Strong finish seals BU14D for the brilliant Diarmuid Moore & Josh Kavanagh

Diarmuid Moore and Josh Kavanagh with GAA Handball President Willie Roche following their win against James Cummins and Enda Collins, Galway in a pulsating boys under 14 doubles final played yesterday at Kingscourt. The Wexford boys were made to battle hard for this victory as the westerners took the early initiative in this final and were deserving 15-7 winners of the opening game. The Wexford boys fought back to win the second by the same scoreline but then found themselves 6-10 down in the third and in real danger of defeat. It was then we saw the best of Josh and Diarmuid as the Wexford boys refused to give it and and drawing on all of the renowned Wexford fightening spirit an nddetermination — Diarmuid Moore and Josh Kavanagh with GAA Handball President Willie Roche following their win against James Cummins and Enda Collins, Galway in a pulsating All Ireland 40×20 boys under 14 doubles final played yesterday at Kingscourt.

It was a final destined to produce great handball as the brilliant Wexford duo who had beaten Tipperary in a nail-biting semi final, faced off against a top class Galway pairing who had ended the hopes of a strong Tyrone partnership and it took a superb performance from the Wexford players to see off the Connacht champions after three outstanding games of handball.

Cummins and Collins began the match in impressive manner and after dominating most of the early exchanges they raced away to secure the first game on a scoreline of 15-7. Moore and Kavanagh did take a bit of a battering in that opener but they quickly regrouped from the restart and settling into the match they took the play away from their opponents with a series of top class serves and ‘kills’. Score by score they edged ahead and from the half way point onward they pulled away to level the tie with a 15-7 win.

On foot of that recovery it was expected from Wexford that they would start the tiebreak well, but it was the Galway lads who got their noses in front and at 10-6 ahead they were only five points from outright victory. Sadly for them it was not to be as Moore and Kavanagh had been in difficult situations before and they simply refused to lie down and accept defeat. Point by point they closed the gap to 10-10 and from there to the finish they demonstrated how to play handball under severe pressure. The gallant Cummins and Collins tried everything they knew but it was like trying to push back the tide as the Wexford boys decided they wanted this All Ireland title very badly. From 6-10 down they never conceded again and at the finish few would deny that this promising young duo were good value for their 15-10 win.

It was a victory for skill and determination and by becoming only the third Wexford pair to win this prestigious title they have shown that hard work and preparation are as necessary as skill, if victory is to be achieved at premier level.