We held our first Finals Night of the new season on Thursday, 5th November, proudly sponsored by one of our longest-standing sponsors, O’Keeffe’s Hardware Store, Rathmore.
The night kicked off with a first-ever Finals appearance for Sabrina Flanagan and Coleen O’Brien. It was a very closely contested match, with four games of excellent squash and some great rallies. Sabrina eventually came out on top, winning 3–1 and getting her team off to a flying start.
Next up was the young and talented Klara Truchan against long-time club player Patrick Lyne. Patrick had the upper hand when the two last met, so Klara was certainly looking for a bit of revenge! Both players put on a brilliant display of squash, with some fantastic rallies, but Klara got the result she was looking for, winning 3–0.
With the teams level at one match apiece, Eamonn Bowler and Eoghan Lawlor took to the court to try to give their teams the advantage. Two excellent athletes, both players were well matched and treated spectators to some long, demanding rallies. However, Eamonn’s experience proved decisive as he secured the win to put his team ahead.
Next up was a Division 2 clash with a little family rivalry thrown in for good measure – a father-and-son battle between Brendan and Noah Counihan! It was certainly one that would make for some interesting dinner-table conversation afterwards.
Brendan, one of our junior coaches, went into the match as the favourite, but Noah showed just how well our junior programme is working by producing a confident performance and winning 3–0. A brilliant game and a fantastic showcase of the junior development work being carried out by Brendan and Keith Cronin.
With the overall tie level once again, everything came down to the final match, and we were certainly in for a thriller!
Two National Masters players, Tim O’Leary and Arthur Murphy, stepped onto the court for what proved to be a fantastic finish to the night. Tim came flying out of the blocks, taking an early 2–0 lead with his fast-paced game. However, Arthur’s never-give-up attitude came to the fore in the third as he fought back to take a game.
The fourth game was an absolute battle. Tim had three match points, but Arthur dug deep once again and fought back to create game-point opportunities of his own. Unfortunately for Arthur, he couldn’t quite see it through, and Tim secured the match 3–1, giving his team the overall victory on the night!
Another fantastic night of squash, full of great matches, brilliant rallies and plenty of competitive spirit.
We would once again like to extend a massive thank you to O’Keeffe’s Hardware, Rathmore, for their continued support of our club and these events.
A huge thank you also goes to the Gleneagle Leisure Team and the Gleneagle Squash Committee. These nights simply wouldn’t be possible without all the work and support behind the scenes.
And, of course, thank you to all our members who turn up, get involved and make these monthly competitions such a great success.
NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME!
If you are interested in getting involved in squash, simply contact the Gleneagle Leisure Team for further details.
Here’s to another great season of squash at Gleneagle!
