ireland.com - The Irish Times

Guile will prevail over brute force
GOLF/British Open: The words on the giant leaderboard by the 18th fairway, where the winner's name will feature come Sunday evening, sounded a note of caution. "Fire Risk," they proclaimed, urging spectators who need to smoke to be careful with their fag-ends, writes Philip Reid at Hoylake p

Murray the hero as Cork head for Red Star
SOCCER/Champions League, Apollon Limassol 1 Cork City 2 (Cork win 2-1 agg): Ireland may have provided a lacklustre display at Nicosia's national stadium back in October, but Cork City produced a performance of passion and quality last night to advance to the second round of the Champions League with an aggregate win over Cypriot Champions Apollon Limassol. p

Moran set to resist quarter-final move
GAELIC GAMES: The Central Games Administration Committee are facing a potential crisis over the scheduling of the football championship. Gavin Cummiskey reports. p

Dublin City cease to exist
Dublin City FC yesterday resigned from the National League after the company that runs it, Little Roc Inc, ceased trading earlier in the day. p
Longford gain solace
Longford 2 St Patrick's Ath 0: Having lost four points as a result of Dublin City's demise, Longford gained some solace from this performance against St Patrick's. p
Villa call time on O'Leary's reign
Aston Villa last night bowed to the inevitable when David O'Leary ended his three-year reign as manager. The Dubliner was summoned to Villa Park for the second time in 24 hours at around 4pm yesterday and, after lengthy talks, left the club by mutual consent. p
Soccer Shorts
Parreira joins exodus: Carlos Alberto Parreira resigned as coach of Brazil yesterday following their quarter-final exit at the World Cup finals, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said. p

Hayes considers his options as Galway's season hots up
Ian O'Riordan talks to Galway manager Conor Hayes, who believes his side will push Kilkenny all the way. p
Knee injury stalls Power surge
This year Richie Power was supposed to join the ranks of elite hurlers - instead his championship appears to be over after just a few fleeting glimpses of artistry. p

Donald ready to give his all
British Open: Some things are hard to fathom, like quantum physics or Freudian psychoanalysis. If not exactly testing the brain cells to the same extent, another conundrum to ponder is just why Luke Donald has failed so completely in the test presented each and every year at the British Open. p
Thomson still taking no prisoners
Hoylake Diary: Five-time champion Peter Thomson, a sprightly 76 years of age, was asked at Hoylake yesterday why he seemed to have the Indian sign over Christy O'Connor snr in their major duels down the years. p
Royal Liverpool hole-by-hole
Philip Reid examines the course. p

Hard to keep Fallon out of news
Riding in Britain may be beyond the pale for Kieren Fallon at the moment but within the pale at Leopardstown last evening the beleaguered former champion jockey was in sparkling form aboard Chanting in the Silver Flash Stakes. p
Smart money goes on the Rocks
Kinger Rocks has been installed as low as 6 to 1 favourite for the Guinness Galway Hurdle as Dermot Weld's team for the Ballybrit festival continues to gather strength. p

Pereiro assumes control
CYCLING/Tour de France, Stage 16: Because the Tour lasts three weeks, there is plenty of time for hindsight, and there must have been a fair amount of soul- searching last night among the team managers and leaders who refused to assist Floyd Landis's Phonak in keeping last Saturday's massive escape within reach. p
Light airs take toll on big boats
SAILING/Cork Week: If Tuesday at Cork Week was "Champagne Sailing", then yesterday was certainly the hangover as light winds and misty rain returned to the 400-plus boat fleet at the mid-point of the biennial regatta. p
Celtic League secures sponsor
RUGBY: The Celtic League has finally secured a title sponsor for the competition following five years of going it alone. Magners Irish Cider have stepped in to sponsor the event up until 2008 in a reported six-figure deal. p
Classy Egan in last four
BOXING: Kenneth Egan stopped his French opponent, Mamadou Diambang, yesterday in the third round of the European Senior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. p
Gay-baiting Armstrong given an easy ride
America at Large: Apart from the Tour de France itself, it's difficult to imagine an occasion less suited to riveting television than a bunch of people from the sports broadcasting industry dressing up in tuxedos and, in an orgy of self-congratulation, presenting trophies to other members of the sports broadcasting industry, writes George Kimball p

Sections