Naas ace Rob Bazill is just two shots behind impressive English raider Laird Shepherd at the halfway stage of the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship at Thurles.

As Shepherd carded three birdies and 15 pars in a flawless, three-under 69 to lead on five under 139, Brazill added a bogey free 70 to his opening 71 to keep the leader in his sights.

Detailed scoreboard

Overnight leader Paul Foulquie of France, 16, slipped five shots of the pace with a 76 and into a share of 10th with Athlone's Sean Doyle, who followed his opening 69 with a 75.

Antoin Auboin of France shot a 68 and England's Thomas Jordan a 70 to move up to third on two under with Ireland's Tommy O'Driscoll (68), Mark MacGrath (71), Owen Crooks (72) and, Rory Hill (72) tied for fifth with English favourite Bradley Moore (73) on one-under.

The top top-50 and ties after Thursday's third round will qualify for the final day.

Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship

Thurles Golf Club

ROUND THREE DRAW - click here

After 36 holes of 72

139 Laird Shepherd (England) 70 69

141 Rob Brazill (Naas) 71 70

142 Antoin Auboin (France) 74 68, Thomas Jordan (England) 72 70

143 Tommy O'Driscoll (Ring Of Kerry) 75 68, Mark MacGrath (Limerick) 72 71, Owen Crooks (Bushfoot) 71 72, Rory Hill (Tralee) 71 72, Bradley Moore (England) 70 73

144 Sean Doyle (Athlone) 69 75, Paul Foulquie (France) 68 76

145 Ross Steedman (Courtown) 75 70, William Enefer (England) 72 73, Harry Hall (England) 71 74

146 Jamie Li (England) 73 73, Jonathan Thomson (England) 72 74

147 Gary Ward (Kinsale) 76 71, Alan Fahy (Bray) 75 72, Cian Feeney (Co. Sligo) 75 72, Shane Mc Gagh (Claremorris) 75 72, Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 74 73, Jack Healy (Westport) 74 73, Patrick Brennan (Belvoir Park) 73 74, Colm Hughes (Galway) 72 75, Thomas Murray (England) 71 76, David Brady (Co. Sligo) 70 77

148 Jack Davidson (Wales) 79 69, Michael Cooke (Waterford) 76 72, Gaelen Trew (South Africa) 75 73, Jack Howard (Fota Island) 75 73, Dean Cafferty (Carton House) 75 73, David Carey (Carton House) 74 74, Ross Murray (Castle) 73 75, Thomas Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown) 72 76, Kevin Le Blanc (The Island) 72 76

149 Paul Tobin (Cork) 77 72, Oisin Devereux (Carton House) 76 73, Eric Byrne (Birr) 75 74, Robert Browne (Castle) 74 75, Sean Walsh (Carton House) 74 75, Conor Mooney (Black Bush) 74 75, Robert Shaw (England) 73 76, Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 71 78

150 Luke Cummins (West Waterford) 81 69, Adam McCormick (Scrabo) 80 70, Barry Fitzpatrick (Castle) 80 70, Joshua Taylor (England) 77 73, Valentin Leblanc (France) 77 73, Andrew Magee (Powerscourt) 77 73, Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) 76 74, Scott Campbell (Greenacres) 75 75, David Hill (Roscommon) 74 76, Ciaran Smyth (Greenore) 74 76, Jonathan Doherty (Ballina) 74 76, Niall Kennedy (Tramore) 73 77, Jamie Fletcher (Warrenpoint) 73 77

151 Sean O'Regan (Edmondstown) 81 70, Jack Hermeston (England) 80 71, Philip O'Sullivan (Malone) 78 73, Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu) 76 75, Cathal Butler (Kinsale) 75 76, Gareth Carr (Mullingar) 75 76, Alistair Crunden (England) 75 76, Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) 75 76, Marc Boucher (Carton House) 75 76, Michael Ryan (New Ross) 75 76, Ryan Long (Cairndhu) 74 77, Jack Brown (The Heath) 73 78, Kyle Harman (Wales) 72 79, Shane Mc Dermott (Co. Cavan) 70 81

