Kerry come up just short in Class 3 qualifier round
BADMINTON
Wednesday March 03 2010
THE Kerry squad travelled to UL Limerick on Sunday last to compete in the qualifying rounds of the inter-county Class 3 competition.
In their group there were four teams with the top two teams going through to the semi-final stages, which will be played in Galway at the end of March. The other teams were Sligo, Meath and Wexford. Kerry were denied qualification by a single point, despite beating the two teams that did qualify – Wexford and Sligo.
Kerry got off to a tremendous start, enjoying 6-3 victory over Sligo. They took all three ladies game with a win for Edel Broderick in ladies singles and both ladies doubles pairings of Helen Twomey / Eileen O'Connor and Edel Broderick / Ciara O'Connor taking their matches.
First men's doubles pairing of Gio Gaudino / Colm Kelly had a two set victory 21-16, 22-20. Kerry then proceeded to take two of the three mixed encounters with Ciara O'Connor / Gio Gaudino winning 2117 and 21-19 and Helen Twomey and Billy Lacey ( pictured on right) winning 21-18, 10-21, 21-13.
Disaster struck, however, in Kerry's next match against Meath. They lost 72 and this proved a costly defeat. Kerry's two points were obtained by the ladies doubles pairings of Helen Twomey / Eileen O'Connor and Edel Broderick / Ciara O'Connor.
In their final match Kerry faced Wexford and again Kerry produced a good performance, winning 5-4.
Again the ladies doubles partnership of Twomey / O'Connor had a three set victory, 21-17, 16-21 and 21-16. Killarney's Eileen O'Connor took ladies singles in three sets.
The Kingdom pair of Billy Lacey / Michael Crossan took second men's doubles and the Kerry side then took two of the three mixed doubles matches with wins for Maria Maher / Billy Lacey and Ciara O'Connor / Colm Kelly.
It was a cruel blow for Kerry not to qualify, having beaten both of the teams that did. However, it was the poor performance in the second match that denied their qualification. Kerry finished on 13 points with Sligo on 14 points and Wexford on 16.
- Eileen O'Connor
