SPORTS DIGEST

Today's other stories in brief

Rovers secure precious draw

HOCKEY:Three Rock Rovers produced one of the best results by an Irish club side in recent history as they drew with one of the favourites for the Euro Hockey League title, Atletic Terrassa in Lille yesterday afternoon

The Irish side put it up to their most illustrious opponents from the start, winning a penalty corner in the first eight seconds before Michael Maguire went close in the third minute.

Olympic gold medal winner Mattias Witthaus had the best chance of the first half, blazing over Charlie Henderson's goal.

But Rovers conceded few chances and probably had the measure of the play.

Maguire went close again in the second period while Spanish international Xavier Ribas skimmed the crossbar, but Three Rock held on for a precious draw.

They face KHC Leuven tomorrow at 11.30am.

A win will guarantee qualification for the second round of the competition.

Hirvonen takes control but Loeb lurks in Japan Rally

MOTOR SPORT:Finland's Mikko Hirvonen took control of a chaotic first day at the Japan Rally yesterday after a serious crash involving Ford driver Francois Duval. Frenchman Sebastien Loeb, who can secure his fifth world title in succession with a podium finish at the weekend, avoided trouble to end the day comfortably in third.

Duval had just taken second place from team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala when he smashed into a metal barrier during the sixth stage, causing substantial damage to his car. The Belgian's co-driver Patrick Pivato was injured in the crash and air-lifted to hospital after being pulled out of the mangled vehicle. Ford later said Pivato's injury was not serious.

Hirvonen is almost half a minute ahead of Latvala with Loeb lurking just 4.4 seconds further behind and 29.7 seconds clear of Subaru's Chris Atkinson in fourth. Loeb, who has won 10 times this season, leads Hirvonen by 14 points in the drivers championship with two races remaining.

O'Leary steers CIT to title

SAILING:Nicholas O'Leary steered Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) to world championship success yesterday in the final day of the Student Yachting World Cup at La Trinite-sur Mer, France.

In 15-20 knot north easterly breezes CIT used their boat speed advantage to good effect when O'Leary outwitted the Italian entries in a pre-start duel in the final race.

The Italians could only recover to 10th place after starting up to 20 seconds late. It was not enough to hold off CIT whose second place score in the last round gave them the overall title.

The CIT team for the week long event was skippered by O'Leary and comprised George Kenefick, Joseph Bruen, Grahame Durcan, Aoife English, Silvia Phelan, Cian Twomey, David Barnett and Adam McCarthy.

Australia begin to fight back

CRICKET:Battling half-centuries from Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey put Australia within striking distance of averting the follow-on in the third Border-Gavaskar Test against India in Delhi.

Ponting pieced together a gritty 87 after Hayden (83) and Katich (64) had laid the foundations with a 123-run stand for the opening wicket. Part-time off-spinner Virender Sehwag denied Hayden and Ponting well-deserved centuries and swung some momentum India's way by removing Hussey (53) three overs from the close for his third wicket.

Australia ended the third day on 338 for four, still 275 runs behind India's first-innings score of 613 for seven declared. Michael Clarke was unbeaten on 21 alongside Shane Watson (four not out) at stumps.

Hayden survived a torrid first over from Zaheer Khan, the left-arm paceman rapping him on the helmet with his first delivery.

Hayden, however, weathered the storm as he built a secure platform for Australia.

Samoa give Ireland a lifeline

RUGBY LEAGUE:There was relief for Ireland as Tonga became the first team to bow out of the 2008 World Cup.

Beaten 22-20 by the Tongans in their opening Pool C match, Ireland were handed a lifeline when Samoa beat their Pacific rivals 20-12 in a thrilling game in front of a crowd of 11,787 at Penrith.

That means a win by six points in their final group game against Samoa at Parramatta Stadium next Wednesday would take Andy Kelly's men through to the semi-final qualifier on November 10th.

"It's a fantastic result," said Kelly. "We asked for a lifeline and Samoa delivered. Both sides went gung-ho but it's good for us. It gives us something to bite into. We wanted to be in a position where we had something to chase or to be chased.

"Now we've got to work hard and prepare for our next game."

Having taken a slender lead into the break, the Samoans struck in the 53rd minute through Wigan centre George Carmont to set up a match-winning eight-point buffer.

Greek prosecutor charges Halkia 

ATHLETICS:A Greek prosecutor yesterday charged 2004 Olympic 400-metre hurdles winner Fani Halkia with criminal doping offences after she tested positive for steroids days before she was due to compete at the Beijing Games.

Court sources said the prosecutor had charged Halkia and sprinters Dimitris Regas and Tassos Gousis with consuming banned substances and coach George Panagiotopoulos with supplying them.

"The prosecutor has charged Halkia, Gousis and Regas for doping. He has pressed charges against the coach for supplying them the illegal substances," a court source said.

"They are expected to go to a trial within a year."

Greece launched an investigation after a number of Greek athletes hit the headlines for failing drugs tests rather than winning medals.