CONLON THE MASTER IN CONNACHT OPEN

Compliments of Colm Murphy

Last weekend, Galway LTC in Salthill hosted the Connacht Masters Squash Open. Mike Conlon represented the Ennis CBS club with a #2 seeding. He had a smooth progression in the early rounds, coping with strong opening game challenges from Aidan O’Colmain & David Esler before pulling away comfortably for 3-0 wins in both cases.

This qualified him for yet another final showdown with Martin McDonnell from the Highfield club in Cork. With McDonnell having proven to be Conlon’s nemesis in the closing stages of many tournaments, the Ennis CBS man was determined to alter the pattern. The players shared two close games before Conlon took the third 15-9. McDonnell then took an unassailable lead in the fourth, despite Conlon late burst. It was now down to a deciding game for the title. Conlon departed from his default style of volley drops to concentrate on tight driving to the back corners. It proved to be a match-winning tactic and Conlon took his maiden provincial Masters Open title, a well-deserved reward for a player who has represented Ireland for many years.