Sport in brief
RACING
BRYAN COOPER flew back to Ireland for precautionary X-rays on his shoulder blade yesterday following a fall in the first race at Ascot.
The Kerry rider was partnering the Colin Tizzard-trained 5/4 favourite Sizing Tennessee in the Tindle Newspapers Beginners’ Chase, in the colours of the late Alan and Ann Potts, when he was unseated at the second fence.
Cooper (right), who gave up his one remaining ride on Bally Longford, is due to return to Ascot today to partner Sizing Granite in the Christy 1965 Chase.
SOCCER
DUNDALK’S bid to regain their league title was boosted by signings of Pat Hoban, Stephen Folan and Dean Jarvis as takeover talks of the club continued.
While newly-crowned champions Cork City announced a series of new captures recently, Stephen Kenny waited until Black Friday to undertake his first shopping of the close-season.
Hoban, who departed the Lilywhites in 2014 after his 20 goals helped them win a first title in 19 years, returns after permanent spells at Oxford United and Mansfield.
Centre-back Folan joins from relegated Galway United while Jarvis, a left-back recruited to challenge Dane Massey, was previously with home-town club Derry City.
American private equity firm Peak6, who bought a 25pc stake in Premier League outfit Bournemouth, remain interested in making the Louth club their latest investment project.
Elsewhere, Keith Ward has renewed his contract with Bohemians while JJ Lunney arrives at Dalymount Park from St Patrick’s Athletic.
BOXING
JOHN JOE NEVIN claimed victory in his comeback fight in London last night – his first bout in over a year.
The unbeaten 2012 Olympic silver medallist beat England’s Lee Connelly, winning all six rounds en route to a points win to make it nine victories since making his pro debut on St Patrick’s Day, 2014 in Boston.
Nevin weighed in at light for the scheduled six-rounder, with Connolly tipping the scales at the heavier light-welter.
Meanwhile, Kildare’s Katelynn Phelan had to settle for bronze after losing her World Youth 64kg semi-final to Russia’s Ekaterina Dynnik in Guwahati, India yesterday. Belfast’s Caitlin Phelan meets Kazakh light-fly Zhazira Urakbayeva in the last-four today.
CRICKET
NIALL O’BRIEN has flown home from Dubai for personal reasons and will be replaced by Durham wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter for Ireland’s final InterContinental Cup match against Scotland, and the three one-day internationals against Afghanistan that follow in Sharjah.
O’Brien’s departure further weakens a squad that is already without Ed Joyce, who has a knee injury, and must depend on Afghanistan losing to the UAE if they are to have any hope of winning the IC Cup for a fifth time on their last appearance in the Associate showpiece.
BASKETBALL
IN the men’s league, all eyes will be on Oblate Hall this evening as Black Amber Templeogue prepare for their big clash with Griffith College Swords Thunder.
Both sides come into the game with seven wins and three losses apiece in the season to date, with Swords just holding the edge on the table standings thanks to a bigger points difference.
SNOOKER
MARK WILLIAMS progressed to his second semi-final of the season last night by beating England’s Mike Dunn 5-1 in the Northern Ireland Open at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.
The Welshman will be joined by Elliot Slessor of England in the last four round today after his hard-fought 5-4 victory over China’s Yuan Li yesterday afternoon.
ATHLETICS
THE University of Limerick has been selected as the new venue for the Aldi Community Games National Festival for the next three years.
“I’d like to thank the other two shortlisted parties – NUIG and Athlone IT. We look forward to the next three years,” Games president Gerard Davenport said.