Snooker: Peter Ebdon collected his second major title of the season when depriving Ken Doherty of his place in snooker's record books by winning the Regal Scottish Open title in Aberdeen last night.
The London-born star, a winner of the British Open in Plymouth last September, ground out a marathon 9-7 success over his Irish rival. Ebdon knocked in five half-century breaks, with a best of 84, but still had to settle for sharing the first eight frames.
When the match resumed there was never more than a frame in it until the latter stages, Doherty led 6-5 but suffered a cruel blow in frame 13 when Ebdon fluked the pink to take a 7-6 lead.
Back came the Irishman to make it seven all and suddenly it came down to a best of three.
Doherty should have made it 87 but allowed a 57-24 lead to slip with just one red left as Ebdon cleared to win on the black.
Doherty was in front again in what proved to be the final frame but Ebdon stayed calm.
Women's Hockey: ON A quiet weekend for hockey the only senior club action of note took place in Galway where NUIG captain Rachel McKeown made a successful comeback, after breaking her wrist in the intervarsities last November, to lead her team to a 4-0 victory over Galway in the Connacht Senior Cup final.
The win completed the league and cup double for NUIG who were 2-0 up by half time, through goals from Pamela Ryan and Liz Tighe, a lead that was doubled in the second half by Caitlin Friel and Claire Hughes.
Athletics: Patrice Dockery was the clear winner of the 4km wheelchair race at the Balmoral International Road Races in Scotland on Saturday. The Irish athlete clocked 13 minutes 36 seconds, four seconds ahead of runner-up Francesca Porcellato of Italy.
In the women's five-mile race, Anne Keenan-Buckley took fifth place behind the winner, Ethiopia's Gete Wami, who managed to out-sprint England's Paula Radcliffe. Other Irish placings included Peter Matthews (13th in the five-mile) and Valarie Vaughan (ninth in the 3km).
Athletics: Catherina McKiernan completed her first race in almost a year yesterday when she finished second in the Dunboyne four-mile road race in Meath. After enduring a frustrating period of injury, it offered a strong indication that she is about to return to world class athletics.
Kenya's Magdeline Chemjor managed to pull away from McKiernan in the closing stages, eventually winning by just seven seconds when clocking 20 minutes 24 seconds. Yet McKiernan held her form to the finish, well clear of third-placed Louise Kavanagh of Cork (21.51).
Raheny's Mick Traynor was the surprise winner of the men's race in 19.03, well clear of club-mate Mark Kenneally who clocked 19.23.
