Doubles deciders down for decision at handball finals

The stage is set for the oneills.com All-Ireland 4-Wall Senior Doubles finals at the National Handball Centre in Croke Park on Saturday.

Both the Men's and Ladies Senior Doubles finals are repeats of last year, with defending champions and live underdogs in both.

In the Men’s final, Clare’s Diarmaid Nash and Colin Crehan – who are seeking a third title in succession and a fourth in total – take on Cork’s Daniel Relihan and Michael Hedigan, who reached their maiden decider last year.

The Rebels are also represented in the Ladies decider as the pre-eminent doubles pair in the game, Catriona Casey and Aishling O’Keeffe, take on Galway’s Ciana Ní Churraoin and Niamh Heffernan.

Lefty Nash and the explosive Crehan have cruised into the final with some impressive displays while the Liscarroll duo came through a close tiebreaker last time out against Patrick and Peter Funchion from Kilkenny.

The Bannermen come into the tie as favourites but Relihan’s shot-making and Hedigan’s retrieving ability are such that Cork will pose a formidable challenge.

"At this stage we’re well used to playing with each other and we know our strengths," Nash said.

"Colin is a very attacking player and a sort of kill artist – we mesh well because I keep the game alive a lot of the time and I am good to pick and a good rallier and that kind of thing and hopefully can get us set-ups and he has the ability to put those set-ups away, which is great.

"He’s got fantastic hands, I feel like a lot of my job is to do the picking, I am fairly quick inside so I can keep the rallies alive and then he has an unbelievable ability to shoot the ball so I suppose we complement each other quite well.

"The Cork lads are kind of similar as well actually, they’re opposites in ways.