A round-up of other sports news in brief
Morgan holds off Bopara challenge for Pakistan clash
CRICKET: Eoin Morgan has kept his dream of playing in this winter's Ashes series alive after he retained his place in the England squad for the first Test against Pakistan, which gets underway at Trent Bridge next Thursday.
The 23-year-old Dubliner saw off the challenge of Ravi Bopara, who has scored back-to-back championship hundreds for Essex, to take his place in the 12-man squad to take on a rejuvenated Pakistan side that held on to beat Australia by three wickets in the second Test at Headingey on Saturday.
Morgan also showed good form in Middlesex’s clash against Sussex, making 58 in the first innings and an unbeaten 58 in the second as they held out for a draw. James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ajmal Shahzad and Steven Finn make up a strong pace bowling quartet with Tim Bresnan missing out.
ENGLAND(squad): A Strauss (capt), J Anderson, S Broad, P Collingwood, A Cook, S Finn, E Morgan, K Pietersen, M Prior (wkt), A Shahzad, G Swann, J Trott.
Floody records back-to-back wins
EQUESTRIAN: John Floody recorded back-to-back wins in the TRM ShowjumpingIreland premier Grand Prix series when landing yesterday's round at Tattersalls on Michael Smith's Larkhill Cruiser, reports Margie McLoone. Successful on the same Cruising nine-year-old at Balmoral during the week, Floody was second to jump as eight of the 30 starters went in the jump-off. Only three went clear in round two with Larkhill Cruiser coming home in 36.30 to beat Kildare's Nicola FitzGibbon, riding Puissance, by just under one and a half seconds (37.71).
The Tattersalls Ireland/Ward Union Hunt show was also the venue for the Grand Finals of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook series. On Saturday, the seven-year-old Limmerick mare, bred by Thomas Cox and ridden for James McKean by Peter Smyth, won the six- and seven-year-old final and league. Pamela Donaghy’s Captain Clover gelding Tabby, partnered by John McGuinness, took the five-year-old final.
O'Gorman inspires Peamount
WOMEN'S SOCCER: Peamount United twice came from behind against Salthill Devon in yesterday's final at Tolka Park to claim their first FAI Women's Senior Cup.
Inspired by hat-trick heroine Áine O’Gorman, the team from south Co Dublin showed their hunger to win 4-2 and make up for the defeats in the 2005 and 2008 Lucy Hannon volleyed the Galway side ahead on nine minutes but that lead was cancelled out within a minute as O’Gorman teed up Ruth Comerford to finish. Salthill regained the lead through Jenny Critchley on 34 minutes yet again they conceded five minutes later as O’Gorman squeezed the ball home aided by Emer Flatley’s deflection.
The second half belonged to Irish international O’Gorman as she netted twice in seven minutes. Her 63rd minute shot pinged in off the post and she made it safe by tucking a low shot under Tina Hughes.
Martin and McGann show form
CYCLING: Apart from Nicolas Roche's superb 15th overall in the Tour de France, two other Irish riders also finished up stage races yesterday with strong results, reports Shane Stokes.
Dan Martin finished an excellent third overall in the Brixia Tour, ending the five-day race two minutes 39 seconds behind the winner Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF Inox).
The Irish Garmin Transitions rider took second place on Saturday’s mountain stage to Passo Maniva, then finished in the main bunch yesterday afternoon.
Compatriot David McCann (Giant Asia) netted an impressive fifth overall in the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China.
He has been in excellent form this year and was one of the strongest in the 2.HC-ranked race.
Railway end their 43-year Cup wait
CRICKET: Railway Union survived a late wobble on Saturday to claim their second Lewis Hohn Williams Leinster Senior Cup title and bridge a gap of 43 years with a two-wicket victory over defending champions Clontarf at College Park, writes Emmet Riordan.
Having won a vital toss Railway inserted Clontarf on a wicket that was damp at one end after rain had got under the covers.
Opener Bill Coghlan made light of the conditions as he cracked seven boundaries, but his departure for 40 saw Clontarf also lose the vital wickets of Rod Hokin and Alex Cusack before lunch. Mohammed Tariq went on to take three wickets for 19 and off-spinner Greg Lambert three for 18 as Clontarf were bowled out for 134 in the 51st over.
An opening stand of 64 from Kenny Carroll and Tom Fisher got Railway off to a good start, but Coghlan (four for 21) and Alex Cusack (three for 27) saw Railway stumble from 90 for one to 127 for eight before Railway’s penultimate pairing got them over the line.
Mageean claims silver medal
ATHLETICS: Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC) produced the run of a lifetime yesterday to take the silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the World Junior Athletics Championship in Moncton Canada. Mageean produced a remarkable best time of 4.09.51 to finish second to Tizita Bogale of Kenya who won in 4.08.06. Mageean destroyed her previous best of 4.15.46 which broke the previous national record held by Sonia O'Sullivan.
Joyce named boxer of tournament
BOXING: Ireland's John Joyce scooped the boxer of the tournament award at the eighth European Schoolboy Championships in Bulgaria yesterday despite losing his semi-final to Ivan Dubovik of Russia in Yambol City.
Joyce, from the Moate BC in Westmeath, was controversially adjudged to have lost 1-0 in his 41.5kg semi-final to Dubovik – who claimed gold on Saturday – on Friday. However, many neutral observers believed Joyce, who received a standing ovation from the Bulgarian crowd as he was leaving the ring, won the last-four clash.
Wayne Kelly, from the Brosna BC in Westmeath, was also on the receiving end of a dubious decision when he was adjudged to have lost his semi-final to Timur Aminov, also of Russia, who also won gold.
Joyce, Kelly and Finn Valley Donegal club-man Michael Gallagher were presented with their bronze medals on Saturday.
