Connemara’s Luke O’Neill has his second win of the season in his crosshairs after he shot one of just two sub-par rounds at New Forest on Thursday to take a commanding five-stroke lead into the final round of the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship.

The recently-crowned German Boys Open champion, made seven birdies in a topsy-turvy, two-under 70 on another challenging day at the Co. Westmeath track.

He’s the only player in the red and leads on five-under 210 from international team mate Aaron Marshall from Lisburn, whose 73 left him alone in second on level par.

Rian Carvill, a nephew of Warrenpoint great Jim Carvill, lies third on one-over after his 71, which was the only other sub-par round recorded on a day when the field averaged close to 81.

Seapoint’s Dylan Keating continued his run of good form following his win in Regional Qualifying for The Open at Baltray, carding a 75 to share fourth on two-over with Carton House’s Eoin Sullivan.

Overnight leader Max Kennedy had every number from two to eight on his card but somehow managed an 81 that leaves him 10 behind O’Neill on 221.

The 54-hole cut fell at 233 with 51 players making the draw for Friday’s final round.

Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship, New Forest (Par 72)

Detailed scores

After 54 holes

Qualifiers

211 L O'Neill (Connemara) 68 73 70;

216 A Marshall (Lisburn) 69 74 73;

217 R Carvill (Warrenpoint) 74 72 71;

218 D Keating (Seapoint) 73 70 75, E Sullivan (Carton House) 72 72 74;

220 F Hickey (Muskerry) 72 70 78, S Walker (Roscommon) 71 74 75, J Black (Lisburn) 71 73 76;

221 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 68 72 81;

223 M Fitzgibbon (Portmarnock) 77 69 77, A Smith (Mullingar) 73 74 76, J McCabe (Roganstown) 71 79 73, R Galligan (Elm Park) 69 79 75;

224 G Leigh (ENG) 75 74 75, D Marshall (Naas) 73 78 73, J Byrne (Baltinglass) 72 73 79;

225 J Mackin (Dundalk) 78 74 73, J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 74 71 80, R Milne (Faithlegg) 73 71 81, A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 72 78 75;

226 M Kernanet (FRA) 77 73 76, C French (Carton House) 75 72 79, L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 75 71 80, D Leufer (Athenry) 73 76 77, J Egan (Muskerry) 71 80 75;

227 S Doyle (Black Bush) 71 78 78;

228 J Shellard (Lisburn) 74 73 81;

229 R McNelis (Fintona) 80 71 78, J Butler (Naas) 79 76 74, R Feerick (Mallow) 75 74 80, E Shipp (Headfort) 75 73 81, L Mitchell (Knock) 69 76 84;

230 D Muldowney (Carton House) 80 76 74, S Murphy (Portumna) 78 76 76, M Deasy (Lee Valley) 76 74 80, A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 74 82;

231 P Keeling (Roganstown) 74 81 76, S Downes (Royal Dublin) 73 79 79;

232 F Hoare (Roscommon) 78 76 78, B St John (Portmarnock) 77 74 81, R Walsh (Kinsale) 75 76 81, H Lord (ENG) 75 76 81, K Morrison (Holywood) 72 77 83, B Crawford (Greenacres) 72 74 86;

233 D Mulligan (The Links Portmarnock) 79 79 75, N O'Callaghan (Greenore) 78 79 76, M Hopkins (ENG) 77 78 78, C Rabbette (Esker Hills) 76 79 78, C MacCanna (Carton House) 75 74 84, E McArthur (Royal Portrush) 72 78 83, M Dhaubhadel (ENG) 71 84 78.

Non-qualifiers

234 C Byrne (Strabane) 81 76 77, P Naughton (Limerick) 78 79 77, S West (ENG) 78 75 81, E Prendergast (Claremorris) 74 80 80;

235 T Browne (Naas) 81 79 75, S Miller (Clandeboye) 81 75 79, L Keyes (Dun Laoghaire) 80 75 80, D Raher (Dungarvan) 77 76 82, K McCarthy (Lee Valley) 75 79 81, R Kelliher (Killarney) 74 78 83, C Ruddy (Enniscrone) 74 78 83, C Connell (Newlands) 74 77 84;

236 J Foley (Elm Park) 80 80 76, M McCormack (Mullingar) 78 78 80;

237 T Higgins (Roscommon) 80 77 80, L Kelly (Belvoir Park) 80 74 83, J McMaster (Holywood) 79 77 81, P McGrath (Cregmore) 74 83 80, D Ford (Co. Sligo) 74 82 81, E Freeman (Naas) 74 76 87, A Mijic (FRA) 72 78 87, A Carroll (Newlands) 71 83 83;

