Sport

Sporting Shorts: Soccer, Boxing, Golf, Water Polo

Derry City's Dean Jarvis with goalkeeper Conor O'Malley of St Patrick's Athletic during a match at McGinn Park, Buncrana on April 28 2017. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin
Derry City's Dean Jarvis with goalkeeper Conor O'Malley of St Patrick's Athletic during a match at McGinn Park, Buncrana on April 28 2017. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin Derry City's Dean Jarvis with goalkeeper Conor O'Malley of St Patrick's Athletic during a match at McGinn Park, Buncrana on April 28 2017. Picture: Margaret McLaughlin

Soccer

Conor O'Malley is not a man for making up the numbers.

The 23-year-old Peterborough goalkeeper has been drafted into the Republic of Ireland squad for their friendlies against France and the United States, with senior men Darren Randolph, Rob Elliot and Keiren Westwood all injured.

Bradford's Colin Doyle is likely to get the nod in Paris on Monday evening to win his third cap, having collected his second in Turkey in March almost 11 years after his first, but any involvement for O'Malley would represent a new chapter in a remarkable story.

He headed for English football last summer, having graduated in mathematics from Maynooth University, where he was able to combine his studies with playing for St Patrick's Athletic under a scholarship scheme.

O'Malley said: "It's nice to have it there and know that once I finish playing football, I'll be able to go and get a good job.

"I'm doing my CFA [Chartered Financial Analyst] exams at the moment to be a financial analyst - it was to be on June 23, so this has ruined that exam for me this year, but I might sit it next year."

O'Malley pulled on the Irish jersey for the first time when he replaced Doyle in last Sunday's testimonial for Celtic skipper Scott Brown, and is now hoping to go a step further, despite struggling to process recent developments.

Soccer

Oldham defender, Ryan McLaughlin, has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the tour to Panama and Costa Rica after George Saville was forced to withdraw.

Saville suffered a dead-leg playing for Millwall last month which kept him out for the Championship side’s final two games of the season. The injury has failed to heal sufficiently in time for the midfielder to travel with the team tomorrow.

McLaughlin has three caps for the senior men’s international team, two of which he won on Northern Ireland’s summer tour of South America in 2014.

Golf

The Golfing Union of Ireland have named an official six-man squad to compete at The British Amateur Championship, which will be held at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links for the first time, as other Irish players go it alone in the leading amateur event in Europe, writes Tony McGee.

Mallow’s James Sugrue, who has climbed to fourth in the Bridgestone Order of Merit thanks to his top 10 finish at the recent Flogas Irish Amateur Open, at Royal County Down, has been included in the squad alongside champion Robin Dawson (Tramore), Alex Gleeson (Castle), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Jonathan Yates (Naas).

Dawson is now Ireland’s highest ranked player in the world having moved up to 40th courtesy of his victory at Newcastle.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty returns to The Amateur with happy memories following his silver medal success in 2017 when he was the leading qualifier at Royal St George’s and Princes, after shooting a 10-under par round of 62 in strokeplay qualifying.

Seven more players from Ireland are competing at The Amateur. Robert Brazill (Naas), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Ronan Mullarney (Galway), Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), Mark Power (Kilkenny) and Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) are also among the 288-strong field.

Boxing

Galway's Kieran Molloy believes that India will be a tough test for Ireland’s Elite boxers in Mayo tonight. (May 26)

Molloy, Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine, Kurt Walker and Dean Gardiner have been named on an 11-strong squad to face the Asian kingpins at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar this evening.

“Preparations are great, said current Irish Elite welterweight champion Molloy who also scooped the Best Male Boxer Award at February’s National Elites and recorded wins over Freudis Rojas and Quinton Randall in Ireland’s three-match away meeting with America in March.

“We’ve been in Dublin for the past seven weeks training hard and learning all the time. I’m looking forward to the test against India as they’re a strong side. I’m sure there will be some great fights on the night. It’s also good that they are holding an international in the West of Ireland.”

Connor Quinn, George Bates, Ken Doyle, Wayne Kelly, Tony Browne, Kirill Afanasev and Michael Nevin will also line out against India, who finished second in the medals table at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, in Castlebar.

Boxing

Unbeaten Mayo Irish super-lightweight, “Sugar” Ray Moylette, meets Nicaragua’s Jorge Moreno in his first eight round outing at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich tonight.

“Looking forward to the test on Saturday, that’s what it’s all about. Getting in there and performing and getting the job done,” said Moylette who is being lined up for a title shot in Boston and a homecoming later fight this year.

Water Polo

Ireland were involved in a ding dong goal fest when they shared thirty goals in a 15-15 draw against Belgium in their opening game of the EC Eight Nations Women's Tournament in Brno in the Czech Republic yesterday.

Laura Murphy and Maeve O'Connor led the scoring with five goals apiece and two excellent penalty saves from Hannah Taylor kept Ireland in the game late on.

The next match is against Wales.