Brilliant Irish Women Second at Euro Team Squash (plus round-up)

SQUASH: For a second year,  the Irish women’s squash team has finished runners-ups to England at the European Team Championships in the Netherlands. In the final, Irish No 1 Madeline Perry lost the opening match against Laura Massaro but Aisling Blake then evened the score when she beat Alison Waters. So it came down to Laura Mylotte, who faced Jenny Duncalf in the final match. Mylotte battled bravely but lost out to the former world No 2.

Ireland had qualified for the final after beating France and the Netherlands in two thrilling matches. Against the Netherlands , it was Mylotte who saw the Irish team through after Blake won and Perry lost. In a thrilling match that went to the fifth game, Mylotte held on for a famous victory. Also on the Irish teams was Ciara Moloney; manager was Anne Costello

BADMINTON: Scotland’s Alex Dunn was the star of the individual LIN_8883competition at the U-15 Quadrangular International in Baldoyle, winning three titles – boy’s singles, boys’ doubles and mixed doubles.

In the singles final, he beat his doubles partner Matthew Duguid and then paired up with Holly Newall to win the mixed doubles.

Newall made three finals and won the singles as well as the mixed doubles.  In the singles final, she beat Samodani Wijetunge of England in the girl’s singles.

Three Irish players made the finals – Moya Ryan and Matthew Lightbody made the mixed decider, while Sam McKay teamed up with English player Zack Russ  in the boys’ doubles.

In the team competition Scotland retained the title after a narrow victory over England. Ireland finished third ahead of Wales.

Singles: Girls – Holly Newall (SCO) bt Samdani Wijetunge (ENG) 2-0 (21-12, 22-20).

Boys – Alex Dunn (SCO) bt Matthew Duguid (SCO) 2-0 (21-14, 21-17.

Doubles: Girls – Fee Teng Liew/Lizzie Tolmans (ENG) bt Holly Newall/Eleanor O’Donnell (SCO) 2=1 (10-21, 2-13, 21-18.

HOCKEY: Railway Union beat Loreto to take hockey Irish League title for a second year. With the sides tied on three goals apiece after regular time, the match went to extra time and then penalties. Slotting in the winner for Railway at 5-4 was Julia O’Halloran.

In the men’s final, Monkstown beat Banbridge for their third title of the season. The Dublin clubs also beacme to first to do the Irish Hockey League and Irish Senior Cup double.

Irish Hockey League Finals, Grange Road, Dublin.

Saturday – Women’s semi-finals: Railway Union 1 (Julia O’Halloran) UCD 1 (Emily Beatty) (aet, Railway won 5-4 on pens), Loreto 2 (Caitriona O’Kelly, Nikki Keegan) Ards 1 (Chloe Brown) (after silver-goal extra time).

Men’s semi-finals: Monkstown 2 (K Good, D Carson) Lisnagarvey 1 (T Cockram), Banbridge 6 (S Caruth 2, S Dowds, B McCandless, D Ward, H McShane) Cookstown 1 (G Allen).

Sunday -Women’s final: Railway Union 3 (A Speers, S Dooley, K Lloyd) Loreto 3 (N Symmons 2, C McKean) (aet, Railway win 5-4 on pens).

Men’s final: Monkstown 4 (A Ward 2, G Watkins, D Carson), Banbridge 3 (B McCandless, S Magowan, S Dowds).

EQUESTRIAN: Irish eventer Aoife Clark from Naas produced an impressive show jumping performance to finish eighth overall at the Badminton Horse Trials.

Riding Master Crusoe,  Clarke who was 16th after the dressage and 12th after the cross-country trial, collected just one time fault on the show-jumping phase. Last summer, Clark and Master Crusoe were seventh in the 3-day event at the  London Olympics.

Of the other seven Irish riders who qualified for Badminton, Carlow’s Sam Watson  riding Horseware Bushman picked up four faults in the show jumping leaving him 22nd overall. Just four places behind in 26th was Elizabeth Power and  September Bliss.

New Zealand’s Jock Paget riding Clifton Promise. was the overall winner

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