Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Darragh Ó Sé on injury-time x-factor, Rory looking to end Major drought and Creggs Pipes lights up a sombre Ballybrit as racing says goodbye to JT McNamara

Rory McIlroy believes the US PGA Championship is his best chance of winning a Major this year. Photograph: Getty
Wed Jul 27 2016 - 08:36

Darragh Ó Sé: injury-time x-factor

In his column today Darragh Ó Sé looks at the growing length and importance of injury-time in football matches, and suggests clever management of those final few minutes will be vital for any side looking to get their hands on Sam Maguire in September.

Looking back at Tipperary’s last gasp win over Derry, he writes: “Before this, two minutes of injury-time was the norm. The odd time you’d see three.

“But this summer referees have been adding five or six minutes at the end of every game. It’s an x-factor to the championship that hasn’t really been talked about but it’s going to be more and more crucial as we get down to the serious stuff.”

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Rory looking to end Major drought

The US PGA Championship gets underway tomorrow and Rory McIlroy is looking to end a Major championship drought which has now stretched to the last six he competed in.

He said: “I feel like this is my best chance this year to win a Major... If you can win one of the four every year; if you’re that good, you can do that. I think it is realistic. I think that is achieveable. We’ve seen in the past that is achieveable. That’s the benchmark, that’s what you’re trying to get to.”

Galway says goodbye to JT

The racing industry was in mourning yesterday following the news renowned former amateur jockey JT McNamara had died at his home in the early hours. McNamara had been left paralysed from the neck down after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013.

Brian O’Connor was at a sombre Ballybrit as Creggs Pipes produced a brilliant front-running performance to take the day’s feature race and secure her fourth win in a row.

Today’s feature is the Galway Plate at 5.30pm. Noel Meade’s Road to Riches is the market leader and could become the first horse in nearly 50 years to win the race for a second time, following his 2014 success.

What to watch out for:

Racing:

It’s day two of the Galway races with the Galway Plate the feature (RTE 1, 2.30-6pm)

Glorious Goodwood, including the Sussex Stakes (Channel 4 1.35-4pm)

Football

Celtic play Astana in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier (eir Sport 2 3pm ko)