Handball News: It’s All Ireland Silver for Leitrim’s Maxim and Daniel | Leitrim Juvenile Handball Trials

It’s All Ireland Silver for Leitrim’s Maxim and Daniel after Croke Park weekend to remember.

Two rare, splendid silver All Ireland handball medals came to Leitrim last weekend when Annaduff’s Maxim Gilmartin and Daniel Kane from Fenagh contested the U15 Doubles 4-wall All Ireland Final in Croke Park on Sunday last. Although this talented Leitrim came up short of capturing the title itself, their exploits over the weekend announced to the handball world that Leitrim’s youth can compete with the best in Ireland at underage level!
Fresh from their recent Connacht title victory, the Leitrim duo entered this weekend’s All-Ireland series as underdogs. However, played some masterful handball on Saturday, Maxim and Daniel defied all the odds, booking their All-Ireland final ticket by defeating the highly fancies Tyrone pairing of Conor Molloy and Mickey Nugent in an hour-long match needing a tiebreak game to separate the sides.

The Leitrim duo started their semi-final slowly with some obvious big game nerves showing as they allowing the Tyrone lads to get an early grip on the first game which they couldn’t relinquish. However, regrouping for the second game and with the advantage of serve Maxim pushed them out into an early 3-0 lead before Tyrone quickly clawing it back and moved 6-3 ahead. With serve changing frequently and with protracted rallies, Tyrone was leading on scoreboard at 13-9. However, momentum swung to Leitrim when some exceptional serving from Maxim and strong back play form Daniel wrestled the game to 13 apiece. A fine front-wall play by Maxim sending the ball awkwardly in front of his Tyrone opponent was enough to push the Leitrim lads ahead 14-13. In a tense conclusion where both pairs resorted to deep balls to the back, Daniel Kane found the key to unlock the game when he angled a brilliant long shot off the front wall down onto the side to outmanoeuvre the Tyrone player and take the critical point bringing the match to a tiebreaker!

Maxim and Daniel entered the tiebreaker with a renewed momentum quickly taking serve and pushing into a 7-0 lead. Tyrone was coming back at 7-4 when two lovely low kill shot and a dive to meet an attempted Tyrone kill from Maxim wrestled back server for Leitrim and moved them up into a 10-4 lead. Serve once again changed multiple time, but Maxim and Daniel continued to keep the distance between the Tyrone lads on the scoreboard. At 14-9 and playing for the match, Maxim and Daniel held their nerve in an edgy last few minutes as the Tyrone lads pushed hard. But once again a perfectly powered return from Daniel forced the Tyrone player to snap at his shot, sending it into the roof and down to the floor, giving the critical score to Leitrim and sending their travelling supporters into rapturous applause.

Sunday’s All-Ireland final pitted Maxim and Daniel against the formidable Clare duo of Charlie Collins and Sean McGee. The final developed in a similar fashion to the previous days with the Clare duo racing into an early lead playing tricky low fast serves low along the floor. However, unlike Tyrone, this polished duo never allowed the Leitrim lads an opportunity to get a foothold in the match. Maxim and Daniel rallied hard in the second game to bring the score to 6-6 and give their follows hope that they a repeat of the heroics of the previous day could be on the cards! But that was as close as they got. The Clare combination systematically closed out the match in a workman like fashion with a flurry of fast serves in low along the left wall to the dismay of Maxim, Daniel and the large Leitrim supporters present.

While initially disappointed with not capturing the All-Ireland championship, the Leitrim duo can be very proud of their Connacht championship and All-Ireland silver medals wins this year. Handball historians pointed out that this is in fact the first time that Leitrim juvenile players picked up 4-wall medals in Croke Park, as previous finals would have been played in regional venues! Everyone associated with Leitrim Handball are very proud to have players of the caliber of Maxim and Daniel, and everything they have achieved this weekend. They are a brilliant example for all younger players of what can be achieved with practice and dedication.
Congratulations Maxim and Daniel.

Leitrim Juvenile Handball Trials.

Well done to all the young handball players who took part in the Leitrim Juvenile Handball trials in Drumshanbo on Friday evening last. The prizes on offer on the night were qualification places in the upcoming Connacht Juvenile B championships.  It’s a testament to the growing strength of Leitrim Handball that 58 single and doubles entries were received from the clubs across the county and had to be reduced to 2 entries in each category after some very competitive games.  Congratulation to the following who go forward to the Connacht finals In Roscommon on 23rd March for U11, U12, and U13 categories and March 16th for U14 to U17 categories.
Best of Luck everyone.

Below is a collage from the Leitrim Handball trials, Drumshanbo Friday March 7th.

 

More images from an eventful weekend in Croke Park and the homecoming !

 

 

 

David Mahon
OCP Liathroid Láimhe Liatroma
https://www.facebook.com/LeitrimHandball