ANOTHER FANTASTIC run by the juvenile Model county handballers saw them once again overturn old rivals Kilkenny in the Leinster finals at Garryhill, Co. Carlow, recently, with Wexford taking home the winners' medals in the boys' Under-12 singles, Under-13 singles and Under-13 doubles.

First on court for Wexford was up and coming young star from Castlebridge, Thomas Hall, versus Carlow's Damien Jordan, and what a fantastic encounter it proved to be. In the first game young Hall broke away to a great start as he totally overpowered Jordan with a remarkable performance.

An array of fantastic serves accompanied by some great finishing with many wonderful kill shots and some excellent retrieving totally outsmarted his Carlow opponent to win the first game on a 15-0 score.

In the second game, Jordan got away to a better start to lead 3-0, and it seemed we were in for a real battle, but Hall was very keen to prove that first game was not just a flash in the pan as he quickly extinguished all hopes of his shell-shocked Carlow opponent to win the Under-12 singles title 15-8 with a most impressive display, looking a great prospect for the years ahead.

Next on court for Wexford was another up and coming young star, Oisín Foley also from Castlebridge, who has gained vast experience competing over the past three years, and he took on Kilkenny's Pádraig Cooney in the Under-13 singles.

Early in play Cooney displayed some great skills and it seemed like he was really up for a great battle as both players traded aces.

But as the first game advanced, the vastly more experienced Foley gained the upper hand to lead all the way as he produced an array of great serves, and his overall general play was just top class as he won the first game 15-4.

In the second game, as in the first, it was Oisín who was calling all the decisive vital shots and, just like a skilled matador in a Spanish bull ring, in total control at all times, giving a flawless performance. His positional play was right out of the top drawer, with a number of sublimely-executed kill shots that left his Kilkenny opponent just totally baffled and decisively outplayed by 15 aces to three.

The next game on court for Wexford proved to be the match of the day as Stevie Lawler from Bridgetown and Seamus Sinnott from St. Martin's met Kilkenny's Conor Dwyer and Seán Carey (son of legendary great D.J.) and what an incredibly exciting encounter it proved to be. In the first game, the Wexford boys just raced into a commanding lead and seemed to completely de-rail their rivals.

It was young Lawler's incredible serving that scored the vital aces as the Marble City pairing just had no answer and ran out 155 winners. Sinnott also played a key role with his overall general play, especially inside the short line.

In the eagerly-awaited second game it was the turn of Kilkenny who made it quite clear that they did not turn up just to make up the numbers as they raced into a commanding lead and were causing the Wexford boys quite a few problems with lots of top-class serving to run out winners 15-9.

So it was now or never for whichever pair was prepared to pay the asking price of victory. As in the first game, the Model County boys regained their earlier composure as they took the lead, with young Lawler once again causing total dismay in the Marble city camp with his fantastic serving, and his partner, Sinnott, hitting many match-winning volley shots with great covering of the short line to run out winners on a 15-4 scoreline.

Another two of our top juveniles, Dean Corrigan and Cory Murphy (Castlebridge), had a remarkable victory in the Leinster Minor 60 x 30 doubles final played at Castlebridge as they overturned Kilkenny's E. Hennessy and P. Maher in a titanic struggle 21-4, 20-21, 21-19. The Wexford pair now advance to contest the All-Ireland semi-final versus the winners of Connacht.