Two out of three for the Royals

It was a case of two out of three for Royal County handballers Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan as they tapped into some excellent form to win the All-Ireland 60x30 Senior Doubles title at Thurles on Saturday defeating Kilkenny pair Michael Clifford and Michael 'Duxie' Walsh in a tense showdown. This was the second time in three years that Carroll and Sheridan have won All-Ireland titles and once again they showed the required skill and composure to close out the game. This was Sheridan's 10th senior 60x30 doubles crown and was achieved 18 years after he first got his hands on the trophy. Altogether this is his 64th All-Ireland title at all levels. Play on Saturday got underway at around 6.0 in front of a packed gallery and there was little between either combination in the early stages as both sides traded serves and went ace for ace. Then the Meath pair picked up the momentum and they went on to close out the game 21-10. The contest picked up pace with the second game starting at a blistering tempo. Carroll again pulled out another excellent kill shot to get his team off the mark and Sheridan matched this to take a 2-0 lead. Then Kilkenny pair came back to close the gap. The resilient Meath duo were unwilling to let a second consecutive All-Ireland title slip from their grasp and they managed to retrieve the serve and take a 19-18 advantage. Carroll earned the penultimate point from an excellent serve, and then after a long tense rally Sheridan pulled out a diving kill shot to regain the title the pair last won in 2008. Carroll said it was an honour to play against a handball legend like Walsh, who won his first title 25 years ago, and similarly how honoured he was to play with Sheridan. The 42-year-old Sheridan, who will contest the Masters Doubles final in two weeks time, confirmed he would be back to defend the title in 2011.