Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games

Nigel Ringland
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist in Glasgow

Image source, Getty Images

There was no time for Shauna O’Neill to celebrate her bronze medal win in the women’s pairs with Chloe Wilson before she had to get her singles campaign underway.

The British Isles champion struggled to find her game in the first set against Boikhutso Mooketsi from Botswana and trailed 4-6 heading into the seventh and final end.

Capitalising of her opponent’s mistakes and beginning to find her own rhythm, O’Neill scored three shots to take the set 7-6.

She then continued in the same rich vein of form taking a 10-0 lead after three ends of the second set and finishing off with a full house on the way to a 16-2 win.

This is a really tough section for O’Neill with only the winner moving on to the semi-finals.

Her next game is on Wednesday afternoon against the reigning world singles champion Tayla Bruce from New Zealand who was upset in her opening game by Serena Tiong from Singapore.

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Northern Ireland suffered their fourth successive defeat in Pool A as they lost 78-30 against South Africa at the Hydro.

The Warriors started well but were 14-8 behind after the first quarter before South African took control in the second period to move 32-18 ahead.

NI began to tire after the half-time break and South Africa capitalised, further extending their advantage to 53-22.

They closed out the comfortable win in a ruthless final quarter that yielded 25 goals as they moved top of the pool before games against Australia and England.

Northern Ireland have a rest day on Wednesday before returning to action against Australia at 16:00 BST on Thursday.

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the Glasgow International Arena

Image source, Getty Images

Ewan McAteer finished seventh in men's vault final at the Glasgow International Arena.

McAteer, competing at his third Games, scored 12.700 for his first vault and 12.800 for his second.

That gave the 26-year-old a final average score of 12.750.

McAteer, who works part-time as a dentist and finished sixth in Birmingham four years ago, was frustrated he didn't do enough to make the podium.

"If I'm honest, I'm disappointed. My aim today was to do gymnastics to the best of my ability and I don't feel I did that out there. I know I can do the vaults a lot better than that," he told BBC Sport NI.

"I was going for execution and I didn't execute, it's as simple as that. I'm disappointed but I'm very accepting that this is gymnastics and I know I gave everything I could in this preparation and when I was out there. I'm not devastated, but I'm disappointed."

"I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied unless I was third, second or first, I was going for a medal. The order was right, those were the best three vaulters out there."

The final was won by Canada's Felix Dolci, who also won gold in the men’s team final and on the men's rings.

England's Luke Whitehouse claimed silver while Cyprus' Neofytus Kyriakou took bronze.

Image source, Getty Images

Team Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor leads the women's heptathlon after two events at Scotstoun Stadium.

O'Connor registered 2047 points, while fellow Team NI athlete Anna McCauley sits sixth on 1912.

McCauley set a new personal best of 13.70 seconds in the 100m hurdles and finished first in her heat before O'Connor finished third with a time of 13.54.

The World Outdoor silver medallist then produced a season's best jump of 1.82m in the high jump, while McCauley cleared 1.73m.

England's Jade O'Dowda is currently four points behind O'Connor in second with New Zealand's Maddie Wilson occupying third.

The heptathlon will continue on Tuesday evening with the shot put and 200m from 18:30 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

Team NI swimmer Grace Davison progressed to the women's 50m freestyle semi-finals after finishing fifth in her heat.

Davison's time of 25.70 seconds was 14th fastest and 1.32 behind Australia's Meg Harris, who set the quickest time in the heats.

Emily Hughes finished sixth in her heat and missed out on a spot in the semi-finals which will take place from 20:12 BST on Tuesday.

Matthew Hamilton qualified for the men's 50m butterfly semi-final in 24.25 and finished 0.45 behind Australia's Kyle Chalmers.

Hamilton will now aim to close the gap in Tuesday's semi-finals at 20:20 BST.

Ellie McCartney missed out on a spot in the women's 200m individual medley final after finishing third in her semi-final in 2:13.41 but ninth overall.

