GOLF: Ireland will need to step up a gear today if they are to keep alive their hopes of glory in the European Ladies' Team championship over the Royal Frankfurter course in Germany.
With five of their six cards counting, they finished the first day of qualifying on 372 - 12over par - 17 strokes adrift of leaders Germany but, more crucially, five strokes behind eighth-placed France.
A day that started so promisingly for the Irish rather went downhill in the afternoon. When Tricia Mangan handed in a 71 - one under par - things looked rosy but newcomer Helen Jones then crashed to an unhappy 84.
Maura Morrin was steady enough for her 72 but Martina Gillen, Claire Coughlan and Maria Dunne could not raise their games and they took 75, 76 and 78 respectively in what were benign conditions.
Only Switzerland, Scotland and the Czech Republic are behind the Irish, who will need to improve by an average of two strokes a player today to stand a realistic chance of keeping alive their hopes of a third European crown.
Mangan, who is in the Britain and Ireland Vagliano Trophy team to face the Continent of Europe later in the month at Co Louth, had three birdies, two bogies and 13 pars in her splendid round.
Coughlan, the former Irish champion, was going well at one under par after eight holes but dropped a stroke at the ninth and had four more bogeys on the homeward half. "It was just a case of hitting poor shots," said the Cork player.
Gillen, a Vagliano reserve, went straight to the practice ground to sort out her driving and iron play after her 75. "I didn't actually play badly but frittered away strokes with some carelessness," she said.
Dunne was furious with herself for dropping a couple of strokes in the closing holes.
Irish captain Mary McKenna was not downhearted by the performance: "Most of them played reasonably well but the standard here is truly amazing."
Wales led the home countries with a total of 361 - three better than England. After Ireland come Scotland on 374. Following today's second round the top eight countries enter the first flight for the matchplay stages.
In the Czech Republic, Ireland's boys have a chance of making it into the quarter-finals of the European Team championship as they lie in joint eighth place after the first qualifying round. They have a five-card total of 356 - 11 behind leaders Italy. Only 11 strokes separate third from 12th.
Aaron O'Callagham led the Irish challenge with a three-under-par 67 while David Rawluk took 69 - one under par - and Cian McNamara shot 70.
