Ireland 4 Israel 0: Reece Grego-Cox felt honoured to escalate Ireland’s U21 European Championship qualification crusade yesterday against Israel.

Galway native Ryan Manning has his sights set on guiding Ireland to the U21 Euro finals and earning senior promotion.

If Martin O’Neill was seeking encouragement about the talent pool for the next campaign, the Ireland manager should have received some assurance from the display of the next generation.

Ireland U21 0 Norway U21 0

Declan Rice admits the desire to resume working with Roy Keane endures but helping Ireland’s U21s break their major finals duck is his immediate objective.

In an U21 qualifying group which underdogs Kosovo have taken the early initiative, victory for Ireland in Azerbaijan today (4pm Irish time) is a must for their 2019 European Championship hopes.

Cork City goalkeepers Mark McNulty and Alan Smith are literally lending a helping hand to the Irish cause.

Dripsey 3-9 Aghada 2-9: Having battled relegation in recent years, Dripsey now find themselves in a first Cork IHC final against all expectations.

Aghada 2-14 Castlemartyr 1-11

East Kerry 1-16 An Ghaeltacht 0-16

Douglas 1-14 Dohenys 3-07

Dohenys 1-14 St Nick’s 1-08

Duhallow 1-20 Dohenys 2-11 (aet)

A Mark Quinn-inspired Dohenys caused a big shock in the Cork senior football championship last night.

Fermoy withstood a strong second-half challenge from Aghada to emerge with a three-point win in the opening round of the Cork IHC at Ballynoe on Saturday.

For the second successive year O’Donovan Rossa surmounted a West Cork challenge in the opening round of the SFC when they defeated Dohenys in Clonakilty on Saturday night.

Clonakilty CC claimed Munster Vocational senior football honours for the fourth consecutive year after a stern test at Ballineen on Saturday.

THREE GOALS in the opening half paved the way for Coachford Community School in a hopelessly one-sided Munster Senior A Vocational Schools football semi-final at Kilmichael yesterday.

Sam Maguires 2-5Clonakilty 0-5