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist in Glasgow

Image source, Getty Images

It's a busy fifth day of action for Team Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Kate O'Connor and Anna Macauley get under way on day one of the heptathlon at Scotstoun Stadium from 10:00 with the hurdles and high jump.

They will then take part in the shot put and 200m in the evening session from 18:30.

There are more swimming heats at the Tollcross Swimming Centre. Ellie McCartney will go in the women’s 200m individual medley at 10:43.

Matthew Hamilton will take part in the men's 50m butterfly at 11:13 while Danielle Hill, Grace Davison and Emily Hughes will race in the women's 50m freestyle at 11:29 and 11:31.

Paddy Johnston will go in the men's 100m backstroke at 12:19 and Team NI will go in the mixed four x 100m medley relay heats at 12:37.

Should the various swimmers progress to the semi-finals and finals they will take place from 19:00.

Danielle Hill will compete in the women's 50m backstroke final at 20:36.

Chloe Wilson and Shauna O'Neill will be in the women's pairs bronze medal match against Wales at the SEC Centre 10:10 BST.

Gary Kelly is in action in the men's singles bronze medal match against Australia at the SEC Centre from 11:30.

O'Neill will then compete in the women's singles at 17:50 against Botswana.

A number of Team NI boxers are one win away from a medal as quarter-final action gets under way at the SEC Centre.

Kaci Rock will fight Niue's Karen Te Ruki Pasene at 13:00 in the women’s welterweight 65kg.

Garyn McAllister will take on Ghana's Jibril Muntari at 14:45 in the men’s heavyweight 90kg.

Nicole Clyde will face India's Preeti Preeti at 18:00 in the women's bantamweight 54kg quarter-final.

In artistic gymnastics, Ewan McAteer goes in men's vault final at the Glasgow International Arena at 13:00.

Hannah Crymble will compete in the weightlifting women's 63kg final at the SEC Armadillo from 14:00.

In netball, Northern Ireland play their fourth pool game against South Africa at the Hydro at 14:00.

Nigel Ringland
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist in Glasgow

Image source, Getty Images

There’s was double heartbreak for Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the bowls.

In the men’s singles Gary Kelly, who had won all six of his group games, was beaten by Englishman Sam Tolchard in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

Meanwhile the women’s pair of Chloe Wilson and Shauna O’Neill saw their dream of going for gold snatched away by the Malaysian duo of Aleena Ahmad Nawawi and Syafiqa Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman.

After winning the first set 4-3 the Northern Ireland pair looked to be on course for the final, leading 4-1 with two ends remaining in the second set.

Abdul Rahman‘s superb play helped score three shots in the penultimate end but O’Neill responded in the final end with an excellent bowl of her own to lie shot.

Abdul Rahman, once again, with her final bowl, took out O’Neill’s shot and give her side a 7-4 set win, sending the game to the one-end shootout.

It was the Malaysian skip who played another wonderful bowl to remove Wilson’s shot leaving O’Neill a virtually impossible task with her final bowl.

She almost pulled it off, taking the jack but still leaving Malaysia with the winning shot.

Kelly also got off to a good start and led 3-0 after two ends but Tolchard tied the game with three shots at the next end and never trailed again.

In a repeat of the bronze medal play-off from the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, a match Kelly won, Tolchard played some magnificent bowls and never let Kelly back into the match.

In Tuesday morning‘s bronze medal matches Kelly will face Australian Aaron Wilson while Wilson and O’Neill will take on Lauren Gowen and Amy Williams from Wales.

David Mohan
BBC Sport NI journalist at the SEC Centre, Glasgow

Image source, Getty Images

Jude Gallagher is through to the lightweight quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games, opening his campaign with a dominant victory over Pakistan's Qudrat Ullah at the SEC Centre.

Team NI's co-captain Gallagher, who claimed featherweight gold in Birmingham four years ago, won the approval of four of the five judges with the fifth scoring it even.

