Sports Digest

A round-up of today's sports news in brief

Taylor misses final as Irish boxers get in the medals

BOXING:Ireland's boxers claimed one gold, four silver and three bronze medals and two boxer of the tournament awards from two international competitions in Turkey and Finland at the weekend, reports Bernard O'Neill.

David Oliver Joyce, Katie Taylor, Eamon O’Kane, Gary Molloy, Ray Moylette, Ryan Lindberg, Declan Geraghty and Tommy McCarthy finished in podium positions.

Taylor was hot favourite to win gold, but was withdrawn from yesterday’s final with Aussie lightweight Claire Ghabrial in Turkey after picking up an arm injury in Saturday’s semi-final victory over Turkey’s Irkan Melek. Taylor advanced to the final after Melek was retired by her own corner near the end of the second round of Saturday’s last four clash in Ankara.

However, the Bray woman picked up an injury to the bicep in her right hand and Ireland head-coach Billy Walsh and her coach and dad Peter withdrew the world champion from the final.

Morrison holds his nerve to win

GOLF:Simon Thornton was left to rue a costly nine on the par five 10th as he struggled to a final round 75 at the €700,000 Madeira Islands Open where Michael Hoey finished as leading Irishman and James Morrison held his nerve to complete a one-stroke victory ahead of Englishman Oliver Fisher to land his first professional title.

Morrison led by three strokes going into the final round but was twice pegged back to just a single shot ahead as fellow Englishman Fisher shot a seven-under-par 65, the joint best round of the day.

But both he and Fisher birdied the last to give Morrison victory on 20 under par and the winner’s cheque for €116,660 after a closing 70.

Hoey’s 68 contained seven birdies and three dropped shots and a finish which earned him €21,000.

Ireland win by three runs

CRICKET:Ireland got the first win of their tour of Jamaica under the belts on Saturday as they beat the hosts by three runs in a Twenty20 clash at Trelawny Stadium, writes Emmet Riordan.

The result comes as a big boost to Phil Simmons’s side as they begin a run of T20 games ahead of the World Twenty20 tournament that starts in the Caribbean on April 30th. It was Ireland’s bowlers, backed by a fine fielding display, that helped them defend a modest total of 124 on a slow pitch at Trelawny. No Ireland batsman made it past 20, with Paul Stirling (18) and skipper William Porterfield (14) the top scorers. Left-arm spinner Gary Kidd was the pick of the Irish bowling attack with two wickets for 13 runs from his four overs that included the dangerous Danza Hyatt for 18. Trent Johnston, Andre Botha and Alex Cusack also picked up two wickets apiece, with Jamaica failing to score off Peter Connell’s final ball as they came up three runs short.

Holyfield wins WBF title

BOXING:Former four-times heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stopped South African Frans Botha in the eighth round to win the World Boxing Federation title in Las Vegas on Saturday. Holyfield (47) floored the 41-year-old Botha in the eighth and although Botha was able to get to his feet, referee Russell Mora later stopped the fight. This was Holyfield's first fight in Las Vegas since 2003. He improved his record to 43-10-2 with 28 knock-outs.