A SECOND round of 70 moved Simon Dyson up the leaderboard at the half-way point of the Celtic Manor Welsh Open – but it was a day of highs and lows.

Following his opening 71, his efforts left him with a one-under-par total and comfortably within the cut margin at the course which will host the Ryder Cup in October.

The 32-year-old Malton & Norton Golf Club ace managed seven birdies – at the first, second, fourth, sixth, tenth, 11th and 18th holes – but double-bogeyed the third hole and also dropped shots at the ninth, 12th, 14th and 15th.

A topsy-turvy round yielding only five pars still saw Dyson jump nearly 20 spots up the leaderboard as the second round was reaching its climax.

Fellow Englishman Luke Donald recovered from joint-111th after the first round to be tied 13th on two under par going into today’s play, after a course record-equalling second round of six-under-par 65.

Marcel Siem, with only one European Tour triumph hehind him, was eyeing a second title after his second round four-under-par 67 fired him joint-top of the leaderboard on six under.

The German, who won the Dunhill Championship in 2004, enjoyed a steady round at the Celtic Manor to be halfway leader with Australian Andrew Dodt, one stroke ahead of Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn.