Division 3: Ennis 20 – 2 Highfield B

Remaining Fixtures – League Table

CBS WIN OVER HIGHFIELD ‘B’ PUTS THEM BACK IN CONTENTION IN MUNSTER LEAGUE DIV 3.

Compliments of Colm Murphy

Ennis CBS’ top team in Munster competition were in action last Thursday, seeking to emulate the good initial results of the club’s Division 4 squad. In opposition were the Highfield ‘B’ team who, despite their status as the Cork city club’s second team in the division, had already achieved a comprehensive success over the formidable Thurles team this season.

First on court were the top seeds – Masters international Mike Conlon versus Highfield’s Tony Cronelly. One of the mainstays in Highfield’s victorious Div 4 squad last season, Cronelly played an energetic, tactically-astute style from the outset and opened up a 10-5 lead. Conlon responded with an excellent burst to level it 12-12 but the Highfield man kept his nerve to win 15-13. Stung into action, Conlon played a blemish-free game to level it 15-9. The pace was high and Conlon adopted a strategy of going for cushioned volleys and half-volleys just above the tin to limit the rallies. The CBS man held an 11-8 lead but the tidy Cronelly swept back with some brilliant front-court boasts to a 2-1 lead. For Conlon, there was now an absolute imperative on touch-play accuracy and he delivered a superb 15-11, 15-10 performance to win 3-2 over an excellent Tony Cronelly who underlined his steady progression in recent years.

On the adjoining court, the CBS’ Colm Forde played Jim O’Callaghan.  The Highfield man brought his decades of guile and tactical nous to bear in the match, with excellent rallies testing Forde. Content to play his typical patient style, Forde’s fitness gave him a discernible advantage in 15-5, 15-7 wins early on. O’Callaghan maintained a strong challenge with superb touch kills but the CBS man ran out 15-9 winner.

The number two match was Highfield’s Bryan Aherne versus David Forde. Both players predominantly sought to drive to the back wall and probe for weak returns, ensuring long rallies. Aherne began brightly with a 9-5 lead before Forde rattled off six winners to get back in the game. At 13-13, the Ogonnelloe man just had the composure to close it out. The second and third games followed the tactical template of the first with Aherne somewhat unlucky with several overhead boasts from the back-court hitting the top of the tin. Forde’s ability to lunge in at the last second to sweep away ball at the front wall gave him a vital edge and he took the second 15-8 before his strong fitness gave him an identical win in the third.

Oisin Casey took on Highfield’s Lorcan Cosgrave at number five. Casey played a mature, consistent game with a strong focus on limiting risk by driving to the back corners. Cosgrave demonstrated some superb technique and, intermittently, his kills were effective. Casey never dropped his level and he took the three games.

The final match had Clarecastle’s Cathal Lynch playing for the CBS against his fellow Highfield clubmate Jack Doherty. Doherty, not yet 17 years, showcased his tremendous potential to be a top-level player with excellent technical skills, a cool head and strong fitness. Lynch opened with a, somewhat counter-productive, emphasis on the power game and Doherty led 7-4. The CBS man then took control to overturn the deficit and take the game. Doherty was in no way disheartened and the watching crowd were treated to a great battle. Some fantastic retrieval by both players, tight driving as standard and super drop-kills were all on show but Lynch just had the extra power and drive to win this one. Ennis CBS are now right back in the mix in this division with Waterford Celtic being the major obstacle to success in 2018, as they were last season.