Opportunity knocks for Moriarty

An albatross helped Chris Paisley move two clear in the English Challenge. Picture © Getty ImagesColm Moriarty is on course for his best finish of the Challenge Tour season after a four under par 68 left him tied for eighth place entering the final round and just six shots behind leader Chris Paisley.

The 33-year old Glasson touring professional Moriarty got off to a perfect start with a birdie at the first but followed that with a bogey six on the second.

Back to back birdies at the fourth and fifth meant he reached the turn in two under before three birdies and a bogey on the back nine helped him to his best round of the week at Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf and Spa outside Colchester in Essex.

“I had a good attitude today and that was the thing,” said the Athlone man. “I played lovely today, maybe not as nicely as the second day but I holed a couple of putts and things went my way a little bit.

“It’s nice to have a good Saturday and put myself in a good position on Sunday even if a couple of lads have gone pretty far clear. I’m more worried about my own game and I’ll try and bring a good attitude tomorrow.”

Birr’s Stephen Grant struggled to make hay on the third day and a level par round of 72 meant he enters the final day in tied 39th place.

“Well glad that round is over,” he tweeted. “Flat out worst I have possibly ever hit it for last 2 daysTotally confused with swing. Plus side - 2 under.”

Paisley, meanwhile, launched himself into pole position in the most spectacular fashion as the Newcastle man holed the first albatross of his life on the way to a seven under par third round of 65 to move two shots clear of Wales’ Stuart Manley.

The 26 year old’s two at the par five 16th hole came courtesy of a four iron approach from 227 yards, which rolled into the hole and contributed to a six under par back nine as he enters the final day on 15 under.

English Challenge, European Challenge Tour, Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, Essex.

201 C Paisley  (Eng) 68 68 65,

203 S Manley (Wal) 65 68 70,

204 F McGuirk  (Eng) 66 71 67, J Busby (Eng) 69 68 67,

205 B Koepka  (USA) 72 66 67, E Kofstad (Nor) 70 68 67,

206 M Haines  (Eng) 68 69 69,

207 R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 65 65 77, Colm Moriarty (Irl) 70 69 68, M Nixon (Eng) 69 68 70,

208 N Dougherty  (Eng) 70 69 69,

209 S Benson (Eng) 72 68 69, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 73 67 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 65 72, D Whitnell  (Eng) 69 69 71,

210 J Huldahl (Den) 74 67 69, J Hansen  (Den) 73 67 70, F Delamontagne  (Fra) 69 71 70, J Abbott (Eng) 72 69 69, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 68 71, P Archer (Eng) 72 72 66, B Stow(am) (Eng) 74 69 67,

211 P Uihlein  (USA) 73 68 70, J Grillon  (Fra) 67 70 74, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 71 70, B Chapellan (Fra) 74 69 68, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 69 72, S Brown (Eng) 73 69 69, B Barham (Eng) 73 69 69, G Houston (Wal) 74 69 68,

212 D Vancsik (Arg) 75 69 68, R Wingardh (Swe) 70 70 72, L Goddard  (Eng) 71 69 72, J Lima  (Por) 70 72 70,

213 D Brooks (Eng) 73 70 70, S Tiley (Eng) 72 70 71, B Åkesson (Swe) 71 71 71, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 73 69 71,

214 S Wakefield (Eng) 70 72 72, A McArthur  (Sco) 70 73 71, J Walters (RSA) 73 71 70, M Glauert (Ger) 69 70 75, R Russell (Sco) 70 71 73, A Hartø  (Den) 71 71 72, S Grant  (Irl) 69 73 72,

215 A Snobeck  (Fra) 69 74 72, S Lilly (Eng) 73 70 72, L Canter (Eng) 78 66 71,

216 P Reed (Eng) 74 70 72, J Little  (Eng) 68 72 76, C Monasterio (Arg) 74 70 72, J Senior (Eng) 73 71 72, M Eliasson (Swe) 71 70 75, C Lloyd (Eng) 74 68 74, D Küpper (Ger) 75 69 72,

217 T Hatton (Eng) 72 70 75, K Eriksson (Swe) 74 68 75, R Wallis (Eng) 74 70 73, T Whitehouse  (Eng) 76 68 73,

218 A Hortal  (Esp) 75 69 74, P Doherty (Sco) 74 70 74,

RET A Ahokas (Fin) 72 72 RT,