A round-up of today's other news in brief
Cork boats dominate early stages
SAILING:The opening races of the four-day ISA Mitsubishi Youth National Sailing championships were held in near-perfect conditions on Dublin Bay yesterday where Cork boats dominated proceedings.
Two second places and a race win placed Seafra Guilfoyle of Royal Cork YC (RCYC)in a commanding overnight lead in the single-handed Laser 4.7 class where 42 boats have entered.
A smaller turnout of 15 crews in the 420 has nevertheless delivered close results with three boats tied for second place but split on countback.
Emma Geary and Niamh Connolly of the RCYC have a six-point lead but are pursued by Patrick and Chloe Crosbie, also of the RCYC, Tara Flood and Lucy Bolger of Howth and the Royal St George YCs along with Aodh Kennedy and Daniel Browne of Kinsale and Tralee Bay respectively.
Higgins digs deep to keep his Crucible hopes alive
SNOOKER: John Higgins refused to let his World Championship dream die at The Crucible last night as he won the last two frames of the second session of his semi-final against Mark Williams to close 7-9 down in the best of 33 clash.
The three-time former champion trailed Williams 9-5 and was coming under a hail of potting fire from the Welshman.
But Higgins dug in to pinch the next two frames, thriving under intense pressure as he put himself firmly back into contention for a fifth appearance in the final.They resume this morning and play to a finish tonight.
There was also a fightback in the other semi-final as Judd Trump came from 10-7 against China’s Ding Junhui to level things at 12-12 at the end of the third session..
It was a change in fortune for Trump, who had lost six of the eight frames in the second session.
He was in further trouble last night when he went 11-9 behind, but took three straight frames to edge ahead before Ding won the last.
O'Brien focused on Railway for now
CRICKET: Ireland World Cup hero Kevin O'Brien is expected to sign a contract with Gloucestershire in the coming weeks, but for now the big all-rounder is focused on getting Railway Union off to a winning start as the Leinster League Division One season gets underway today, writes Emmet Riordan.
It’s almost 50 years since the Park Avenue club won the second of their league titles and they were pipped by North County to the title last season.
They open against near neighbours Pembroke at Sydney Parade today (12.30), a side that look to have recruited well in New Zealand all-rounder Jono Hickey for their return to the top flight.
North County have also been busy in the off-season, recruiting the Malahide duo of Shane Getkate and Adam Coughlan, although Andre Botha’s departure will be a big loss. They open their defence at home to Phoenix, who include former Ireland opening bat Jeremy Bray.
Meath prove too strong for Carlow
GAELIC GAMES: Meath minor footballers will have learned precious little about their full potential following their 1-17 to 1-3 defeat of a poor Carlow side in this knock-out championship tie involving first round losers at Dr Cullen Park last evening.
A total of 10 Meath players shared in the scoring – including all six forwards – as they controlled the game much as they pleased. Shane McEntee grabbed his side’s goal in the 48th minute.
MEATH: R Burlington; A Forde (0-1), C McGill, O Fitzpatrick; C Finn (0-1), S Melia, D Smyth; P Harnan, S Entee (1-0); N Shortall (0-3, 0-1 free), B O’Brien (0-1), C O’Sullivan (0-1); B McMahon (0-5, 0-2 frees), R Farrelly (0-1), W McGrath (0-3). Subs: B McConnon for Smyth (h/t); B Dardis (0-1) for Farrelly (40); S Mattimoe for O’Sullivan (53); F McEntee for McMahon (53); C Brogan for Harnan (58).
CARLOW: M Hennessy; T Kenny, M Doyle, P Manning; R Jeffers (0-1), M Furey, G Power; M Fitzgerald, S Murphy; P Farrell, D O’Brien (1-1, 1-0 pen), B Nolan; C Lawlor (0-1, free), R Smithers, C O’Toole. Subs: D Hickey for Kenny (27); J Lowry for O’Toole (43); R O’Brien for Jeffers (44); T Eustace for Nolan (51); E Maddock for Lawlor (56).
Referee: F Smith (Offaly).
Cooney just misses out on Worlds
SWIMMING: Aisling Cooney was unlucky not to make the Irish squad for the upcoming World Championships when she missed the qualifying time in the women's 100 meters backstroke by six one hundredths of a second on day two of the National Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre yesterday, writes John Kenny.
The Beijing Olympian may have cut .11 of a second off her own Irish record in winning the gold medal but Cooney was looking for something a little bit faster and her time of 1.01.76 seconds was agonising close to the standard required to qualify for Shanghai.
Cooney turned in 29.71 seconds and was looking good at that stage, but just failed to make the time when she hit the boards.
The problem for the ESB swimmer is that she doesn’t have any more meets planned to make the May 31st deadline and all that is left now is the 200 backstroke, the heats of which are today where she will have to cut 1.5 seconds off her PB to make the qualifying standard.
“It’s been three years since I swam that well or felt that good in the water so I’m happy with that but to miss the World Championship standard by that small amount is heartbreaking,” said Cooney.
Sycerika McMahon continued her fine haul of gold at the meet, the 16-year-old taking her fourth title of the week in the 400m individual medley in 4.51.56 seconds
Portmarnock’s Karl Burdis took the men’s 100m backstroke crown in 56.50, while Niall Wynn of the St Paul’s club in Dublin broke Andrew Bree’s 10-year-old Irish record by over two seconds in winning the 400m IM in a time of 4.27.96.
Ulster create history with win
GOLF:Ulster women created history at Royal County Down as they retained the Interprovincial Championship with defeat of Munster – the first time that the province has strung together back-to-back wins.
The final tally was Ulster 5½, Munster 3½ but the result was much tighter than the score would suggest. Indeed, it was left to 21-year-old Lucy Simpson to push the holders over the winning line in the very last match as the Massereene three-handicapper defeated Sinead Sexton by 21.
After the morning foursomes, the teams were level at one-and-a-half matches each, but Louise Coffey, Danielle McVeigh, Charlene Reid also claimed wins as Ulster took the singles 4-2.
Connacht caused an upset in the play-off for third and fourth place, beating Leinster by 5½ to 3½.
