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Great Britain and Ireland extend Vivendi lead

  • Story Highlights
  • Great Britain and Ireland extend their Vivendi Trophy lead over Europe to 6-4
  • Paul McGinley's side win Friday fourballs 3-2, the same score as on Thursday
  • GB are heading for fifth successive victory in what used to be the Seve Trophy
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(CNN) -- Great Britain and Ireland have extended their lead over Continental Europe to 6-4 on a sun-kissed second day at the Vivendi Trophy, Paris on Friday.

Simon Dyson (left) and Oliver Wilson have proved unstoppable for Great Britain and Ireland.

Simon Dyson (left) and Oliver Wilson have proved unstoppable for Great Britain and Ireland.

Paul McGinley's side, made underdogs before the start because six top players dropped out, are heading for a fifth successive victory in what used to be called the Seve Trophy.

Three of the five fourball matches on day one failed to make it beyond the 15th hole, but Friday was a closer affair despite the score on the day being the same as on Thursday, when the defending champions led 3-2 overnight.

Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson had their second win -- and fourth in five games since first being paired together two years ago -- when they beat Henrik Stenson and Alvaro Quiros 2&1 in a high-quality match.

A birdie two on the last would have given the English pair a 12-under-par 59 and their opponents were nine-under when it finished.

On Wednesday morning, Dyson was a doubt after contracting food poisoning but he has been one of the stars so far.

"I was on death's door," Dyson told reporters. "I was not 100 percent yesterday but today was good and we are gelling fantastically well. Paul asked who was my ideal partner and I said Ollie straightaway."

Chris Wood and Anthony Wall, both of whom were drafted in because of the withdrawals, are also unbeaten, this time overcoming Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen 3&2.

It lacked the fireworks of their first-day drubbing of Stenson and Robert Karlsson but Wall sealed the victory with a long bunker shot.

Nick Dougherty and Ross Fisher hit back from their first-day loss to beat Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3&2. That match was closed out in style as well when Fisher curled in a 25-footer for an eagle on the 16th to move the pair to nine-under.

Europe responded with Denmark's Anders Hansen and Italy's Francesco Molinari leading from the first hole against Northern Irish pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy to win 3&1.

Robert Rock and Steve Webster then fought back from two-down against Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and looked to have salvaged a half until the Spaniard held his nerve to convert a two-foot putt on the 18th that secured Europe's second point of the day.

The biennial event continues with four greensomes and four foursomes on Saturday before concluding with 10 singles matches on Sunday.

All About Ryder CupGraeme McDowellHenrik StensonColin Montgomerie

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