152 Cathal Nolan (Galway) 78 74, Max Jordan (England) 77 75, Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush) 75 77, Gabriel Naveau (France) 75 77, Thomas Thurloway (England) 73 79, Anton Brennan (Athenry) 73 79

153 Lucas Koehler (Germany) 82 71, Edward Kennedy (Woodbrook) 80 73, John Bolger (Jnr) (Courtown) 78 75, Karl Eccles (Clandeboye) 78 75, John Gough (England) 78 75, Dale Jackson (Hilton Templepatrick) 78 75, Adonis Asikian (France) 78 75, David Travers (Carton House) 77 76, Clement Charmasson (France) 77 76, Glenn Fry (Greystones) 76 77, David Burns (Cushendall) 76 77, Michael Joseph Kennelly (Athenry) 75 78, Alan Riordan (Blarney) 75 78, Bill Murray (Waterford Castle) 75 78, Eoghan Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 79

154 John Corbett Jnr (Thurles) 81 73, Jonas Eisold (Germany) 80 74, Eric Rumley (Kinsale) 79 75, Luke Donnelly (Callan) 79 75, TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 79 75, Ben Murray (Castle) 78 76, Marc McCormack (Ashbourne) 77 77 , Eoin Cunnife (United Arab Emirates) 77 77 , Daniel List (Ghana) 77 77 , Eoin Leonard (Wentworth) 77 77 , Eoin O'Hehir (Naas) 76 78 , Jamie Dunne, (Borris) 76 78, Ronan O'Callaghan (Mannan Castle) 74 80

155 Nick Moore (Monkstown) 80 75, Joseph O'Neill (Tralee) 79 76, Harry Boyle (England) 77 78, Conor Flanagan (Tullamore) 77 78, Ross McKeever (Castle) 76 79, Marc Norton (Belvoir Park) 75 80, Paul Margolis (France) 75 80, Ross Mohan (The Island) 73 82

156 Thomas Bailey (England) 82 74, Ryan Lumsden (Scotland) 82 74, John Cleary (Elm Park) 80 76, Michael Shiel (Loughrea) 80 76, Michael Cooke (England) 80 76, Paul Kelly (Glasson) 78 78, Charlie Hendrick (Grange) 78 78, Bruce Lancaster (Netherlands) 75 81

157 Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 82 75, Haider Hussein (England) 81 76, Daire Creavin (Killeen Castle) 80 77, Jason O'Reilly (Tramore) 78 79, Conor Harte (Castle) 78 79, Quentin Saintillan (France) 74 83

158 Craig Bolger (Carlow) 84 74, Peter Fleming (Galway) 81 77, Ted Collins (Dun Laoghaire) 80 78, Declan Kelly (Hermitage) 79 79, Cian Hutchinson (Carton House) 78 80

159 Jason Conway (Donegal) 83 76, Peter Cummins (Lurgan) 80 79, Felix Alnefelt (Sweden) 79 80, James McVicker (Knock) 78 81, Rory Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 78 81

160 Thomas Boulanger (France) 79 81, Eoin Kelly (Co. Meath) 79 81 

161 Fergus McCambridge (Cushendall) 80 81

162 Jack Dempsey (Newbridge) 84 78, Garreth Hogan (St. Anne's) 80 82, Matthew Fitzsimons (Ardglass) 76 86, Darragh Smith (Castle) 76 86

163 Gabriel Leacy (Dungarvan) 84 79, Harry Duggan (Kilkenny) 83 80, Liam Grehan (Mullingar) 83 80

164 Sam Sweeney (Seapoint) 83 81

165 Greg Smith (England) 87 78, Michael Culhane (Limerick) 84 81, Cameron Mills (Shandon Park) 83 82

166 Shane O'Connor (Castlebar) 86 80

170 Sean Bartlett (Wales) 89 81

171 Louis O'Hara (Athenry) 85 86

179 Darren Hall (United Arab Emirates) 86 93