MATT Neal's lead at the top of the British Touring Car Championship was slashed after Yvan Muller claimed two wins at Ireland's Mondello Park circuit.

The Droitwich Spa driver's 28-point cushion was cut to 13 after he had two third places and a seventh.

The first race saw Muller, in his Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, dominate from pole position.

Neal, in his Honda Integra, made it past Vauxhall's Colin Turkington to finish third. In race two, Turkington, Muller's team-mate, from Northen Ireland, moved up from fourth place on the grid to claim the win.

As the track dried out, Neil, with slick tyres all-round, moved up into third place behind team-mate Dan Eaves.

Muller had started out in first place on the grid but had to serve pit-lane stop-go penalties after their teams infringed on the grid.

Race three was a dramatic contest as Muller, the 2003 BTCC Champion, drew clear of the pack, despite starting from fourth place on the grid, breaking his own lap record in the process.

Back down the track, both Neal and Eaves became involved in clashes with Jason Plato.

Eaves ran wide after making contact with Plato and, at the next corner, Neal dived down the inside of Plato, and both cars ran off the track.

But Neal kept going and, after a quick pit stop to change tyres, rejoined the race and eventually finished in seventh position.

But Plato was forced to crawl back to the pit lane where he retired his damaged Toledo Cupra.

Neal now heads to Snetterton on August 16 for the next round of races.