Club championship finals at Ennis CBS

The club championships at Ennis CBS Squash Club took place over the first two weeks of May and brought the 2012/2013 season to a climax.

A large entry ensured busy nights at the club, but tournament director Clive Morgan ensured all matches were played in a timely manner.

The tournament was played using a seeded Swiss system, and although there were no major casualties in the first round, club newcomer Cathal Lynch pushed Larry Donnellan all the way and almost caused the first upset.
Round two saw some great matches, none better than the meeting of Gerry O’Donnell and Colum Gavin. Gavin, seeded three, was fancied to take the match easily, but O’Donnell had other ideas when he raced into a 2-0 lead.

However, Gavin never lost composure and clawed his way back to take the match 3-2. Larry Donnellan again found himself in a tough match in the second round, but this time succumbed to the power of Oisin Casey on a 3-0 scoreline.

In round three, number one seed Clive Morgan found himself 2-1 in arrears against a tiring Colm Forde. It was Morgan that finished the strongest to book his place in the A semi-final where he would meet Michael Conlon, who earlier disposed of Declan Downey 3-0. Fergie O’Loughlin also progressed to the A semi-finals to meet Martin Sexton, knocking out Colum Gavin and Oisin Casey respectively.

Round four saw the semi-finals in the B, C and D sections, and it was Larry Donnellan who again found himself under pressure, this time against Gerry O’Donnell for a place in the B decider. Two games to nil up, Donnellan looked to be coasting but the man from West Clare showed outstanding grit and determination to come through 3-2 to book a place in the final against Pat McCagh, who beat Denis Meehan comfortably.

The C semi-finals saw Stephen Bergin and Gerard O’Keefe progress, accounting for Cathal Lynch and Kieran Keating respectively. The D semi-finals saw Michael Curley overcome Jim Bowe, and Paul Smith saw off JP Sullivan to set up a showdown on finals night.

The A semi-finals were on court next with Clive Morgan coming through a close encounter with Michael Conlon, and Fergie O’Loughlin seeing off a much improved Martin Sexton to set up the A final pairing.

Finals night saw a large crowd gather at the club to see Michael Curley and Paul Smith get proceedings under way with one of the highlight matches of the tournament. Lasting 71 minutes, this match could have gone either way, but it was Michael Curley that clinched the D title, winning on a 3-2 score.

The C final was an all-Intel affair between Stephen Bergin and Gerard O’Keeffe, and it was Gerard that earned the bragging rights, powering his way to victory 3-1. The B final was another close affair between Pat McCagh and Gerry O’Donnell, but the exploits of the previous epic matches had taken their toll on Gerry. McCagh to picked up the B Championship, to add the to the Jackie Hynes Cup won earlier in the year.

In the A final, Clive Morgan was favourite to put his name on the new club championship trophy. He duly eased his way through the first two games, showing the form that has earned him his place on the current Irish Masters team. He wrapped up a convincing victory in the third game with little resistance from a tired O’Loughlin.

Jackie Hynes presented the prizes to the winners on behalf of the club. An enjoyable social evening followed.
On the international stage both Clive Morgan and Michael Conlon will be in Glasgow this weekend representing Ireland in the Home Internationals.