Moycullen lads Martin and Diarmuid Mulkerrins showed
nerves of steel to book a semi-final meeting against Cork next weekend.
In today's quarter-final against Kilkenny pair,
Peter and Patrick Funchion, played in Crinkle Co. Offaly, the Galway brothers
drew on all their experiences to clinch the tiebreaker 21-20. Martin, the 2018
Senior singles champion, and younger brother Diarmuid, recently crowed U21
Champion, defended match point three times to clinch a thriller 21-20. Having
lost the first 21-8 the Tribesmen regrouped and won the second on a convincing
21-10 scoreline. The subsequent tiebreaker see-sawed between the pairs, the
Cats raced into a 9-0 lead but the Galway lads dug deep to tie the match at
10-10.
A series of spin serves, flawless roof shots and
precision kill shots saw the Moycullen duo 20-12 ahead and looking like running
out winners. However, the two Kilkenny lads, both seeded senior players, hit
their purple patch and incredibly the match was tied at 20-20.
Kilkenny served to win but a super rekill by
Diarmuid resulted in a side out giving the Galway lads two serves to win. The
crowd, silenced by the tension, saw the Funchion brothers defend two match
points, regain serve and it looked as if the opportunity was gone for the
Mulkerrins'.
But what composure from the Galway lads, showing ice
in their veins to finish two consecutive long rally with a cracking two wall
pass and a kill shot to regain serve and go on to clinch what had been billed
as the tie of the quarter finals on a 21-20 scoreline - and that it was.
It's Kingscourt Co. Cavan for next's semi against Cork opponents.
