County Team success !!
Tuesday, 16th February 2010, by Lyall Guiney
The Inter-County Class 4 qualifiers took place last Sunday in the University of Limerick. The Galway county team, under leadership of team manager Cormac O'Connor, performed superbly to come through as group winners in their section. Cormac emailed me the following summary of the tournament. The finals will take place in GLTC at the end of March... hoping for lots of home support for the team that weekend!
15 travelled
8 lads, Cormac O'Connor (Player Manager), Ross Creaven, Damien Hehir, Bryan Lalor, Colm Franks, Tom O'Neill, Guillaume Meunier, Stephen Keane.
7 ladies, Claire Kenny, Helen Sheehan, Aoife Mooney, Orla Bishop, Joanne Gilmore, Susan Gilmore, Mary Ann Larkin.
First game beat Kerry 8-1 which set us for the day, we won 3 tight 3 setters in this match which proved the difference.
Next up we played limerick and won 7-2.
With one foot in the semis we then took on Tipperary and also won 7-2.
We had now qualified but the last game vs Meath was still important as we needed at least four games vs Meath to win the section. Some more tight matches went Galway's way once again and we managed to lead Meath 5-1 with two mixed games not played. These games became irrelevant as Galway had qualified as group winners and Meath as group runners up.
Waterford won the other section with Roscommon runners up.
As group winners Galway progress to All Ireland semis vs Roscommon on Sat 27th March in GLTC with Waterford taking on Meath in the other semi.
Highlights of the day were Damien Hehir playing 8 matches and winning 7. Ross Creaven and Colm Franks winning 4 out of 4 at first mens doubles. Cormac O'Connor and Joanne Gilmore at 1st Mixed and Bryan Lalor and Susan Gilmore at 3rd mixed both being unbeaten all day. But most of all it was a squad effort and of the 15 that travelled, 14 played over the day and the large squad and team spirit was crucial throughout the day.
Roll on the 27th of March.