MIKE Conlon had glory in the Ulster Masters Squash Open in Belfast last weekend.
He was among the sizeable Ennis CBS contingent that partook in the Ulster Masters Squash Open. A perennial contender in these provincial competitions, and a seasoned International to boot, Conlon was well-fancied to contest the latter stages – a fact reflected in his No.2 seeding.
Conlon was dominant in his first round win, and continued to impress with tidy and concise play for a 11-4 11-2 11-4 semi-final triumph over Eamon O’Keefe. This qualified him for a final match with his recent nemesis, Peter Stevens, a player who had eked out narrow wins over Conlon in two previous encounters.
Initially, Stevens started with a clear intent to continue his winning streak with a good 11-5 win and indeed he kept his momentum early on in the second to lead 9-5 over the CBS man. However, Conlon’s decades of top-level experience gave him the belief to claw his way back in the match, saving a game-point at 9-10 to win a thrilling tiebreak 14-12. This proved to be a pivotal moment, with an exchange of momentum now shifting squaring toward Conlon.
The Ennis CBS player then drove on strongly in the third, his general patience and superb drops allowing him to take an 11-6 win for a 2-1 lead. With the title looming in the foreground, it was important to make a ‘quick’ start in the fourth game and Conlon duly forged a 3-0 lead. Despite the strenuous efforts of Stevens, Conlon managed the game superbly, concentrating on good length into the back and putting Stevens on the defensive with tight serving. It remained a tough battle but Conlon closed out 11-7 for a famous victory and another addition to his already substantial collection of Provincial Open honours.
Other players from the CBS club that were competing in Ulster are Nuria Smyth who ended up third in the ladies section. John O’Shaughnessy had a good tournament until he had to pull up with injury in the play off for third and fourth spot. Clive Morgan had some magnificent battles over the weekend with John Hurley and Jeremy Hastings and secured seventh place.
