TOM Brewster last night confirmed he will be available for the remainder of Queen’s Sigerson Cup campaign despite sustaining a nasty knee injury while playing for Fermanagh on Sunday.
The Enniskillen half-forward attended a specialist yesterday following the defeat to Carlow but received the all clear.
The talented Erne man is hoping not to miss too many of the important upcoming games for Queens but is likely to be absent for the visit of division 2B leaders Wexford to Fermanagh on Sunday week.
“There is a lot of swelling around the knee but I should be okay, I think it’s just a dead leg,’’ he said. “It was a pretty nasty challenge and it could have been a lot worse.’’
Queen’s take on DIT in the last eight on March 5 at the start of the Sigerson weekend hosted by the college in Belfast.
IAN Humphreys, the younger brother of Ulster captain David, was the hero yesterday as Ballymena Academy dumped Schools’ Cup holders Belfast Inst out of this year’s competition.
Humphreys scored two penalties and a crucial late conversion to seal the 20-18 victory sending Ballymena into the quarter-finals.
IN-FORM Irish duo Ken Doherty and Joe Swail come face to face in the last 64 of the Scottish Open this morning. Doherty turned his season around in fine style last week with wins over Steve Davis, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Alan McManus in the Benson & Hedges Masters at Wembley.
In the final he led World and UK champion John Higgins 8- 6 before the Scot reeled off four frames in a row to take the title.
Despite defeat Doherty will have taken great heart from his form, but he will need to maintain that today against Swail.
The Belfast man has enjoyed a terrific start to 1999, culminating in a semi-final performance at the Regal Welsh Open two weeks ago. On the provisional rankings he is back in the top 32.
CLIFTONVILLE striker Jody Tolan has a point to prove tonight against Portadown in their Coca-Cola Cup first round tie at Shamrock Park.
Tolan returns to the squad after missing Saturday’s dull scoreless draw against Glenavon with a one match ban, and he is likely to go straight into the starting line-up for tonight’s game.
Stephen Small will also come back into recognition but manager Marty Quinn admits that veteran midfielder Finty McConville needs a couple more reserve outings under his belt before he can be considered for first team football.
McConville has played a couple of games with Cliftonville Olympic and the former Glenavon player looks set to figure in Quinn’s plans before too long.
CARRICKFERGUS golfer Elizabeth Finlay collected the Ulster Ladies’ Alliance Jean Torrens-Moody Rosebowl... but only after a countback as she shared a three-over-par 76 with Pamela Morgan (Royal Portrush)
The Best Gross award went to Ann Monteith (Belvoir Park) who carded an 86 while the other winners were Eileen Wilson (Lisburn), Norma English (Whitehead) and Charmaine Gifford (Royal Belfast), the outgoing Alliance captain.
