Irish internationals collapsed like a pack of cards during yesterday's first round of matchplay in the Carlsberg North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush but title favourite Graeme McDowell side-stepped the pitfalls.

Out of the race went West of Ireland champion Michael McDermott and Tim Rice, both members of the Irish team in Sweden last week. Also out went Justin Kehoe, Mark Campbell and Andrew McCormick who was demolished 7 and 6 by young City of Derry player David Jones.

McDowell, like McDermott and Rice excused from the qualifying tests, admitted to finding it a little difficult to get into the swing of things early despite carding an eagle at the second hole in his morning match with Fergal Rodgers. Possibly the fact that McDermott and Rice also went into the matchplay 'cold' had a serious effect on their chances of survival.

However, Graeme McDowell, one of Ireland's two new Walker Cup caps, survived the day with wins over Fergal Rodgers and Robert Forsythe. A feature of McDowell's play was the fact that he eagled the long second hole in both his matches.

Also through are five-times champioon Garth McGimpsey and leading qualifier Stuart Paul, as well as Galway's Mark O'Sullivan and Sligo' Sean McTernan.

FIRST ROUND A McCormick (Scrabo) bt L Moore (City of Derry) 3 and 1, D Jones (City of Derry) bt A McKinley (Shandon Park) 6 and 5, R Evans (Moyola Park) bt N Crawford (Mourne) 3&2, G Black (Ballymena) bt G Mayb in (Ballyclare) one hole, G McGimpsey (Bangor) bt T Coulter (Massereene) 4 and 3, F O'Donoghue (Belvoir Park) bt C Doran (Banbridge) 2 and 1, B McElhinney (North West) bt D Mulholland (Castlerock) one hole, G Forbes (Newt ownstewart) bt J Campion (Royal Birkdale) 5 and 3 I Moore (Dunmurry) bt M Campbell (UCD/Stackstown) 5 and 3, S Rea (Ballyclare) bt B McCarthy (Spain) 3 and 2, E McCormack (Slieve Russell) bt R Kirkpatrick (Banbridge) 3 an d 2, C Moriarty (Clandeboye) bt B Galway (Burnfield House) 6 and 5, M Sinclair (Knock) bt S Mc Monagle (Dunfanaghy) two holes, R Elliott (Royal Portrush) bt K Kidd (Spa) 3 and 2, R Forsythe (Hilton) bt C Elliott (West Mid dlesex) 6 and 4, G McDowell (Rathmore) bt F Rodgers (Ardglass) 4 and 3 C Murphy (Clandeboye) bt T Rice (Limerick) 2 and 1, P Purdy (Shandon Park) bt S Miskelly (Knock) 6 and 5, B Stokes (Spa) bt R de Lacey Staunton (Hong Kong) 4 and 2, M O'Sullivan (UCD/Galway) bt D Gladstone (Stranraer) two holes, M McGeady (City of Derry) bt A Coulter (Lisburn) 2 and 1, G Wardlow (Shandon Park) bt G Dickson (Holywood) at 20th, R Cannon (Balbriggan) bt C Brown (Royal Portrush) one hole, G Hamill (Ardglass) bt J Kehoe (UCD/Birr) S Paul (Tandragee) bt G McAleese (Royal Portrush) 2 and 1, N Beggs (Bryanston, South Africa) bt B O'Halloran (Royal Dublin) one hole, D Baker (Downpatrick) bt R Boal (Scrabo) 2 and 1, S McTernan (County Sligo) bbt P Topley (Tandragee) one hole, R Leonard (Banbridge) bt M Thompson (Banbridge) 2 and 1, R McDowell (Royal Belfast) bt M McGarry (Ballymena) 4 and 3, A McCloy (Ballymena) bt D Ballentine (Ballymena) 2 and 1, M McDermott (Stackstown) bt D Kirkwood (Belvoir Park). SECOND ROUND Jones bt S McCormick 7 and 6, Black bt Evans 2 and 1, McGimpsey bt O'Donoghue one hole, Forbes bt McElhinney 3 and 1, Moore bt Rea two holes, Moriarty bt E McCormack 3 and 2, Sinclair bt Elliott 2 and 1, McDowell bt Forsythe 3 and 1, Purdy bt Murphy 3 and 2, O'Sullivan bt Stokes 6 and 5, McGeady by Wardlow one hole, Cannon bt Hamill one hole, Paul bt Beggs 6 and 5, McTernan bt Baker 2 and 1, Leonard bt R McDowell 5 and 4, McCloy bt McDermott 2 and 1.