The GAA Handball 40x20 Men’s Senior Championship Qualifiers draw to a conclusion this weekend with some of the country’s top players fighting to keep their championship hopes alive.
Top of the bill is the meeting of Mayo’s Joe McCann and his namesake, Antrim’s Ricky McCann. The pair have never met in championship handball, and with both players noted for their high level of fitness, a well-contested game lies in store at the Kells venue in Meath on Sunday afternoon.
‘Ricky has been seeded in the top four or five in Ireland continuously over the past few years and I’m certainly expecting a tough game from him,’ said Joe.
‘It will be difficult for us both having had provincial doubles finals the previous day, but I suppose as handballers we’re used to playing games over consecutive days at this stage and hopefully I get the result I want.’
Ricky bowed out of Ulster following his loss to Armagh’s Charly Shanks in the provincial semi-final, while Joe lost to doubles partner, Dessie Keegan in last weekend’s Connacht Final.
Shanks also finds himself in action this weekend, having lost out to Paul Brady (Cavan) is last Saturday’s Ulster Final showdown. The Lurgan clubman takes on Wexford’s Gavin Buggy in Leixlip, and the Model County handballer has proven a difficult opposition for many of the country’s top players in recent weeks.
In the final qualifier game of the weekend, Wicklow ace Michael Gregan faces Rebel handballer Colm Jordon. Gregan lost out to Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy in the Leinster semi-final, with the young Lake County player going on to defeat Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy in the final. Kennedy will face Cavan’s Michael Finnegan in the fourth qualifier game, which takes place in Kells (Meath) on Wednesday next.
The four qualifier winners will then face the provincial champion quartet of Paul Brady (Cavan), Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath), Dessie Keegan (Mayo) and Dominick Lynch (Kerry).
A feast of doubles action is also in store this weekend with provincial finals taking place around the country.
In Ulster, Cavan’s Brady and Finnegan take on Ricky McCann and Seamus O’Tuama (Antrim). The Leinster Final pits Meath’s Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan against the Model County pairing of Gavin Buggy and Paul Lambert.
In Munster, Limerick young-guns, CJ Fitzpatrick and Seamus O’Carroll face Tipperary’s David Maloney and Fergal Collins, while Connacht pits reigning champions, Mayo’s Keegan and McCann, against fellow county men, Vinny Moran and Campell Brennan.
