There was huge excitement as Niamh Byrne’s Team 3 welcomed Rockfield to Sandycove. Everyone was delighted to be playing at home, although the morning got off to a slightly delayed start when one of our Rockfield opponents found themselves stuck in traffic.
At 11.20am, we gave them another five minutes and, luckily for them, they arrived at 11.25am! We certainly weren’t obliged to accommodate the delay, but we decided that a little good karma might be worth it. As it turned out, it absolutely was.
With the matches starting late, the nerves were already building. On Court 1, after their lengthy wait, Andrea Begley and Charlie O’Brien took to the court and put in a strong performance. It was a tough battle, but unfortunately they couldn’t quite get the win.
On Court 2, Sarah Beth Casey and Mandy O’Neill played a solid, confident & composed game and came away with a well-earned victory.
Then all eyes turned to Court 3.
Niamh Byrne and Ruth Milne were battling it out, and the atmosphere on the balcony was building. With the pressure mounting, Niamh and Ruth held their nerve and secured the game, avoiding a tie-break and, more importantly, securing Class 3 promotion for themselves and their team!
At the same time, Oilbhe’s Class 5 team were battling away on courts 4, 5 & 6…
Mairead Walshe and super sub Karen Johnson, were playing together for the first time! They were thrown straight into the deep end with a tough match against a strong Celbridge pairing.
Next off court were Emma Taylor and Trish Desmond, who calmly and confidently took the first set before absolutely powering through the second, winning 6-1. No drama there!
So Sandycove found themselves down to 1 point each… AGAIN!
All eyes turned to Jess Legge and captain Oilbhe Doyle, who haven’t dropped a point all campaign. No pressure then…
Hearts were in our mouths on the balcony. Having won the first set 6-0. Celbridge had found a way back in but at 5 games all, our girls dug deep and stepped it up. 6-5!
Edoardo was spotted heading down to offer some support for his students, only to be pulled back in case he put the ladies off – as Oilbhe prepared to serve for the match.
With Oilbhe confidently serving and Jess holding the net, they closed it out!
GAME. SET. PROMOTION.
The balcony erupted (we could breathe again!) and the Class 5 team secured promotion!
Huge congratulations to the whole team on a fantastic and very well played campaign!
The celebrations began, but this was only the start of what turned into an equally incredible day for the Sandycove men!
With six play-offs and six team promotions, it was a day that will be remembered! The commitment, determination and support across every court & on the balcony showed exactly what Sandycove is all about.
And perhaps the biggest lesson of the day? When you choose to show a little kindness and give someone those extra five minutes, sometimes karma really does come back to you!
Six play-offs. Six promotions. One very proud Sandycove. What a day!