February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mark Jones
DUBLIN — There was disappointment on the double for Ireland’s leading snooker player, Ken Doherty, last weekend. Losing in the final of the Masters championship in London — the second ranked tournament behind the World Championship — was bad enough, but Doherty also missed the chance of a rare maximum 147 break and the bonus of a $140,000 sports car.
Doherty was in middle of a strong comeback against Matthew Stevens of Wales when he was left with just one remaining black to make the elusive 147. It wasn’t the most difficult of pots, but the Dubliner failed to take the chance.
"I didn’t take as much time as I should have, but the title was what I came to win and not the money or the car," he said afterward.
Young Munster surge
Young Munster closed the gap on St. Mary’s at the top of the All Ireland rugby league to just a single point following an 18-13 win over Terenure at Clifford Park at the weekend. Fullback Mike Mullins was the difference between the teams as he created vital tries for Tom Cregan and Mike Lynch.
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Meanwhile, Lansdowne moved into third place when they defeated St. Mary’s, 18-12, and Garryowen got the better of Shannon in a highly competitive Limerick derby by 18-15. Also, Buccaneers beat bottom club Clontarf, 25-3,, Ballymena were too strong for holders Cork Con, winning by 26-9, and Dungannon cemented their place in mid-table with a 33-16 success against DLSP.
Sonia qualifies
Sonia O’Sullivan achieved an Olympic qualifying time of 15 minutes, 10.24 seconds when she won a 5,000-meter race in Sydney, Australia, last weekend. Only in the race as a pacemaker for Australian Kerry McCann, O’Sullivan
grew in confidence and held on to win by 4 seconds.
Belfastman wins Euro title
Belfast flyweight Dam’n Kelly won the European title in Sheffield last weekend when he battled to a courageous verdict over Russia’s Alexander Mahmutov. Despite suffering a cut to the side of his eye as early as the
fourth round, the 27-year-old Kelly went on to take a majority points decision.
Carroll beaten
Mark Carroll, who won the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile on Feb. 4, finished second best to James Nolan in the 800 meters final of the Irish Indoor championships in Nenagh last weekend. Nolan, who was beaten by Carroll in the Wanamaker, triumphed over the shorter distance in a slow 1 minute, 54.91.
Carruth bout on TG4
Michael Carruth’s title fight against Spain’s Javier Castillejo in Madrid on March 3 will be televised live by TG4, the Irish language station. But no doubt some enterprising emigrant will be able to pick up the signal and show it in the United States. Carruth, who won his Olympic medal in Barcelona eight years ago, faces a tough task. Castillejo has lost only four of his 51 professional bouts.
Croker switch for clubs
This year’s All-Ireland club football and hurling finals may have to be switched from Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day. High winds in January has meant a delay in the erection of the roofing on the new stand at the Canal End of the ground. If the Canal End is not completed and with the Hogan Stand demolished it would mean that only the new stand (Cusack) and Hill 16 would be available for the traditional St. Patrick’s Day finals. However, the GAA will defer a decision and wait and see which teams qualify for the finals before making a final decision.