Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Pembroke advance to today's final

MEN'S HOCKEY: There were mixed fortunes on the European front for Three Rock Rovers and Pembroke Wanderers over the weekend, writes Mary Hannigan, with Rovers knocked out of the European Hockey League (EHL) in Hamburg on Saturday and Pembroke advancing to today's final of the EuroHockey Club Trophy at Serpentine Avenue after winning all three of their pool games.

Rovers went down 2-1 to Belgian side KHC Leuven, ending their hopes of making it to the quarter-finals of the EHL. Pembroke, meanwhile, followed up Friday's opening 4-2 win over SC Stroitel Brest (Belarus) with a 2-0 defeat of Akademischer HTC Wien (Austria) on Saturday, before trashing Dinamo Olimpik (Ukraine) 7-2 yesterday to top their pool and set up a meeting in today's final with Dinamo Elektrostal of Russia.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Ireland lost the second of their test matches against England at Belfield yesterday, writes Mary Hannigan, the visitors recovering to win 3-1 after going behind to an early Nikki Symmons' goal. However they hit back with goals from Alex Danson, Kate Walsh and Katie Long.

At the EuroHockey Cup Winners Trophy in Lille a draw and a win has put Pegasus through to today's promotion play-offs where they meet Kommunalschik Barnaul.

Walker determined to maintain place

SAILING: Within minutes of Saturday afternoon's starting-gun, the seven-strong fleet of the Volvo Ocean Race had drawn square to key rivals as the end game begins in earnest with just 10 weeks before the overall prize-giving in St Petersburg, writes David Branigan.

Telefonica Black streaked out in front on Leg Six to Boston.

Ireland's Green Dragon was by by yesterday evening enjoying second place in the leg.

For Walker's men, hanging on to their current standing will be a valuable performance indicator. Since the start of the year, €500,000 in cutbacks have been implemented according to Walker.

The areas affected include not buying their full allocation of sail wardrobe permitted under the rules, a potential performance issue offset by what the skipper believes is the good condition of their existing sails.

Swail in money on Gold Digger

EQUESTRIAN: Conor Swail was the big money-winner over the weekend picking up €6,600 yesterday when landing the 1.45m Grand Prix at Vilamoura with Gold Digger, writes Margie McLoone. The pair finished second in Saturday's 1.40m speed class at the Portuguese venue.

In Lummen, Belgium, Denis Lynch and Abbervail van het Dingeshof were over two seconds off the pace in yesterday's 1.50m Grand Prix, finishing fourth. However, they had claimed victory in one of Saturday's 1.40m qualifiers with the other being won by Co Antrim's David Simpson and the mare Cruise With Me.

Tholm Keane moved to the top of the Horse Sport Ireland/Guidam spring tour leaderboard following yesterday's round at Boswell in Co Wicklow where he took maximum points with Ronan Tynan's Warrenstown You 2.

In eventing, Aoife Sisk was best of the Irish in the CIC** at Burnham Market in England, placing fourth on the Lily White Syndicate's eight-year-old Master Crusoe.

Donnelly holds off Boland for Circuit of Ireland victory

MOTOR SPORT: Eugene Donnelly in a Skoda Fabia WRC scored a 48.4-second victory over Eamonn Boland (Subaru WRC), writes Brian Foley, with Gareth MacHale third in a Ford Focus WRC in the two-day Larsen Circuit of Ireland. Run out of Dundalk, all stages were in the northern counties of Down and Armagh.

After the Easter Saturday stages Donnelly led by 24 seconds from Peadar Hurson, with Boland a further two and a half seconds back in third. However, the engine of Hurson's Subaru WRC was damaged in a heavy landing and rather than risk further damage he had no option but to retire.

MacHale was in trouble all day with a malfunctioning transmission and was lucky to be promoted to third following Hurson's withdrawal. Three Subaru WRC drivers Tim McNulty, Darren Gass and Kevin Barrett were next but out of touch with the leaders on the timesheets.

Three times Circuit winner Derek McGarrity led after SS2 but he later dropped from third when his Subaru WRC suffered a puncture. Aaron MacHale retired his Ford Focus WRC with lack of oil pressure.

Donnelly was uncatchable over yesterday's stages despite a big charge by MacHale.

Luck was not on MacHale's side as he was given a 10-second road penalty and transmission oil leaks reared their ugly head again. With two stages to run MacHale was lucky the car held out to the finish, but he was unable to make an impression on Boland.

Kenneally takes the lead in Kerry

CYCLING: Brian Kenneally (Engraveit/Cycleways) holds a two-second lead over Earl of Desmond rider Paul Griffin heading into today's fourth stage of the Kerry Group Ras Mumhan in Kerry, writes Shane Stokes. Following an active second stage over the Connor Pass, Kenneally took over at the top after the second stage on Saturday and finished second to Tjarco Cuppens (PPL Belisol) yesterday. He moved from five to two seconds adrift of Kenneally and will do all he can to win the race on today's concluding 100km stage.

Across the border, Martyn Irvine (Curran Racing) is 29 seconds ahead of British rider Dean Downing (Rapha Condor) in the P&O Tour of the North.

Finally junior rider Tim Kennaugh (Isle of Man) bolstered his overall lead when he took his second stage victory in the Gorey Three Day yesterday.

Vandals leave participants angry

ROWING:Vandals burned five boats and boating equipment at the National Rowing Centre at Farran Wood in Cork at the weekend, leaving participants in the National Trials shocked and angry, writes Liam Gorman.

The trials ran late on Saturday morning because of the incident, but the full programme was run in excellent conditions.

The results, however, suggested that Ireland will have a very limited representation on the international circuit this season.

Lisa Dilleen and Laura D'Urso were again the stars of the show. Dilleen won the junior women's trial, with D'Urso her only serious challenger and both are to be sent to the international junior regatta in Munich in four weeks' time.

Seán Casey was a clear winner in the men's single scull, and he will also be sent to an international regatta before the beginning of the World Cup series to test his standing at this level.

Magee takes gold in doubles event

BADMINTON: Donegal teenager Sam Magee won gold at the European Junior Badminton Championships in Milan yesterday, writes Mary Hannigan.

He partnered France's Sylvain Grosjean to success in the men's doubles event.

The pair beat the Danish team of Emil Holst and Mads Pederson 27-25, 14-21, 21-18, having earlier eliminated pairings from Spain, Holland, Russia and Denmark to reach the final.

Magee is the younger brother of Irish Olympian Chloe Magee from Raphoe.