Dubliner Arnold O'Connor is just two strokes off the lead going into the third round of the Scottish Life/Ben Sayers Senior Club Professional in Coventry. Wolverhampton's Jim Rhodes yesterday carded a 71, dropping shots on his last two holes, to let O'Connor, from the Elm Green Golf Centre in Dublin, close on the lead.

Holder for the last three years, Jersey's Tommy Horton, one of Rhodes's playing partners, is seven strokes off the lead after a dispirited performance, particular on greens that have come in for some criticism from the Channel Islander.

While Rhodes faltered only towards the end of a fine round, Horton was far from pleased with his two-over 75. "I didn't enjoy that at all," he said of a round that got off to a discouraging start, with dropped shots at the first two holes.

Another bogey at the seventh pushed his outward half to 39, three over, but he did birdie two of the three par fives on the way. Unfortunately, at the 521-yard 16th another stroke went astray and a disconsolate Horton signed for a 75, to slip seven strokes off the lead.

Rhodes, who won almost £56,000 on last year's European Seniors' Tour, is in sparkling form. Three birdies on the outward half, plus another at the long 10th set him up for a fine round but dropped shots at the last two holes took some of the shine off.

By his own admission O'Connor put in a "diabolical display of putting" - he even missed a two-footer on the 12th - but such was the quality of the rest of his game that he grabbed three birdies before eagling the par five 13th for a round of 71 and an aggregate of 140.

One of the newest recruits to the seniors' scene, Mike Slater from the Portal Complex near Warrington, jumped up the leaderboard, adding a 70 to Tuesday's 72 to take third place on his own.

Two birdies in each half, set back only by a three-putt bogey at the 379-yard eighth, left the Lancashire pro optimistic about his first season on the seniors' tour.

"I was 16th in Turkey and sixth last week in Ireland, so it's all moving in the right direction", he said.

Leading the Scottish challenge is Strathaven's Matt McCrorie, who added a one-over 74 to Tuesday's 72, leaving him in 10th position.

Leading scores: 138 - J. Rhodes (S. Staffs.) 67, 71. 140 - A. O'Connor (Elm Green, Dublin) 69, 71. 142 - M. Slater (Portal Golf) 72,70. 144 - D. Creamer (Black Bear, USA), 71, 73; G. Burroughs (Boyce Hill), 73, 71; P. Ward (Teignmouth), 75, 69.