A round-up of today's other stories in brief
LGFA to meet to discuss dig-out for replay trip
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: LADIES Gaelic Football Association officials will meet next week to discuss financial aid for New York’s return trip for the TG4 All-Ireland ladies junior football final replay on Sunday week, October 9th.
The LGFA’s Central Council will discuss a proposal from the Association’s management committee that New York should receive assistance for a third transatlantic trip in seven weeks.
New York played Carlow and Wexford in the space of a week last month, before flying back for their drawn final against Wicklow last Sunday. And now the Exiles believe it will cost €22,000 to get the squad, management and officials back for the rematch with the Garden County at Croke Park.
Quill has also confirmed only the Hogan Stand will be open for the junior and intermediate (Cavan v Westmeath) replays – and believes 5,000 would be an acceptable attendance for the double-header.
Quill also thanked the GAA for allowing Croke Park host the replays as normally an attendance of 33,000 is required to make opening up the stadium financially viable.
Quill has also revealed admission prices for the replays – with tickets costing €20 for adults and €5 for other patrons. “That represents very good value. We’re conscious that people would have come already. It was €25 last Sunday for three finals and now it’s €20 for two.”
All-Ireland Junior Final Replay – New York v Wicklow, Croke Park, 2.30pm.
All-Ireland Intermediate Final Replay – Cavan v Westmeath, Croke Park, 4.15pm.
Delaney and Oosthuysen do the damage
RUGBY: HALF-BACK pairing Tip Delaney and Jaco Oosthuysen combined for all of the points as Munster made it two wins from two in the Schools A Interprovincial series at Musgrave Park yesterday, beating Leinster Schools A 30-11.
Fullback Jamie Scanlon scored an early try for Leinster but once scrumhalf Oosthuysen knifed through the cover on 11 minutes for the first of his two tries Munster took over. Delaney kicked three penalties and converted all three tries, including one of his own.
MUNSTER SCHOOLS A: K Desmond; S Scallon, T Tobin, B Mitchell, A Walsh; T Delaney, J Oosthuysen, N Fitzgerald, C O’Meara, J Reeves, S O’Sullivan, M Cooke, R Kingston, R Meaney. Replacements: G Molloy for Tobin (47), B Moore for Meaney (51), M O’Neill for Fitzgerald (inj), A Gardiner for O’Meara, A Hogan for O’Sullivan (all 62), R Taylor for Desmond, S Murphyfor Walsh (both 65).
LEINSTER SCHOOLS A: J Scanlon; M Fennelly, F Howley, B Porte, T Pretorius; C O’Reilly, J Orr; É Brennan, J Byrne (Abbey CC), P Maher, S Gibney, D Smith, J Ahern, G Vincent, J Byrne. Replacements: H Connor for Maher, S Keogh for Byrne, B Mangan for Smith (all 42), J Boyd for O’Reilly (52), K Brown for Brennan, D Brady for Pretorius, B Mackey for Fennelly (all 64).
Referee: R Horgan (IRFU).
Niland fails to take chances in Madrid
TENNIS: CONOR Niland yesterday failed to take advantage of a greater number of break points as he crashed out in the second round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Madrid.
The Irish number one conjured up 13 break points compared to 11 for French opponent Eric Prodon in the outdoor clay-court tournament.
But 206th-ranked Niland managed to convert only four of these, while 92nd-ranked Prodon, seeded number four, broke the Limerick man’s serve on seven occasions to help him pull off a 7-6 (7/1) 6-0 victory after an hour and 29 minutes.
Both players broke four times in the opening set, and Prodon broke three times in the second.
New sponsor for women’s league
WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Football Association of Ireland yesterday announced Bus Éireann as title sponsor of the Women’s National League.
The league, comprising seven clubs, will commence in November. The seven clubs are: Bray Wanderers/St Joseph’s, Castlebar Celtic FC, Cork Women’s FC, Peamount United, Raheny United, Shamrock Rovers, and Wexford Youths Women’s AFC.
League director, Fran Gavin said, “Today is a really important day for the future of womens football in Ireland. It is fitting this partnership is being made on the same day Peamount Utd are creating history by becoming the first ever Irish Women’s club to emerge from the Uefa Women’s Champions League qualifying phase and entering the last 32 of the competition (see report on page 25.”
The Women’s National League is a cornerstone of the FAI’s Womens Development Plan, which was launched in 2006. Since then, the FAI have reported that the numbers of registered female players in the country has doubled.
Busy summer schedule for England
CRICKET: ENGLAND will play a three-Test series against West Indies and South Africa next year separated by a five-match one-day series against Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday.
The home side, who replaced India as the world’s top-ranked Test nation this year, will play 14 one-day internationals, including a match against Scotland, and four Twenty20 games.
“With England looking to maintain its position as the number one side in the ICC’s World Test rankings and also preparing to defend the world T20 title in Sri Lanka next autumn, interest in next summer’s international programme will be intense,” ECB chief executive David Collier said.
Senior women see off Scotland
GOLF: Ireland, bidding to win the women’s senior home international championship for the first time since it was inaugurated in 2003, overcame last year’s wooden spoonists Scotland 5-3 at Tramore in Waterford yesterday.
But there was a tense final hour as Strabane’s Helen Jones was in the deciding game against Mary Smith and stumbled somewhat on the closing stretch.
Jones was four up with seven to play but lost a succession of holes and needed to pull out all the stops on the last hole to scrape a victory that saw the Irish home.
There were no problems for Pat Doran, runner-up the last two years in the British seniors championship, as she raced to a 9 and 7 demolition of Alex Glennie having lined up in the morning with Jones for a foursomes success.
Ireland led 2-1 at lunch and wins by Sheena McElroy, Doran and Jones gave them the opening day victory.
Today the Irish face defending champions England who humbled Wales 8-0 yesterday.
Australia one-day booked for Belfast
CRICKET: PHIL SIMMONS’ Ireland side will meet Australia in a one-day international next year in Belfast. The RSA Challenge match will take place in the Civil Service grounds at Stormont on Saturday, June 23rd, writes Johnny Watterson.
Australia, world number ones in the one-day format, played in Ireland last year and won by 39 runs after a competitive match, James Hopes claiming a five wicket haul to see his side out of trouble.
Australia have not played in Northern Ireland since August 2001, when they marked the last international to be staged in the Ormeau ground by fielding stars Ricky Ponting, Glen McGrath, Mark Waugh, Justin Langer, Brett Lee and Matthew Hayden.
“We had a wonderful opportunity to beat them in Dublin last year but let the game slip,” said Simmons.
“I know just how much that defeat hurt the players, so it is great to get another chance to play them.
As a coach and a player these are the type of fixtures you thrive on.
