Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Ireland begin series as favourites

HURLING/SHINTY:Ireland go into today's First Test in Inverness as favourites to claim a fourth series success over Scotland in a row.

An attendance of 4,000 is expected at Bught Park by the 1.15pm throw-in, with Ireland managers John Meyler and Michael Walsh recalling just four of the players who were involved in the series win under Joe Dooley’s stewardship last year.

Captain Eoin Price (Westmeath), Cormac Donnelly (Antrim), Tom Murnane (Kerry) and Westmeath forward Brendan Murtagh all return for the second year running, while Kerry attacker Darragh O’Connell is promoted from the last year’s under-21 side. Ireland will look to establish a lead ahead of the return leg in Ennis on Saturday week, October 27th.

IRELAND: Bernard Rochford (Kerry), Joseph Clarke (Westmeath), Ciarán Clifford (Armagh), Steven Clynch (Meath), Shane Dooley (Offaly), Cormac Donnelly (Antrim), Shane Fennell (Louth), Patrick Horgan (Cork), Neil McManus (Antrim), Barry McFall (Antrim), Tom Murnane (Kerry), Brendan Murtagh (Westmeath), Darragh O’Connell (Kerry), Patrick Maher (Tipperary), Eoin Price (captain, Westmeath), Paudie Reidy (Kildare), Des Shaw (Carlow), Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny).

Yankees mauled by Detroit Tigers

BASEBALL:The New York Yankees headed home after being mauled by the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, swept from the American League Championship Series in four games.

After leading the American League in wins and setting a team record for homers, the Yankees could not do much of either against the Tigers, who are on their way back to the World Series for the first time in six years where they will face either the St Louis Cardinals or San Francisco Giants.

"It is extremely difficult," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the Tigers won Game Four 8-1 on Thursday. "You work a long time to get to this point every year and to have it end abruptly it is really, really difficult. We didn't swing the bats. It wasn't one guy, it wasn't two guys, it was a bunch of guys and it's hard to win when you don't score runs."

Meanwhile, the St Louis Cardinals moved within one win of returning to the World Series with an 8-3 romp over the San Francisco Giants that gave them a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series on Thursday.

Sisters break pain barrier to land World doubles title

HANDBALL:Fiona Shannon and sister Sibéal Gallagher recorded a remarkable victory in the Ladies Open Doubles over Kerry's Maria Daly and Ashley Prendiville in the World Championships last night in CityWest.

Gallagher tore ligaments in her arm in the semi-final and was wincing with pain throughout but saw through the game as she helped her side to a 21-16, 15-21, 11-3 win.

"If it was any other game, I would have quit but this was a world final, and my last Worlds at that," said Gallagher.

Shannon – beaten in the singles final on Tuesday night – made amends with a tremendous performance on the left of the court, taking the fight to the Kerry side single-handedly at times in a thrilling final.

Irish look back in Angers as rain ends eventing

EQUESTRIAN:The eventing season came to an abrupt end for those Irish riders who had travelled to the FEI world championships for young horses at Le Lion d'Angers as they were abandoned yesterday due to the inclement weather.

Heavy rain began falling on Thursday, continued overnight and with conditions worsening, the decision to call off the event was made yesterday afternoon.

The show jumping action abroad this weekend centres on the second leg of the Rolex FEI world cup series in Helsinki, where Ireland are represented by Dermott Lennon and Denis Lynch, while 74 horses have been declared for tomorrow's fifth leg of the Gain/Alltech autumn grand prix league at Cavan Equestrian Centre.