Badminton update

There are five matches to report on this week with the Kilcullen teams having some great success, unfortunately coupled with some disappointment witht two losses, one draw and two wins, writes Enda O'Neill, PRO of Kilcullen Badminton Club.

We start with our first match that was played on 21 January with the Ladies 2 team getting a hard earned draw in the DDL Division 7 match against St Raphaels of Dublin. The match got off to a promising start with both partnerships of Anna Marie Cunningham/Sarah Walshe and Jen Monaghan/Rachael Rouse winning their games in two sets. Unfortunately they could not build on the 2-0 start and lost both 3rd and 4th games in close 3 setters to draw the match 2-2.

Thursday 24 January saw the Ladies 3 and Men 4 playing in their respective DDC matches. Ladies 3 lost in a tight match to Ryston 3-1 and the Men also were defeated 3-1 in Beags Beo with the final game being decided on a tie breaker 24-22 — an agonising way to lose a cup tie. Hard luck to the ladies, Meave, Orla, Emer and Denise and to the lads Olivier, Keith, Kasi and Sudheer.

Now for the good news! A massive congrats to Mix 1 for making it to the Div 3 DDC after beating KADKA in Baldoyle in the Semi Final on Friday night last. The match started with captain Paddy Burke winning his singles match in two sets, Lynsey then went on to win her ladies singles also in two sets, putting them 2-0 up going into the doubles games. The men of Paddy and Gareth lost in a very tight game 2-1. This meant that KADKA were back in the match but the Ladies combination of Lynsey and Norrie ended any KADKA hopes of beating KBC when they won their game 2-1 in an exciting and close 3-setter. Well done to Paddy, Lynsey, Gareth and Norrie and good luck in the final which is being played in Baldoyle on Friday 7 February, it will be a great day out for the guys and the club regardless of what happens.

Finally on 26 January the Mix 2 team captained by Dave McClean beat St Josephs 4-0 in their DDL Division 3 match. This is a great start for Mix 2 and it gives them two wins out of two. Well done to Aoife, Caroline, Alastor and Dave.

Pictured above are the Div 3 Mix 1 finalists Gareth Hogan, Lynsey Walshe, Paddy Burke and Norrie Gilchrist.