Barnes extends unbeaten run

BOXING

UNBEATEN Paddy Barnes made it four professional wins from four after a comfortable 60-53 victory over Peru’s Juan Hinostroza in Edinburgh last night.

The Belfast flyweight dominated the Madrid-based southpaw for most of the sixrounder at the Meadowbank Sports Arena.

“It’s the body shots that’s doing the business,” was the advice from the corner and the three-time Irish Olympian mostly followed it, occasionally switching upstairs.

Hinostroza, to his credit, stuck with the task and the last round was probably his best frame, but the ref handed Barnes all six rounds.

“It is what it is,” said Barnes after the win, adding that he has a big fight next month in relation to his appearance on the Carl Frampton undercard in his native Belfast.

Meanwhile, Macroom southpaw Noel Murphy faces Hungarian welter Gyorgy Mizsei in the main event on a nine-bout card at National Stadium this evening.

GOLF

THREE Irish stars made it through to the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school after top-20 finishes at Frilford Heath course in Oxfordshire.

Knock’s Colin Fairweather was the leading Irish qualifier at the start of yesterday’s final round of the European Tour and managed to secure his place in the next phase with a level-par 72 to finish tied for fifth on 284, four-under par.

Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) joined Fairweather on 284 after another 69.

Both Fairweather and Kearney finished five shots behind English winner Peter Tarver-Jones (279).

Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy also bagged a spot in the next phase on 285 after a fourthround score of 71, one-under par.

The trio will join JohnRoss Galbraith (Whitehead), David Carey (Castleknock) and Brendan McCarroll, who qualified from earlier tournaments, in the second stage.

SOCCER

LEICESTER CITY and Manchester United are coming under pressure to play their Premier League match at the King Power Stadium on Christmas Eve instead of on December 23 as scheduled.

Sky Sports’s original plan for Arsenal to play Liverpool at lunchtime on Christmas Eve may have to be scrapped because of doubts about the Gunners’ ability to provide enough stewards for the fixture.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have announced the return of former manager Jupp Heynckes, who will act as a temporary replacement for Carlo Ancelotti until the end of the season.

The 72-year-old has not managed a club since guiding Bayern Munich to an historic treble in the 2012-13 season but will come out of retirement to try and rejuvenate a disappointing campaign.

Heynckes said: “I would not have returned to any other club in the world, but Bayern Munich is a labour of love for me.”

SNOOKER

MARK ALLEN’S late fightback wasn’t enough to progress to the semi-finals of the European Masters in the Belgian city of Lommel after he suffered a 4-3 defeat to England’s Judd Trump.

Defending champion Trump produced runs of 58 and 88 on his way to racing into a threeframe lead against the Antrim potter in yesterday’s quarterfinal.

However, ‘The Pistol’ responded stylishly, constructing a 102 in frame four and following that with a 76 in frame five to cut the arrears.

The 31-year-old came out of a hard-fought battle in the sixth to level the match but Trump produced a fine 70 to secure his passage to the last four.

Trump will now face China’s Cao Yupeng after he beat twotime world champion Mark Williams 4-2.

MOTORSPORT

KRIS MEEKE won the second and fifth stages to place third at the Rally de Espana as Andreas Mikkelsen is on target for his first victory of the World Rally Championship season after taking a shock lead on the opening day.

Mikkelsen finished sixth in the first two stages in his Hyundai

i20 before winning the third

39km special stage ahead of compatriot Mads Ostberg and then enjoying a second-placed finish in the fifth stage to go top overall.