The county Tyrone man showed good variation to his work as he applied smart pressure and while he did take a couple of lefts from southpaw Ullah, he swept the opening round.

Ullah was docked a point in the second for use of the head with Gallagher's left eye a little swollen by the end, but it was another impressive round from the Two Castles club-man who moved into a healthy lead.

With the result all but sealed, Gallagher was able to pick his moments in the third as he moved into a meeting with Zambia's Albert Ngulube on Wednesday evening.

"He was tricky, an awkward southpaw who throws long shots," Gallagher told BBC Sport NI.

"I had to stay on my toes as a couple of times he caught me when I took my foot off the gas so I had to stay switched on but that's a nice one to get me up and going."

Jon McConnell also advanced with a 4-1 win over India's Sumit Sumit in their light-middleweight round of 16 contest.

The Belfast man was docked a point in a fairly even opening round for holding, but both had been having their moments, reflected on the cards with Sumit getting the nod from three of the five judges.

It was a reverse in the second with McConnell beginning to have more joy on the outside to tighten up the cards going into the last.

McConnell appeared to be having a little more success as, keen to avoid any further penalties, he was happy to stand in the pocket and fire right hands and a strong finish saw him home and into a meeting with Carl Hield of the Bahamas on Wednesday.

"A lot of people would have lost the head [after losing a point], but I stuck to it, stuck on him and knew I had the beating of him after the first round," McConnell said.

"I showed a lot of guts there, so I'm proud."

Image source, Inpho

European champion Danielle Hill qualified for the final of the women's 50m backstroke final after she finished third in her semi-final at Tollcross Swimming centre.

Hill, who is competing at her fourth Games, reached Tuesday's final, which takes place at 20:36 BST, after registering a time of 28.17 seconds.

"Tonight was about doing what I could to control my nerves before I got in the water and executing the race and I finished on the wrong arm so that's one thing I know I will fix for tomorrow," she told BBC Sport NI.

"My best time puts me first based on that semi-final so I have to regroup and refocus. I have goosebumps just talking about it, [a Commonwealth medal] has always been the one that has ran away from me.

"I've put myself in a position now and anything can happen. Really proud of what me and the team have done to get me here, a medal would be the cherry on top but I'll go out there and enjoy it."

Olympic gold medallist Jack McMillan missed out on a place in the final of the men's 100m freestyle after finishing fifth in his semi-final.

McMillan clocked a time of 49.13 which was not fast enough to secure his passage through to Tuesday's final.

"I was a little bit off my best so it wasn't the time I wanted but being here is all about racing. I just missed the final there and I have my main event on Wednesday [200m freestyle] so just rest and recover."

Nigel Ringland
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist in Glasgow

Image source, Simone Castrovillari - Team NI

For those that think there’s no drama in bowls then they weren’t watching Chloe Wilson and Shauna O’Neill qualify for the semi-finals of the women’s pairs.

The scenario heading into the final group game against Dawn Hayman and Kelsey Cottrell from Australia was if you were going to lose in straight sets, do not lose by ten shots.

The Australians started on fire and took the first set 9-4 and suddenly for the first time in the competition the Northern Ireland pair were under real pressure.

When they found themselves 1-4 down heading into the final end the margin of error had been reduced to two shots.

With her final two bowls, O’Neill came close to taking shot but were either closer than the second Australian bowl?

Out came the official to measure, one shot to the Australians and to the relief of Wilson and O’Neill, they held second shot.

Australia won the set 6-1 to match Northern Ireland on points and sets won but the next tiebreaker, shots difference went the way of Wilson and O’Neill +59 to +58.

They have no time to celebrate, instead they will have to be better this evening in the semi-finals when they face Malaysia.

Image source, Team NI

Eve Walsh-Dann set a season’s best of 14.18 in the heats of the 100m T37/38 at the Scotstoun Stadium.

It was the North Down athlete’s fastest time in four years but not enough to make the final.

Walsh Dann went into the event ranked tenth and ended up finishing ninth.