Ryan holds on for feature qualifier
EQUESTRIAN:Patricia Ryan held off the challenge of husband Michael to land the featured HSBC FEI World Cup qualifier at the Tattersalls international horse trials in Co Meath at the weekend, writes Margie McLoone.
Sunday’s show jumping phase proved crucial, with the Bandon-based couple the only ones in the top 19 to leave all the poles intact. Michael improved from seventh to second with John Butler’s Old Road but the bulk of the prize-money went to Patricia and her Hong Kong Olympics mount Fernhill Clover Mist.
Fourth going into the final phase, Patricia’s clear put the pressure on those above her. Britain’s Mary King (Imperial Cavalier) and Polly Stockton (Westwood Poser) both lowered the triple bar at six and the latter finished fourth as she also picked up four time penalties.
The leader, Ollie Townend, quickly used up the fence in hand he held over Ryan when Jackson d’Allez lowered the first and the Shropshire rider had a nightmare round, finishing with 32 jumping penalties and three time penalties to drop from the top of the leaderboard to 24th.
Earlier, Michael Ryan finished third on Annestown Emperor in the Rookery Park Stud CCI** behind Britain’s Matthew Wright (Park Pilot) and he started the morning with a win in the Rookery Park Stud CCI* riding Michael McGrath’s Dromgurrihy Blue.
Celtic face fight for Martinez
SOCCER:Celtic will face competition from Wigan and Real Sociedad if they continue to pursue Swansea manager Roberto Martinez.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins has revealed he had rejected a request from Celtic to speak to the Spaniard adding that Sociedad had also enquired about his manager, while he expects Wigan to follow suit.
However, Jenkins admitted he would perform a U-turn if the 35-year-old insists on speaking to the Glasgow club when he returns from holiday.
Omani consortium eyes up Newcastle
SOCCER:An Omani consortium is eyeing Newcastle United as talks continue between the club and Alan Shearer over whether he will become the long-term manager. "We hope to have something resolved by the end of the week," the managing director, Derek Llambias, said of Shearer's future. Should a deal with the former England captain fall through, Newcastle's owner, Mike Ashley, is likely to turn to Joe Kinnear to serve, once again, as interim manager.
Lucas Neill is set to leave West Ham United following the breakdown of final talks over a new contract. The captain, who becomes a free agent at the end of this month, had hoped to reach an agreement after the season ended. But West Ham’s offer had not altered from that at the previous meeting. They wanted him to take cut of more than 50 per cent on his €70,000-a-week wage.
Christie resists all attacks
CYCLING:Junior rider Marcus Christie resisted all attacks on the final stage of the Rás Dhun na nGall on Sunday, writes Shane Stokes, successfully defending the leader's yellow jersey he took on the penultimate stage. Friday's opening leg went to Paul Mulligan (unattached), who won a big sprint ahead of Andrew Meenan (Swords CC) and Brian Quinn (Limerick CC).
Dane Dunlop finished fifth but moved into the race lead when he won the following morning’s time trial in Killybegs. He beat Tighernach Murphy (Bray Wheelers) by just .06 of a second, with Christie just over eight seconds back in third. The latter then jumped to the top of the leaderboard when he won the afternoon road race, outsprinting Tom Shanahan.
Christie’s jersey was under threat in the mountainous fourth stage, but he rode strongly and finished in the main group led home by Michael Murray (Clann Éireann) and Quinn. Shanahan finished 31 seconds back, with Mark Dowling (Western Lakes) taking third.
Three resign over failure to take drugs tests at Bath
RUGBY:Bath, the club that recently sacked its England prop Matt Stevens for taking cocaine, last night announced that three senior players, including their joint captains, Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett, had resigned from the club after allegedly failing to take drugs tests.
According to a brief club statement, Lipman, a flanker who has played 10 times for England, Crockett, who played 16 times for Bath this season and has also appeared for England Saxons, and Andrew Higgins, a regular at either centre or on the wing, tendered their resignations immediately before club disciplinary hearings were due to take place.
It said: “Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins had been required to appear at an internal disciplinary hearing today to address the failure on three occasions to take a drugs test following allegations surrounding player conduct on Sunday, 10th May.”
Those allegations involved fighting at a boozy end-of-season bash in London and reports that players had subsequently ducked drugs tests, an accusation denied by a lawyer representing the three players, but one which the Rugby Football Union warned that it was likely to take further.
The club has been rocked by allegations that might suggest a cultural problem, a suggestion their newest international, Matt Banahan, tried to dispel last week when suggesting the club’s image was in need of repair.
Hermes lose out to Mori Villafranca
HOCKEY:Hermes lost out in the final of the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in Switzerland yesterday, going down to a 2-0 defeat by Italian side Mori Villafranca, writes Mary Hannigan. The result means that Ireland miss out on promotion to the Champions Cup, the A division of the competition, with Irish Hockey League winners Loreto now in the draw for the Trophy next season.
Hermes had their chances, failing to convert any of their eight short corners, with Villafranca opening the scoring from their only corner of the game two minutes before half-time.
They all but sealed their victory midway through the second half when they got their second. Lithuanian side Siauliai Gintra beat Glasgow Western on penalty strokes in the second final. The match was coach Colin Stewart’s last in charge of the Leinster club, Hermes winning nine trophies in his four seasons at the helm.
