European amateur championships: Ireland cannot afford any slip-ups at Hillside today in their bid to qualify for the top flight of matchplay in the European men's amateur team championships.

With amateur champion Brian McElhinney in the side and others with considerable experience Irish hopes of success were high as play got under way in the five-day tournament.

But from the moment Darren Crowe handed in a disappointing 81 an uphill struggle was on the cards.

Crowe from Dunmurry, a quarter-finalist in the Amateur Championship, had halves of 43 and 38, taking a triple bogey seven on the third and double bogeys on fourth, ninth, and 18.

"Things just did not go right today. I got into all sorts of trouble," said Crowe.

Next to finish of the Irish was their new national champion 16-year-old Rory McIlroy who carded a 79. He felt he did not play badly but a few wayward shots cost him dearly.

He was actually one under par after seven holes but then things started to fall apart.

McIlroy dropped five strokes between the 13th and 15th holes finding deep rough from the tee on two of the holes.

"I struck the ball pretty well but it was just a case of frittering away strokes," said McIlroy.

Michael McGeedy from the North West Club posted a respectable 73.

He went out in 37 with eight pars and a bogey on the fourth and came home with seven pars, a birdie four on the 11th and a bogey five on the 14th.

Ireland's fortunes took a turn for the better when McElhinney returned a one under par 71 which comprised halves of 34 and 37. He had bogeys at eight and 14 but birdies at the third, fifth and eighth - his score moved the Irish into the top eight nations.

Jim Carvill, the former professional now attached to Warrenpoint, was far from his best and crashed to a 79 which meant that it had to count as there had already been a score of that earlier in the day.

Seán McTernan from Co Sligo was the last Irishman to finish his round and he took 76 which just about keeps Ireland in with a chance of making the top flight.

Irish skipper Mark Gannon accepts it was not a great day but was not too downhearted.

"We struggle a bit but there's a long way to go and we are certainly not out of it. If we can make the top flight anything can happen," he said.

Ireland with a score of 378 - 18 over par - with five of the six scores counting just scraped into the top eight.