David Matthews and James Nolan advanced their hopes yesterday of becoming Ireland's first athletes to win a European indoor championship medal since Eamonn Coghlan won the 1,500 title in 1979 when they qualified for the 800 metres semi-finals in Valencia today.

The UCD pair both went through with ease after finishing second in their heats. First to step onto the track was Nolan who adopted the audacious policy of leading from the gun. Nolan (21), swooped down from his lane five starting position high on the banking to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the six-man field and held the lead until just after the bell.

The reigning European junior champion Gert-Jan Liefers, of the Netherlands, darted to the front and clinched first place in 1:48.74, the fastest time of the four heats, but Nolan hung on for second in 1:49.04.

Matthews (23) made the same decision that being in front avoided all possibilities of trouble. He led through the halfway point before Norway's Vebjorn Rodal, the 1996 Olympic champion, overtook him. Rodal won in 1:49.81 but Matthews hardly broke sweat in a relaxed 1:50.09.

Their task was made easier by the failure to finish of defending champion Roberto Parra. Clearly lacking race fitness, the Spanish runner stunned the sparse home crowd by dropping out just after the bell.

Freda Davoren added to the upbeat feeling among the Irish team by qualifying for the women's 1,500 metres final this evening. Davoren (24), finished fifth in her semi-final but having stopped the clock in an indoor personal best of 4:18.21, she went through as a fastest loser.

The first Irish athlete to compete at the Palacio Luis Puig was Limerick sprinter Lena Barry. The 21-year old went to her marks in the morning's 60 metres heats and had the disconcerting experience of finishing seventh and last in her race. However she can take some comfort from the fact that she equalled her best of 7.48 seconds. Barry will benefit greatly from the experience.