Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Nolan completes Wexford comeback

Wexford Youths 3 Douglas Hall 2

TWO superb second-half goals from Shane Nolan capped Wexford Youths’ comeback in this second-round replay at Ferrycarrig Park last night. Wexford took the lead on eight minutes when Thomas Croke was brought down for penalty which was tucked away by Dean Broaders. Within 60 seconds Douglas levelled from Chris Fox’s 35-metre shot before Brian Wilkinson made it 2-1 for Douglas. Wexford pressure paid off when Shane Nolan scored on 52 minutes and despite goalkeeper Graham Doyle getting red carded on 82 minutes Nolan sealed the win with a superb lob.

WEXFORD YOUTHS: Doyle, Clarke (O’Brien 82), Scallan, Browne, Corcoran, B Nolan Malone 45), Molloy (Elmes 77), Croke, Keenen, S Nolan, Broaders.

DOUGLAS HALL: A O’Donovan, Ryan, Prout, McGarry, G O’Donovan, Wilkinson, Kelleher, Fox, Reardon (G O’Donovan 60), Murphy, Varian.

Referee: S Grant (Wexford).

Ireland bowlers find their range

Ireland A enjoyed a much better second day against Gloucestershire seconds at Coombe Park in Bath yesterday, but still have their work cut out to avoid defeat on the final day.

Resuming on 27 for three in their first innings after the home side had declared on 494 for five, Ireland went on to make 230 all out, with Merrion’s John Anderson top-scoring with 72 and Instonians’ Rory McCann making 54.

An unscheduled 45-minute break due to an air ambulance landing on the outfield to ferry a patient to the adjacent hospital pushed the last session back, with Gloucester deciding not to enforce the follow on.

Left-arm seamer Phil Eaglestone took two wickets in two balls in his second over and North County spinner Adam Coughlan grabbed four for 38 to reduce Gloucester to 146 for eight at stumps, a lead of 410. – EMMET RIORDAN

Williams paralysed after motorbike accident

Boxer Paul Williams has been left paralysed from the waist down by a motorbike accident in Georgia on Sunday, his promoter said yesterday. The 30-year-old American, a two-time former WBO welterweight champion, was thrown from his bike while riding in a suburb of Atlanta. His spinal cord was severed, leaving him with no movement in his legs. Promoter Dan Goossen said: “Unfortunately, the news reported is accurate.”

Williams had been scheduled to fight Saul Alvarez in September, but manager George Peterson said the fighter had been told by doctors he was unlikely to walk again.

Schleck finally handed Tour de France yellow jersey

Andy Schleck received the 2010 Tour de France winner’s yellow jersey yesterday almost four months after Alberto Contador lost the title following a doping ban. Luxembourg’s Schleck had finished the race in second place overall, only for Spaniard Contador to be stripped of the title for failing a test for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol and being handed a two-year retrospective ban.

Schleck was handed the yellow jersey in the presence of Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme and former five-times Tour champion Bernard Hinault during a ceremony in Luxembourg.

Schleck, who is expected to take part in this year’s Tour, said: “It doesn’t change anything for me, on paper I won it but on but I haven’t won it on the road and that’s still a goal to achieve.”

Bolt laughs off suggestion 'off-days' could become trend

Usain Bolt insists he would not care about losing every race between now and the Olympics as long as he retains his titles in London. Bolt did not lose in Ostrava last Friday, but his winning 100m time of 10.04 seconds was so slow by his standards he faced questions on what went wrong at yesterday’s press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Diamond League meeting in Rome.

The Jamaican sprint star revealed more food and sleep were the solution to a lack of energy in his legs in Ostrava, but also laughed off suggestions there was a chance such “off days” could become a trend. He said: “Even if I lose every race up to the Olympics it doesn’t matter because I know I have one focus and that is just to go to the Olympics and do great things . . . I’m not worried.”