Sport

Flashback: In The Irish News on Dec 14 1996: Ian Dowie aims to take his Premiership frustration out on Albania in World Cup battle

HUNGRY FOR GOALS......Iain Dowie is desperate to end his goal drought when he skippers Northern Ireland in today's World Cup qualifier against Albania
HUNGRY FOR GOALS......Iain Dowie is desperate to end his goal drought when he skippers Northern Ireland in today's World Cup qualifier against Albania HUNGRY FOR GOALS......Iain Dowie is desperate to end his goal drought when he skippers Northern Ireland in today's World Cup qualifier against Albania

IAIN Dowie aims to take his Premiership frustration out on Albania when he leads Northern Ireland into World Cup battle today.

The north’s hopes received a further blow last night when it was revealed that Ian Nolan is out after picking up a knee injury.

West Ham striker Dowie will skipper the Irish for the fourth time in the vital group nine qualifier at Windsor Park looking to bring an end to the worst-ever goal run of his career.

Dowie has failed to hit the target in the league this term – with only two Coca-Cola Cup goals to his name – and has not scored in the Premiership since bagging a double in the Hammers’ 4-2 Upton Park win over Manchester City on March 23.

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HARRY Gribben’s recent installation as Derry U21 football manager is expected to be one of many items discussed at tomorrow’s county convention in Dungiven.

The Derry Convention could prove an intriguing affair. Outgoing county chairman Harry Chivers is being challenged by current Derry football selector Frank Kearney. Loup’s Sean Corey has also been nominated for the chairman’s role but it’s not clear whether he will run.

The betting suggests north Derry based Chivers will hang onto his position but it could be a close vote. A Chivers defeat in the opening contest of the day would probably be the prelude to the other principal Derry board officers also losing their positions. But a Chivers win would almost mean that the majority of the outgoing officers would be returned unopposed.

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DONEGAL footballer Declan Bonner has confirmed that he hopes to be back in the county set-up before too long. Bonner suffered a serious kidney injury while player for Donegal in a National League match last Spring.

The Rosses man is committed to playing soccer for junior outfit Keadue Rovers, but he hopes to link up again with the Donegal squad prior to next season’s Ulster Championship.

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THREE international players have been left out of the Ireland party for training in the Algarve because of poor fitness levels.

They are centre Rob Henderson and No 8 Victor Costello of London Irish, and the Shannon flanker Eddie Halvey, who was with Saracens for a time last season.

According to an official statement announcing the 37-man panel, Henderson has been excluded because “he has not fulfilled contractual requirements relating to fitness” and Costello and Halvey because they are not “at an acceptable standard of fitness.”

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TERESA Duffy will be aiming for a top 20 finish in the ladies race at tomorrow’s European Cross-Country Championships in Charlerio, Belgium.

Duffy, who competes for the Republic of Ireland, goes into the race in reasonably good heart after a series of solid performances both at home and abroad.

However, tomorrow’s race will be a much stronger field than the Belfast runner has encountered so far during the cross-country season.

Paula Radcliffe and Romanian star Gabrielle Szabo are not competing but with runners of the quality of title-holder, Finland’s Anna-Marie Sandall, Sara Wedlund, Albertina Dias, Russia’s Nina Belikova and Carla Sacremento expected to be in the Charlerio field, Duffy will do well to make the top 20.

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Irish cruiserweight champion, Darren Corbett (above) is set for a busy 1997 as his management intend to push him onto the European and world stages

Almost five stones lighter on the scales, the Irish cruiser title won, a world number nine ranking hot off the press from the WBO.

After only 14 months in the professional punch-for-pay ring, Darren Corbett’s making waves. Gone are the days of indisciplined attitudes to training and diet.

A very focused individual, this 22-year-old power puncher from Belfast has eyes only for a demolition series.

Corbett’s facing up to the prospects of future championship hurdles across the channel, in Europe, on the Commonwealth canvas, and potentially the WBO champion Ralf Rocchigiani of Germany.

Add to this the preliminary negotiations ongoing between his London manager Barry Hearn and American promoters Arum and Duva for a Boston and Atlantic City fight deal. Moves are being made, discussions held, pressure put on various governing bodies.

Barry Hearn has big plans for his ambitious, determined and dedicated apprentice.

A fighter considered capable of trimming to challenge for lightheavyweight honours before too long, Corbett is considered Hearn’s prized asset.

John Wischhusen, one of the PR executives with Corbett’s promoters at Matchroom, says their battle cruiser is to have an improved profile in the year ahead.

The heat is about to be applied to the likes of Chris Okoh, Terry Dunstan and Rocchigiani, with interest also intensifying on unleashing their Belfast boy on the Irish American boxing scene.

“Barry (Hearn) wants to push Darren Corbett hard in 1997, give him a much bigger profile, and put pressure on the likes of the Commonwealth Council, the British Board, Europe and the WBO to get him rated as a top contender for their titles,” said Wischhusen.

“We would be keen on building a higher profile outside of Belfast for him, get Darren better known around Europe, while the USA is also somewhere that we are looking at. America is a possibility. We are looking at all the avenues open to Darren.

“The most important thing is to enhance his profile in four to six fights in 1997 and see where that takes him during the next year.

“He is very much a star attraction for us in 1997.

“Barry (Hearn) is keen to develop Darren’s profile and potential and there are any number of possibilities we are actively looking at with regard to developing his career.”