Bough and Carlow edged out in badminton finals

3/7/2007 - By: Kathleen Mullins

ATHY and Portarlington claimed south-west Leinster badminton titles recently, with Bough Carlow LTC losing out to the Laois side in the final.

Carlow YM hall in Ballybannon was the venue for the grades five and four SWL league finals last Saturday week.

Bough (Rathvilly) and Athy RFC clubs met to contest a most enjoyable grade five decider.

Athy got the ideal start when Liz O’Rourke and Bernie Lowry beat Sandra James and Irene Higginson 15-7, 15-4.

Bough equalsied when Trevor Tutty and Joseph Collier beat Brendan Sourke and Frank Boyce 13-15, 15-12, 15-13.

Athy’s Mary Doogue and Miriam Chadwick beat Sandra Moody and Susan Kavanagh 15-8, 5-15, 15-7 to take second ladies while second men James Kilbride and Martin Carroll made it 3-1, beating David James and Robert Willis 15-9, 15-0; Willis had to retire injured in the second set.

First mixed went to Athy’s Brendan Sourke and Bernie Lowry who beat Trevor Tutty and Irene Higginson 15-7, 15-9 and when Martin Carroll and Mary Doogue beat Joseph Collier and Sandra James 15-10 in the first set of the next match it was enough to give Athy a 10-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Portarlington Parochial are this season’s grade four champions thanks to a 9-6 win over Carlow LTC in an exciting final.

Port got off to a winning start, their first ladies Audrey Coe and Phyllis Howlin beating Niamh Kelly and Lena Delaney 15-11, 15-2.

Carlow LTC made it 1-1 when Luke Hennessey and Richard Harte beat Trevor Cobbe and Edward Shirley 15-8, 15-12 in a tight game.

Port’s Chelsey Cox and Lesley Cobbe beat Ann Moran and Hillary Jenkinson 15-5, 15-1 and it was 3-1 when Leon Coe and Liam Dempsey beat David Rice and William Ryan 15-5, 15-9.

A brilliant display from Carlow LTC’s Luke Hennessy and Lena Delaney saw them overcome Trevor Cobbe and Audrey Coe 10-15, 15-7, 15-10 to take first mixed and when Richard Harte and Niamh Kelly beat Edward Shirley and Phyllis Howlin 15-9, 17-16 the Carlow club were right back in the frame.

But Port’s Leon Coe and Lesley Cobbe proved too strong for William Ryan and Hillary Jenkinson, winning 15-9, 15-3 to close out the title.