Sports Digest

Ireland are decisive winners over Wales Ireland scored a decisive 7½ to 1½ victory over Wales in their annual Youths' international match at Royal Tara GC yesterday.

Having shared the foursomes (1½ to 1½), the Irish players dominated in the afternoon, winning all six singles.

Reigning Irish Close champion Rory McIlroy and his partner, Gareth Shaw, set the ball rolling in the foursomes with a solid 3 and 2 win over the Welsh pair, Stuart Runcie and Rhys Enoch.

Irish Youths' champion Séamus Power and Aaron O'Callaghan went down by 3 and 1 to Zac Gould and Greg Williams, while the pairing of Shane Lowry and Simon Ward, one down playing the 18th, made a birdie four to snatch a half against Mark Trow and Luke Thomas.

In the singles, McIlroy scored a one hole win over Gould. Power followed with a 3 and 2 win over Trow while Shaw earned a 3 and 1 win against Enoch.

Lowry beat Williams 4 and 3 and Ward was next with a 3 and 2 win over Thomas.

In the final match, O'Callaghan completed the clean sweep in the singles with a 3 and 2 win over Runcie.

Fox sprints to victory in Roche grand prix

Shane Stokes

Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group rider Morgan Fox took a fine win in the Stephen Roche Grand Prix in Meadowmount, Dundrum, last night, outsprinting Brian Taafe (All Systems Dublin Wheelers) at the end of the 30-lap street race.

Fox and Taafe went clear of the peloton in the first 15 minutes of racing and caught the group comprising senior 3, juniors, women and veteran riders who had been given a three-quarter lap head start.

Stephen O'Sullivan (MyHome.ie/Cycleways) tried to close, but while he got to within five seconds of the leaders with five laps to go, marking by Fox's team-mate, Phil Finegan, made it a tough task. Sullivan and Finegan held on for third and fourth, while Colm Bracken (Murphy Surveyors Kilcullen) and Paul Healion (Murphy Group) were fifth and sixth. Louise Moriarty (Moving Ladies) was first woman.

Urban Monks and Terry Ferris continued what was a successful night for the local Murphy Group team, taking first in the senior 2 and veteran's classifications. Sean Reynolds and Michael Daly were first senior 3 and junior, respectively.