238 T Stout (Royal Belfast) 80 79 79, R Bather (WAL) 79 76 83, C Elliott (ENG) 78 85 75, R Howley (USA) 78 80 80, C Owen (WAL) 75 77 86;

239 G McKenzie (ENG) 75 80 84;

240 A Westerdijk (ENG) 80 79 81, P Ó Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 80 78 82, J Rooney (Co. Armagh) 79 79 82;

241 B Thomas (WAL) 81 75 85, N McDermott (Co. Sligo) 80 77 84, D McNicholl (Westmanstown) 79 77 85, T Kelly (Royal Dublin) 73 82 86;

242 O Reilly (Newlands) 82 79 81, R Goodall (Royal Portrush) 78 81 83, A Blair (Scrabo) 75 85 82;

243 V Krause (GER) 81 79 83, C O'Connor (Roscommon) 80 80 83, C Collins (BER) 76 83 84, C Harkin (Letterkenny) 75 80 88;

244 D Behan (Naas) 83 79 82, S Murtagh (Mullingar) 82 80 82, C McCarthy (USA) 81 76 87, L Abom (Edmondstown) 80 84 80, C Roper (ENG) 79 82 83, M Duignan (Royal Dublin) 77 86 81;

245 G Herlihy (Castle) 79 82 84, A Dineen (Cork) 75 84 86;

246 M Troy (Dungarvan) 83 81 82, M Collins (Bundoran) 82 82 82, S Watts (St. Anne's) 82 81 83;

247 A Fraher (Black Bush) 80 86 81, E O'Shaughnessy (Muskerry) 79 86 82;

249 J Brown (The Heritage) 84 81 84, R Campbell (Greenacres) 81 81 87, G Keogh (Galway) 79 82 88;

250 D Connolly (Castle Dargan) 86 84 80, M Hayes (Galgorm Castle) 79 85 86;

251 M Schulze (GER) 83 81 87, R Cowhey (Elm Park) 79 86 86, K Collins (Douglas) 78 83 90;

252 J Richardson (ENG) 88 78 86, D O'Malley (Black Bush) 85 90 77, T Crinion (Howth) 80 83 89;

253 R Davidson (Knock) 85 85 83, M Gibson (Knock) 83 85 85;

254 M O'Brien (Elm Park) 86 85 83;

255 C Walsh (Clandeboye) 94 78 83, A Bolger (Castle) 81 90 84;

256 T Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 88 81 87;

257 J Nolan (Birr) 83 86 88;

258 W O'Halloran (ENG) 85 89 84;

262 D Cunningham (Tuam) 85 85 92;

263 S McDermott (Highfield) 86 92 85, R Reid (Greystones) 81 95 87;

264 M Duggan (Highfield) 96 84 84.

Final Round – Friday 28 June

Time (tee)

08:00 (10) Melan Dhaubhadel (England) Ewan McArthur (Royal Portrush)  Cathal MacCanna (Carton House)

08:10 (10) Christopher Rabbette (Esker Hills) Max Hopkins (England ) Niall O'Callaghan (Greenore)

08:20 (10) Daniel Mulligan (The Links Portmarnock)  Ben Crawford (Greenacres) Keaton Morrison (Holywood)

08:30 (10) Harry Lord (England) Robert Walsh (Kinsale) Brandon St John (Portmarnock)

08:40 (10) Fionn Hoare (Roscommon) Sean Downes (Royal Dublin) Patrick Keeling (Roganstown )

08:50 (10) Annraoi Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) Mel Deasy (Lee Valley) Sam Murphy (Portumna)

09:00 (10) David Muldowney (Carton House) Lee Mitchell (Knock) Evan Shipp (Headfort)

09:10 (10) Ronan Feerick (Mallow) Jamie Butler (Naas) Ryan McNelis (Fintona)

08:00 (1) Jack Shellard (Lisburn) Sean Doyle (Black Bush) Jack Egan (Muskerry)

08:10 (1) Darren Leufer (Athenry) Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay) Cathal French (Carton House)

08:20 (1) Marceau Kernanet (France) Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) Rory Milne (Faithlegg)

08:30 (1) Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) Josh Mackin (Dundalk) Joseph Byrne (Baltinglass)

08:40 (1) David Jnr Marshall (Naas)  George Leigh (England) Robert Galligan (Elm Park)

08:50 (1) Joshua McCabe (Roganstown) Adam Smith (Mullingar) Michael Fitzgibbon (Portmarnock)

09:00 (1) Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) Josh Black (Lisburn) Simon Walker (Roscommon)

09:10 (1) Fionn Hickey (Muskerry)  Eoin Sullivan (Carton House) Dylan Keating (Seapoint)

09:20 (1) Rian Carvill (Warrenpoint) Aaron Marshall (Lisburn)  Luke O'Neill (Connemara)