Holden and Jordan end Kilkenny's 29-year wait for All-Ireland Senior Softball Doubles title
Kilkenny's Jack Holden and Kyle Jordan celebrate after victory over Wexford's Mark Doyle and Joe Devereux.
By Paul Fitzpatrick
Kilkenny ended a 29-year wait for the All-Ireland Senior Softball Doubles title on Saturday last at the National Handball Centre, Croke Park when cousins Jack Holden and Kyle Jordan produced a remarkable comeback to edge Wexford's Mark Doyle and Joe Devereux in what is already being hailed as one of the greatest finals ever played.
The Kilfane pair recovered from the disappointment of losing a gripping opening game 21-20 before storming back to take the second 21-7 and then surviving an unforgettable tiebreaker, 11-10, before a sell-out crowd.
It was Kilkenny's first senior title in the grade since the legendary Michael 'Ducksie' Walsh and Eugene Downey claimed the county's 10th crown in 1997, a remarkable drought for one of softball handball's traditional powerhouses.
The final more than lived up to expectations as all four players produced spectacular handball throughout. Doyle and Devereux looked to have seized the initiative after edging a breathless opening game but Holden and Jordan responded in emphatic fashion, raising their level considerably to force a decider.
The tiebreaker was as dramatic as it gets. Neither side could establish daylight, with momentum swinging constantly before the Kilkenny duo finally edged over the line by the narrowest possible margin.
An emotional Holden admitted the contest could easily have gone the other way.
"It was just unbelievable to get over the line at the end," he said.
"Ten-all in the tiebreaker, it could have gone either way. In the first game they built up a bit of a lead and then we came back and it was 20-all again and they took the first one.
"In the second one we got on top and won it out. Then the tiebreaker was just ace for ace and literally could have gone either way. It was just an unbelievable game."
For Jordan, the victory completed a rapid rise through the ranks. Just three years ago he and Holden captured the Intermediate title – Wexford, amazingly, only won it last year - and, in only their second season at senior level, they have now reached the summit.
"Three years ago, me and Jack won the Intermediate and then came up to play senior. This is only our second year," he said.
"It was no easy game. The boys fought hard, it was a hard battle and could have gone any way. Lads were diving everywhere, balls spilled everywhere and we're just lucky to get over the line.
"To be able to win the title that Ducksie won is amazing. I never thought this day would come."
Martina McMahon and Aisling Shanahan celbrate after victory over Fiona Tully and Alanna Coggeran.
Earlier, Martina McMahon and Aisling Shanahan successfully defended the Ladies' Senior Softball Doubles crown with an impressive straight-games victory over Roscommon's Fiona Tully and Alanna Coggeran.
The Limerick pair won 21-12, 21-5, with the outstanding McMahon once again underlining her status as one of the sport's all-time greats.
Tully, the reigning 40x20 Senior Singles champion, produced a spirited display and helped keep the opening game competitive before the Broadford duo gradually took control. Once they established their rhythm, McMahon and Shanahan proved too strong, dominating the second game to retain their All-Ireland title in convincing fashion.