Dublin's Eoin Kennedy rolled back the years to claim an incredible tenth All-Ireland Softball (60X30) Championships Men's Open Senior Singles title on Saturday.
He sensationally defeated defending champion, and young Westmeath star, Robbie McCarthy in a pulsating final at The National Handball Centre at Croke Park.
These singles finals were the last ones to be played at the iconic centre before it is demolished, and the finals are moved to the new state-of-the-art €12 million facility adjacent to the Cusack Stand next year. The centre was originally built for the World Handball Championships in 1970.
Kennedy, who was appearing in his fifteenth consecutive Men's Open Senior Singles final, and in his eighteenth of the last nineteen deciders, was in devastating form throughout and more than matched the blistering pace of McCarthy, who himself has claimed the title on seven occasions.
In the first game, Kennedy started brightly, racing into impressive leads at 10-6 and 12-8. Then, the Dubliner notched-up a gear, producing his full range of pinpoint kill shots and streamlined passing shots, allied to his trademark "rocket-like" serve, as he stretched his lead to 15-11.
However, McCarthy was not to be thwarted, as he began to display his own array of lethal kill shots (including his trademark "dump" kill shot) and smooth passing shots, allied to some explosive serving, reeling-off four un-answered points to draw level at 15-15.
A very special win for 40 year old Eoin Kennedy!
— GAA Handball Ireland (@GAA_Handball) September 7, 2019
Defeats the 5 in a row chasing Robbie McCarthy to win his 10th All-Ireland Softball Singles title at Croke Park 21-20, 21-18.
Just look at what it means to him! pic.twitter.com/vFtzvMjWXm
Each player then exchanged points and with the score level on two more occasions, the game was delicately-poised.
McCarthy then dug deep to take a narrow lead, but Kennedy found yet another gear, as he doggedly drew level at 20-20 and then clinched the game with a rasping kill shot, right out of the top drawer, to close out, on a slender scoreline of 21-20.
In the second game, it was McCarthy who began explosively sprinting into dominant leads 7-2 and 10-6. However, Kennedy remained unfazed, as he reeled-off a series of un-answered points to draw level at 14-14.
A further exchange of points left the game hanging in the balance at 17-17, before Kennedy once more upped the ante and, despite a stern challenge from a resilient McCarthy, he edged ahead at, firstly, 19-18 and then match point at 20-18.
With the finishing-line now firmly in sight, the Dublin maestro unleashed one more incendiary kill shot, to the bottom right-corner, clinching the pivotal point, to close out, on an arrow scoreline of 21-18.
In the process, he bagged his tenth Men's Open Senior Singles crown, overall, of these championships, underlining his status as one of the all-time greatest "big alley" players.
Meanwhile, in the Women's Open Senior Singles final, at the same venue, defending champion and Limerick starlet, Martina McMahon easily defeated arch-rival, five-times champion and young Cork star, Catriona Casey in a one-sided clash, over two games.
Having taken the first game, on a decisive scoreline of 21-12 and despite some stiff resistance from a dogged Casey, McMahon then went on to clinch the second game, on an emphatic scoreline of 21-9, to retain her title and bag her third crown, overall, of these championships.
