Lambert’s switch pays of as he wins first county senior softball doubles title

Eugene Kelly and Terry Gainfort, Castlebridge runners up in the county senior open doubles final and Paul Lambert and Tommy Hynes, St. Mary's who were the winners — Eugene Kelly and Terry Gainfort, Castlebridge, runners up in the county senior open doubles final and Paul Lambert and Tommy Hynes, St. Mary’s who were the winners

Paul Lambert’s transfer from St. Josephs to St. Mary’s earlier this year paid immediate dividends when he captured his first county senior softball championship winners medal alongside new partner Tommy Hynes in the senior open doubles final played at Ballymitty on Monday. With Hynes fresh from his singles triumph, the Emmet Place partnership entered the final as hot favourites but they were made to fight every inch of the way by an inspired Eugene Kelly and Terry Gainfort, Castlebridge before edging home 18-21, 21-16, 21-16

It was almost a fairy tale return to the top table by Gainfort, an All Ireland minor doubles winner back in 2000 and now back playing again after a long sabbatical. His performance in this final showed that while form may indeed be temporary, class is certainly permanent.