'Good things come to those who wait' was certainly the motto in Thurles last Saturday as Roscommon's Siobhan Treacy produced an outstanding performance to take the Covid-delayed 2020 60x30 Girls U17 All-Ireland title against Kilkenny's Lauren Power.
This All-Ireland series was over a year in the making. It's a tribute to Siobhan's determination and self-motivation that she was able to maintain her high standards after such a long period of uncertainty.
The two key areas that determined the outcome of this match were serving and footwork. Siobhan's ultra-consistent deep serving had the Kilkenny youngster in all kinds of trouble throughout the match. During the rallies Siobhan's speed around the court kept her in the ascendancy.
Siobhan led the whole way in the first game and despite a spirited finish by Power, the 15-6 score-line was a true reflection of the action. The second went pretty much along the same lines for most of the game until Siobhan got to 'gameball'.
Three times Power launched her comeback and things looked a little hairy for a few minutes. Finally Siobhan finished it off to deservedly win the second 15-10.
Siobhan will have no time to rest on her laurels as she competes in the Covid-delayed 2020 40x20 Girls U17 All-Ireland final in approximately one month's time. This result certainly will boost her confidence in her effort to complete a famous double.
