HE couldn’t miss. Allister Elliott was on fire. When the chance fell his way, All-Ireland champions Offaly were left stunned as Saffrons won this NHL Division 1A clash 1-14 to 2-10.
The timing, 90 seconds over the hour, was split-second perfect. A superb finish, Stephen Byrne desperately flashed his hurl at thin air as Elliott’s blistering shot sped past to the back of the net. Elliott just had one of those days.
His eye for accuracy was spot on, scoring 1-10 to inspire and lead the Antrim challenge, which throws them a Division One lifeline.
Saffrons boss Seamus Elliott was in upbeat form afterwards, following a great result: “The performance was brilliant. I thought our effort was up 120 per cent from the Limerick match. That’s what cost us the last day.
“The effort wasn’t there, but I was looking for much better against Offaly and I was proud of the way the team performed.”
EDDIE Irvine finally proved he is a Formula One heavyweight – six years after coming off second best in a punch-up on his debut.
It may have taken him 82 rounds but Irvine produced the knockout blow as he scored the maiden victory of his career at the AustralianGrand Prix.
The 33-year-old broke his duck in the lakeside setting of Melbourne’s Albert Park as the McLarens came, saw – then conked out.
“The tortoise beat the hare this time,” said Irvine, who so incensed Ayrton Senna on his debut in Japan in 1993 by re-overtaking the Brazilian that the former world champion punched him.
“I knew I was going to win this race. A friend of mine from Japan called me the other day and said he dreamt that I’d win in Australia. The next day an ex-girlfriend called me and she also said that she dreamt I’d win here.
“It is amazing and fantastic to get my first win with Ferrari. To see all the Irish flags out there was just phenomenal.”
A TALENTED Fermanagh side defeated holders Down in extra-time in the Dr McKenna Cup at Hilltown.
On a heavy pitch, both sides played some good football but it was the better balanced and in the end fitter Fermanagh side who took the spoils.
Down fielded without any of their U21 players and paid the penalty by losing their title. Fermanagh on the other hand were the much more committed side and, especially in extra time, took some brilliant scores
Down: K Rice, P McShane, S Ward, F Caulfield, P Higgins, M Magill, C McLaughlin, B Burns (1-0), S Poland (0-1),Gregory Deegan, D McCartan, S Mulholland (0-1), Gerard Deegan (0-2), K Franklin, L Parr (0-2). Subs: A Farrell (0-1) for S Mulholland, C McCabe (0-5) for K Franklin, C Deegan for D McCartan. Extra Time: D Flynn for P Higgins, M McMurray for BBurns
Fermanagh: Ronan Gallagher, N Cox, P McGuinness, S Breen, R Curran, J Gilheaney, K Gallagher, P Brewster (0-1), C Courtney, L McBarron, D McGrath (0-1), S King, Ray Gallagher (0-8), S Quinn (0-4), K McManus. Subs: C Curran (1-2) for K McManus, D Campbell for L McBarron
LINFIELD threw the Smirnoff Irish League championship race wide open with a late goal to snatch a 2-1 victory from under the noses of Roy Coyle’s Glentoran, but their victory was greatly overshadowed by the incidents that happened on and off the Oval turf.
The first incident took place as the sides were level at 1-1 and Linfield’s Tommy McDonald went over to take a throw-in by the unreserved enclosure. Not for the first time in the match, missiles came raining down on the defender, and McDonald was caught on the head by a stone.
Referee Herbie Barr stopped the match for over three minutes as the player received treatment. The Blues defender returned to the field of play heavily bandaged.
A BRAVE and determined Paul McCloskey, of the St Canice’s club in county Derry, captured the admiration of the National Stadium crowd during the second session of semi-finals in the National Senior boxing championships.
McCloskey was up against the ‘peoples champion’ Francie Barrett, but he soon had the crowd respecting his ability. Barrett had built up a 7-2 lead by the end of the second round but lost the last two rounds as McCloskey acquired a real feeling for the occasion and scored with both hands, most notably with a short-styled uppercut to Barrett’s body.
It was 9-6 for Barrett entering the final round and the Galway man was delighted to shade it by the narrowest of margins, 15-14.
