Thursday Lunch Sport; Joe Mallon Motors, Renault and Dacia, Sallins Rd., Naas

Action tonight in the Intermediate and Junior football championships

GAA

In tonight's local GAA fixtures:

2023 The Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate Football Championship Group C

Venue: Moorefield, Straffan V Ellistown 19:30, 

2023 Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Championship Group A

Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 2, Ardclough V Castlemitchell 19:30,

Venue: Round Towers, Ballykelly V Milltown 19:30, 

Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 1, Grangenolvin V Rathcoffey 20:00, 

SOCCER

Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson has been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

The 18 year old Brighton player is on a shortlist with Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Moises CaicedotHURSDAY  and Jacob Ramsey.

Saka and Haaland are also among the nominees for the Player of the Year.

The others are Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Martin Odegaard and John Stones.

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Derry City have the chance to reach the Conference League play-off round tonight.

The Candystripes must overturn a one-nil deficit against Tobol of Kazakhstan.

Kick-off at Tallaght Stadium is at 7.45pm.

GOLF

The Handa Invitational, taking place at Castlerock and Galgorm, is underway.

Niklas Lemke leads the men's event on five-under-par, with Jonathan Caldwell best of the Irish on one-under.

In the women's tournament, Leona Maguire is level par through 13.

Stephanie Meadow tees off inside the next hour.

Four players, including England's Lily May Humphreys, share the lead on three-under.

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On the PGA Tour, Rory Mcllroy and Seamus Power are in the field for the BMW Championship, which begins in Illinois later.

McIlroy tees off at 4.10 Irish time, with Power beginning his challenge at 5.05.


RUGBY

Connacht will be without Josh Murphy next season.

The forward is taking a step back from professional rugby to focus on his studies.

Murphy joined the province from Leinster last year and made 18 appearances in all.

Connacht begin their season in the United Rugby Championship with a home fixture against Ospreys on October 21st.


HORSE RACING

The first of eight races at Leopardstown goes to post at 4.35.

A jumps meeting at Tramore begins at 5.15 with seven races on the card.

Aidan O’Brien bids for 16th success in the Futurity Stakes on Saturday and will be represented in the Group 2 contest by Henry Longfellow and Portland.

Other contenders are the Joseph O’Brien trained Islandsinthestream, Spanish Flame trained by Ger Lyons and Courageous Strike trained by last week’s Group 1 winning trainer Adrian Murray.

Racing also takes place at the Curragh on Sunday

The Curragh offer a FREE shuttle bus service from Newbridge, picking up at the train station and outside Eddie Rockets in the Main Street; and from Kildare, picking up at the train station and in the Square at the bus stop.