Amateur golfBrian KeoghJuly 11, 2018European Amateur Team Championship, European Boys Amateur Team Championship, European Ladies Amateur Team Championship, European Girls Amateur Team Championship

Europeans: Women and Boys advance as Men hit Berlin wall

Amateur golfBrian KeoghJuly 11, 2018European Amateur Team Championship, European Boys Amateur Team Championship, European Ladies Amateur Team Championship, European Girls Amateur Team Championship

Ireland made the top flight in the European Ladies and European Boys Amateur Team Championships but there was bitter disappointment as the men's team missed out on the top flight by a shot in Berlin.

While the Girls' team also failed to make the top eight at Forsgårdens Golfklubb in Sweden, the highly fancied men's side finished a shot behind Finland in the battle for the final quarter-final spot in Germany.

A brilliant fifth-place finish by Kinsale's John Murphy in the individual standings was insufficient to keep Ireland in the running for a trophy they last claimed in 2008.

Murphy added a 67 to his opening 68 but of the other five players in the side, only Hermitage's Rowan Lester could break par in Wednesday's second round.

Tramore's Robin Dawson was left with the task of getting Ireland over the line but after a birdie at the 17th, he bogeyed the last and signed for a 75 meant that Ireland finished ninth and now face Serbia — who finished 72 shots behind them in qualifying — in the Flight B quarter-finals.

As Ireland fight for ninth place, Sweden, England, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Scotland, France and Finland will do battle for the trophy

Olivia Mehaffey led the ladies' to eighth spot at Murhof in Austria, finishing second in the individual standings and setting up a tough quarter-final showdown with leading qualifiers France.

The Irish Boys team is also in with a chance of European glory with Kilkenny's Mark Power second and Tom McKibbin 13th as Ireland qualified in seventh place at Golf Resort Kaskáda in the Czech Republic where they now face Sweden in the last eight.

Despite some excellent individual performances, there was no joy for Ireland in the European Girls' Championship at Forsgårdens Golfklubb in Sweden where they finished 13th and now face Scotland in the quarter-finals in Flight B.