting for the Mayo pair of Joe Cummins & Seamus Hughes. Wickham and Casey got the first four points before the mayo pairing got of the mark. Mayo then got the next two points before the St Mary’s men found themselves 10-2 in front. Cummins and Hughes made soon made rapid headway though and closed the gap back to two, 10-8. Though that was to be the last point for the Mayo men as Wickham and Casey went on to win 21-8. The second game opened with the Mayo duo getting the first point, however, Wickham and Casey got the next thirteen points to lead 13-1. Cummins and Hughes then registered their second and final point of the game as the St Mary’s duo powered to a 21-2 success to complete a memorable weekend for Wexford handball.

 

In Cashel the Master’s B pair of Templeludigan man Noel Holohan and Bridgetown’s Eamonn Codd, who was a late substitute for the unavailable Micheál O’Neill, were defeated by Roscommon pair Glen Walsh and Paul Kelly 21-5, 21-9.

Roscommon (Glen Walsh/Paul Kelly dft Wexford (Noel Holohan/Eamonn Codd) 21-5, 21-9

Hard luck to Noel & Eamonn and congratulations to Tony & James and Ray & Nicky on their great wins. A great weekend for Wexford Handball.