Ireland’s Simon Ward and Niall Kearney have qualified for the last 32 of The Amateur Championship on the Lancashire coast, but Luke Lennox and Paul Cutler bowed out after match-play defeats today.

The 22-year-old Ward - who along with Kearney and Lennox got a bye to the second round of the match-play – made a dreadful start, but produced a marvellous comeback to deny Canadian David Markle at Formby.

“I am pleased with my game. After two good stroke-play rounds I was solid again today,” said Ward, who will play Dane Peter Baunsoe tomorrow.

Markle was three-up on the Co Louth golfer after five holes and would have been four up had Ward not holed a 10-foot putt on the sixth.

Two-down with five to play, Ward won the 14th and then the 16th to level the scores.

With that momentum, he finished in style, winning the 17th and holing a 25-foot putt on the last to triumph by two.

Royal Dublin’s Kearney also came from behind to beat Australian Daniel Nisbet.

After going two down in four holes, the 22-year-old birdied the ninth and levelled the match at the 10th.

Kearney took the lead with a birdie on the 16th and halved the final two holes to win by the slimmest of margins.

Nisbet beat Portstewart’s Cutler 2&1 in the morning’s first round, while Moyola Park’s Lennox was beaten 2&1 by Scot Mark Hillsom in the second round.