From Brian Keogh at San Roque

Damian Mooney's European Tour card hopes sank considerably with three visits to the water in a third round 76 in the European Tour Qualifying School Finals at San Roque.

The 39 year old Belfast man dropped four shots in three holes at the end of his front nine to slip five shots outside the projected 72-hole cut mark on seven over par.

"I was in the water three times today," said Mooney, who bogeyed the 16th and then visited water at the 17th and 18th at the end of his front nine on the Old Course.

Out in 39, Mooney had two birdies and three bogeys on his back nine to leave his card chances hanging by a thread.

"You work hard and it all goes in the space of three holes. Very annoying. I need a good round tomorrow now. It is inside me somewhere I think."

Derry's Michael McGeady hit a 75 on the Old Course to crash to a share of 150th with Cork's Peter O'Keeffe (76) in the 156-man field.

But Glasson's Colm Moriarty is still on track to grab a top 30 finish and his card after a solid one under par 71 on the New Course left him tied for 19th on two under.

Dubliner Stephen Browne discovered a swing thought just in time to revive his card bid, storming home in 33 for a six-birdie 70 that gives him a chance of making the four-round cut tonight.

Browne, 33, got up and down for birdie on the par five 17th and then drained a 50 footer on the Old Course’s 18th for a two under par 70 that leaves him just one stroke outside the projected cut mark in tied 77th on three over par.

"That was just what the doctor ordered," said Browne. "For the first eight holes I didn’t play well and I could have been four or five over.

“But a few things occurred to me about my swing - something my coach Brendan McDaid told me once upon a time and I started to hit it really well.”

Spaniards Luis Claverie (68) and Pablo Larranazabal (71) lead by a stroke on eight under par from Scotland's Alan McLean and Austrian pair Florian Praegant (67) and Martin Wiegele (69).