New Ross Badminton Club

November 04

It was bad week for New Ross teams in the Wexford and Waterford leagues with both teams suffering heavy defeats.  The Waterford men’s division 3 team poor start to this years campaign continues after they slumped to their 2nd consecutive defeat when losing 4-0 at home to Lismore.  The score line could have been a little kinder to the home side as the visitors won all of the nights close games.  Team: Adrian Delaney. Pat Furlong , Andrew Wayland and Wayne Redmond.   In the Wexford mixed league the club’s division 2-team put up a spirited performance before losing 7-2 against defending champions Taghmon.  New Ross heroes were Neill Barrett and Celine Hayes who took the final mixed game in three sets to give the home side their only victory of the night. Team: Orla Deegan, Celine Hayes, Sean Sexton and Neil Barrett.   

Joining colleagues from Wexford, Waterford , Cork , Carlow and Kilkenny in Ramsgrange for the visit of the national badminton coach Bo Osomegard were Anne Walsh, Rosemary Burke, Ralph Stone , Pat Furlong and Pat Lynch .  Bo and high performance coach Liam Sinnott were in the Wexford venue to update those present on the new caching techniques for the modern badminton player.  This Saturday night, club under-age stars, Eanna Burke, Kevin Burke, Caragh Walsh, Aoife Bennett, Graine Burke, and Laura Lynch travel to Ramsgrange for an assessment session with the national coach for possible inclusion in the upcoming regional development squads.

There were no less than 7 representatives from New Ross Badminton Club on the Wexford county selection that took on Leinster rivals Fingal from North Dublin in a recent challenge game in Ramsgrange.  It was a big night for 14-year-old Laura Lynch who became one of the youngest players to play for the county panel when she made her debut in the 2^nd singles and 4^th ladies doubles.  It was also a winning debut for Laura who won her singles game and then partnered club colleague Orla Deegan to a second victory in the ladies doubles.  Orla also had one of her most famous victories in the Wexford jersey when she defeated Irish International star Lucy Corcoran in 3 sets 11/3, 1/11, 11/9 in the top ladies singles match.  There were also victories for Colm Byrne and Rosemary Burke who returned to action on the county team with a win in the mixed doubles. Rosemary who missed all of last years campaign also picked up a point for Wexford in the ladies doubles with club colleague Brideen Lynch.  A good night also for Colm Byrne who was returning to action with the purple and gold after a seven year spell in Carlow.  Colm secured his second point for Wexford in the men’s doubles when he and Liam Sinnott accounted for Lincoln Nelson and Barry Dickson 15/11, 15/13 in the second men’s doubles.  It was also a return to county action for equestrian star Karen Henessey who was back in action after a year long absence due to injury and completing the representation from the club was Pat Lynch who played in the 3^rd doubles and 4^th mixed doubles with wife Brideen. 

In the domestic league scene it was a busy week for club teams in the Wexford and Waterford leagues.  In the first leg of the division 1 mixed doubles league final New Ross were soundly beaten 8-1 away to Taghmon.  It was the same venue and opposition in the top of the table clash in division 2 and almost an identical result with Taghmon taking a major step to retain their title with an 8-3 win over the visitors.  The New Ross division 5 team entertained Clonroche in a vital division 5 zone B game and with Adrian Delaney and Christine Sinnott missing from the team they went under 5-4 to the visitors. There was one bit of good news with a welcome return to form for the Waterford men’s division 3 team who recorded their first league win of the season when accounting for Dunmore by 3 games to 1.

When the 2 New Ross teams clashed in the second round series of games of the divisions 2 mixed league the honours went to the A team on a 7-3 score line.  The B team points were picked up in the 2^nd mixed doubles where Neil Barrett and Celine Hayes defeated Ralph Stone and Rosemary Burke in 3 sets 15/11, 11/15, 15/8.  Their 3^rd point was picked up in a close opening men’s doubles game where Pat Lynch and Ralph Stone overcame stiff opposition from Frances Morrissey and Neil Barrett before winning 13/15, 15/4, 15/11.  The A team’s other successes came in the ladies doubles and 1^st mixed doubles games. Brideen Lynch and Rosemary Burke defeated Orla Deegan and Celine Hayes 15/11, 15/8 and Pat and Brideen Lynch were pushed all the way in the first mixed doubles before overcoming Frances Morrissey and Orla Deegan 15/13, 15/9.  In the Waterford division 3 men’s leagues injury and players away on other engagements meant a very much depleted home team renewed rivalry with Waterford .  New Ross went down 3-1 to the visitors with Neil Barrett and Andrew Wayland securing the point for the home side.  In the club’s singles ladder Niall Parker overcame the challenge of Joseph Meggs 15/4, 15/14, while Eoghan Cashin had a rare old tussle with Kenneth Redmond before winning 10/15, 15/12, 15/12.  It was bad week all-round for Joseph Meggs who also lost 15/3, 15/4 to Sue Barrett .  Entries are now being taken for the club’s team competition which begins on the 7^th December.  Closing date for names to be included in the competition is Thursday the 2^nd December.  There are 27 entries from the New Ross Club ranging from division 1 to 7 in the upcoming County Charity Tournament.  Already through to the finals in Ramsgrange on the 12^th December are Laura Lynch in the division 2 and 3 ladies singles deciders.  Orla Deegan is in the division 2 ladies doubles final and Neil Barrett and Celine Hayes are through to the 3^rd division mixed doubles decider.  After her fine showing in the Dublin Open Laura Lynch travels this weekend to Galway for the Connacht under 15 championships and will be hoping for more of the same in her quest to make the Irish team later in the season.

After a slow start the club singles ladder is now in full flow with regular games taking place every Tuesday night.  In last weeks fixtures Eoghan Cashin just about held on to 21st place when he defeated Eoin Murphy 15/11, 13/15, 15/12 in a game that featured gruelling rallies and a standard of badminton well above the current ranking of both players.  On this showing it won’t be long until both players move up to a higher level.  Kenneth Redmond (23) also held on to his position when he overcame the challenge of Colin Fenlon (24)15/8, 15/9.  It was a good week all-round for the higher ranked players with Martin Regan (2) overcoming the challenge of Pat Lynch (5) in two sets 15/13, 15/7.  The current top five positions on the ladder are:

1.      Ralph Stone

2.      Martin Regan

3.      Neill Barrett

4.      Andrew Wayland

5.      Pat Lynch

It was a disappointing weekend for Laura Lynch in the Connacht under-15 championships held in the Galway Lawn Tennis Club, Sathill last weekend.  Despite a top seeding in the mixed doubles and girls doubles events Laura exited at the semi-final stage in the mixed and in the 2nd round of the doubles. She did make it to the quarterfinals of the singles, but lost in two sets 11/6, 11/2 to Sinead Chambers from Ulster .  Laura does have the consolation of receiving word of her selection on the Leinster under-16 team for the three-day International tournament in York and she flies out with the Leinster squad to the English venue this Friday the 3rd December.

In the county charity tournament Pat & Brideen Lynch qualified for the division 2 mixed doubles final with a semi-final defeat of Fin Rooney and Jennifer Sinnott (Olympic) 15/13, 15/7. Ralph Stone and Laura Lynch lost in the semi-final to Stewart O’Toole and Elaine Dunne (Taghmon) 15/4, 15/4 and Ralph also failed to make the finals in the division 1 & 2 singles events, as did Neill Barrett in the division 2 singles.  Helen Moore also lost out in the division 5 ladies singles where she was beaten in the semi-final in 3 sets by Clodagh McDonald (Shelburne)   

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