From Brian Keogh in Ballyliffin

Ireland's Des Smyth crafted a three-under par 68 to take and one-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Seniors Open at Ballyliffin.

The 55-year old carded five birdies and just two bogeys in a stiff southerly wind on the Old Links to top the leaderboard from Spain's Juan Quiros (69) and England's Gordon J Brand (70) on three-under par.

Struggling on the Champions Tour, Smyth is hoping to that a third European Seniors Tour victory will give him the confidence to retain his card in the United States and extend his run there for a seventh season.

Smyth said: "This is a title I would want to win more than any other apart from the British Seniors. Last year I won in Wentworth and went back to the US and had some good finishes. I'd love to win tomorrow and I will be giving it my best."

Out in two under par 33, Smyth birdied the 11th and 13th to get to four under but bogeyed the par three 17th and failed to birdie the par-five last.

"I had a 66 within my reach but just let it get out of my hands," said Smyth. 'still I played well and I am very pleased with a 68.

"I'd prefer if the wind didn"t blow too hard tomorrow. People say I am a great wind player but I don't want to be trying to hang on to par on every hole."

Scotland's Bill Longmuir and Sam Torrance both shot 70 to lurking just two strokes behind Smyth on one under par as overnight leader Alan Tapie crashed to a 12 over par 83 to fall out of contention.

Cork's Denis O'Sullivan carded a 70 and is just three shots behind Smyth on level par with Ian Woosnam lurking on one-over par after a best of the day 67.

Irish Seniors Open, Ballyliffin GC, Old Links (Par 71)

After 36 holes:

139 D Smyth (Irl) 71 68

140 J Quiros (Esp) 71 69, G Brand (Eng) 70 70

141 S Torrance (Sco) 71 70, B Longmuir (Sco) 71 70

142 E Rodriguez (Esp) 73 69, D Russell (Eng) 72 70, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 72 70, C Rocca (Ita) 71 71, A Barrera (Arg) 70 72

143 D Hospital (Esp) 76 67, I Woosnam (Wal) 76 67, J Chillas (Sco) 72 71

144 D Cambridge (Jam) 73 71, D Merriman (Aus) 72 72, D Good (Aus) 71 73, N Job (Eng) 71 73, S Owen (Nzl) 71 73, G Cali (Ita( 69 75

145 C Mason (Eng) 75 70, J Sallat (Fra) 73 72, A Murray (Eng) 73 72, T Giedeon (Ger) 73 72, J Bland (RSA) 72 73, M Piñero (Esp) 71 74, L Carbonetti (Arg) 69 76

146 G Encina (Chi) 75 71, T Gale (Aus) 75 71, A Franco (Par) 74 72, K Spurgeon (Eng) 74 72, S Lyle (Sco) 73 73, B Cameron (Eng) 72 74, T Charnley (Eng) 72 74, B Charles (Nzl) 71 75

147 P Teravainen (USA) 77 70, J Rhodes (Eng) 73 74, B Heuchan (Can) 73 74, K Tomori (Jpn) 71 76

148 A Fernandez (Chi) 75 73, G McGimpsey (NIr, am) 75 73, T Allen (Eng) 74 74, L Higgins (Irl) 73 75, A Sowa (Arg) 72 76

149 J Benda (USA) 77 72, E McMenamin (Irl, am) 74 75, H Carbonetti (Arg) 74 75, E Polland (NIr) 74 75, P O"Hagan (Irl) 74 75, B Lincoln (RSA) 73 76, R Drummond (Sco) 73 76,

150 M Gray (Sco) 80 70, I Mosey (Eng) 80 70, E Darcy (Irl) 77 73, T Price (Wal) 76 74, J Hall (Eng) 76 74, M Poxon (Eng) 75 75, S Ebihara (Jpn) 75 75, J Rivero (Esp) 74 76, J Hoskison (Eng) 73 77, A Garrido (Esp) 73 77, A Tapie (USA) 67 83

151 P Oakley (USA) 78 73, P Leonard (NIr) 77 74, M Bembridge (Eng) 77 74, J Heggarty (NIr) 76 75, S Ginn (Aus) 74 77, T Johnstone (Zim) 74 77

152 P Dugeny (Fra) 74 78, T Rastall (Eng) 73 79

153 M Miller (Sco) 77 76, B Boyd (USA) 77 76

154 V Smyth (am) (Irl) 77 77

155 B Larratt (Eng) 74 81

157 J Bruner (USA) 78 79

165 G Hopkins (USA) 83 82