Eoin Kennedy Wins Historic 4th All-Ireland Hardball Title in 5 Years - Mon, 18 Jun 2007
Eoin Kennedy set another mark in Irish handball when he won his fourth senior singles hardball title in 5 years. In an exciting meeting at Mullingar, the Dublin man had a victory over Meath's Tom Sheridan, but did not have it all his own way.
Kennedy got off to a slow start and Sheridan capitalized on this taking the first game by 21-9, with the powerful left hand proving to hot for the Dublin man to handle. In the second game, Kennedy lifted his performance and forced the contest to go to a deciding third set. At several stages in the match, the game was tied, and when the players were even at 10-10 in the third, one could sense that only something special would devide the pair.
Kennedy's fitness was the key to his final surge for victory, with Sheridan missing shots he was making in the first and second game, and guilty of a number of shooting errors in the third. It finished 21-12 in Kennedy's favour.
"I'm delighted to win back the hardball singles" said Kennedy in the aftermath of the final. "I was determined to win back the title after losing to Mayo?s Dessie Keegan in last years final,"
Turning his thoughts to the All-Ireland softball championships starting shortly, where Kennedy is aiming for a 4-in-a-row of singles and the 3-in-a-row of doubles, the St Brigid's clubman said: "Myself and Egin definitely want to win the doubles and to win the singles will be my major focus. It won't be easy as there are many fine players in it. We are playing well and are confident we can do it."
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