Gavin Moynihan stars as Ireland make European quarter-finals

Teenage star from The Island cards 67 in Finland to set up clash with Germany

Gavin Moynihan carded a 67 as Ireland claimed a place in the quarter-finals of the European Amateur Team Championship in Finland. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho

Ireland swept impressively into the quarter-finals of the European Amateur Team Championship in Finland and will today face the Germany for a place in the last four.

It was the brilliant Dublin teenager Gavin Moynihan who produced the round that made them certain of making progress in a tournament they last won in Turin six years ago.

The 19-year-old Scottish Open Champion who plays at the Island Club fired a stunning bogey-free five-under-par 67 with halves of 34 and 33.

His first birdie came at the fifth hole on the Vanajanlinna course and he subsequently picked up shots at the 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th.

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His 67 followed a 71 on Tuesday for the 2012 Irish Amateur Champion and former junior Ryder Cup player.

Ballymena star Dermot McElroy had only one bogey in a fine 69 while West Waterford's Gary Hurley collected three birdies in the last four holes to post a 70 .

Cormac Sharvin with a 73 and Jack Hume 75 had the other counting cards while Paul Dunne, who heads to the British Open at Royal Liverpool next week, was out of sorts and took 76 after three consecutive bogeys on the back nine.

With five of the six cards counting on each of the last two days Ireland finished with an aggregate of 709, nine strokes adrift of top first flight qualifiers England. They were helped by a magnificent 65 by Ryan Evans who carded eight birdies and just one bogey.

Spain qualified second with Sweden third. Germany, Scotland, France and Switzerland all made it into the quarter-finals below Ireland.

Meanwhile, despite a solid 72 by David Carey, Ireland failed to make it into the top flight for the European Boys Team Championship at Oslo.

They finished with an aggregate of 744 in 12th place, 14 strokes outside the all-important eighth position which was occupied by Wales.

Conor Purcell, Eoin Leonard and Rowan Lester were the best of the Irish over the two days, carding totals of 149.

Italy led the boys qualifiers into the quarter-finals and are joined by Sweden, Norway, England, Spain, Scotland, Denmark and Wales.