by Tom Rooney
The DCU B handball team captured the B Plate title as the A team were defeated in the final of the 40×20 team intervarsity tournament at St. Joseph Centre in Wexford. The two day event saw two hundred and thirty games contested by twenty three teams from nine colleges.
The B team were in action first as they looked to begin their title defence against second seeded UL. It proved to be a tight affair, with excellent displays from both sides, but the Limerick side managed to edge it by 97-81. The loss sent DCU into the B Plate Final.
The A team, consisting of Ciaran Neary, Peter Hughes, John Horgan and Terry Mc Elvaney were up next, taking on IT Tralee in the Semi-Finals. Again the standard of skill on display was top drawer, with some mesmerising rallies being contested in all areas of the court. In the end DCU had too much for the Kerrymen, winning 87-65 and progressing to the A Final.
The B side took on the UL second team in the B Plate final at a packed St. Joseph’s on Saturday evening. John Walsh drew first blood for DCU by winning his singles match and giving the first time double pairing of Gavin Cawley and Ciaran O’ Sullivan a six point lead to build upon. Cathal Wash then won the final singles match clinching the title for DCU with a comfortable 78-58 finish.
DCU were matched with the top seeded and highly favored UCD in the main event. In the first singles match DCU’s Peter Hughes was beaten in both games by Mark McGowan. In the doubles Ciaran Neary and John Horgan took on Diarmuid Nash and Michael Busher. UCD won the first game but Horgan and Neary handed DCU a lifeline by taking the second. In the final singles match UCD’s Martin Mulkerins beat Terry Mc Elvaney in both games by 21-14 and 21-4 respectively. The Southsiders lived up to the pre-game hype with an impressive 126-66 finish.
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