Reigning Senior Softball champion, Dublin’s Eoin Kennedy recorded an impressive victory over Mayo’s Joe McCann last night (Tuesday) in Mullingar.

Kennedy was in top form and showed just why he has been the number one 60x30 player in Ireland for the past three seasons. He took the first 21-5, and whilst McCann did battle bravely, any inch he gave the NUIM lecturer was taken advantage of. Kennedy recorded a 21-3 win in the second game and is now 8/11 on to retain his title, gunning for an amazing fourth in a row.

In the last of the quarter-finals, the all-Ballaghaderreen clash between number four seed, Dessie Keegan and Vinnie Moran produced an exciting display of handball. Moran had an impressive victory over Cavan’s Michael Finnegan in the round of 16 battle last weekend, and looked determined to cause another upset. Keegan however, had other ideas as he started the game with powerful intent, taking the first 21-7. Moran appeared in the court for the second game with renewed vigour. With some precision shooting, Moran played consistently good handball to win the second 21-16 and force a tie-breaker finish.

Keegan returned to the devastating form he showed in the first game and eventually saw of the challenge of his clubman 21-6. He will now meet Eoin Kennedy in the semi-final of the championship. The other semi pairing was decided at the weekend, when Wicklow’s Michael Gregan defeated last year’s beaten finalist, Tom Sheridan and sixteen time champion, Kilkenny’s Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh also recorded an emphatic win over Tipperary’s Ger Coonan in his quarter-final.

The semi meeting looks set to be a real cracker with the grand master taking on the young pretender.

Eoin Kennedy... the young pretender?