ireland.com - The Irish Times

Title race alive as United slip up
SOCCER: It was one of Alex Ferguson's former assistants who famously remarked, after watching Manchester United pull yet another win out of the jaws of defeat: "This team is never beaten - it just runs out of time." p

Weekend pain may prove a tonic
RUGBY/European Cup Quarter-final line-up: Nobody died. Records are made to be broken. But the greatest ramparts of Irish rugby were stormed on Saturday when Leicester ended Munster's celebrated 26-match winning run at Thomond Park. And the psychological wounds will linger. p

Inquiry to follow Brennan scuffles
RUGBY: An ERC inquiry is certain this week after the Toulouse and former Ireland forward Trevor Brennan climbed into the crowd not long after the start of the second half and appeared to aim blows on a visiting fan during the European Cup Pool Five match against Ulster in Toulouse yesterday. The inquiry will depend on what, if any, footage is available from Canal+. p

Soccer

Late starters Arsenal in seventh heaven
Arsenal - 2 Manchester Utd - 1: This Premiership season is baffling its audience with the finesse of a great illusionist. Manchester United, who looked for much of the day as if they had too much know-how for the opposition, were transformed into losers over the closing seven minutes. p
Wenger believes result opens up race
If Alex Ferguson agreed with Arsene Wenger's stark analysis that Manchester United might have been 10 minutes from winning the title before Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry turned this match, he was not letting on. A potential nine-point lead for United at the top of the Premiership ended up shrunk to a less intimidating advantage over Chelsea but Ferguson preferred to look on the bright side. p
Agent denies Kenyon contract claims
Frank Lampard's agent, Steve Kutner, has denied the midfielder is close to signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea's chief executive, Peter Kenyon, said the club were "well down the line" with contract talks. p
Moyes happy to grind out win
Wigan - 0 Everton - 2: This was a grim, joyless match from which nobody got what they deserved, least of all Everton, though their fortune in winning was offset by seeing their leading scorer, Andrew Johnson, carried off with what looked a serious ankle injury. There were excuses, notably the weather and a dangerously soft pitch, but very few for the visitors' poverty of ambition. p
Players' stomach for fight questioned
The sense of crisis gripping Chelsea intensified last night after Jose Mourinho appeared to question whether some of his players have the stomach for the fight ahead in the wake of their meek surrender at Liverpool. p
Special One becomes meek one
Liverpool - 2 Chelsea - 0: There was resignation in the air on Merseyside. Jose Mourinho, grim-faced but almost acquiescent, sat in the bowels of this stadium on Saturday afternoon and shrugged off this defeat as if it had been inevitable. His Chelsea, he suggested, had been as good as beaten from the moment Ricardo Carvalho succumbed to fever on the morning of the match. But more than that it seems, when it comes to pinpointing the end of an era under the Portuguese, this capitulation may prove to have been pivotal. p
Mourinho good for a laugh in Emirates
On the Premiership: As a general rule, Arsène Wenger and Alex Ferguson do not conduct post-match pleasantries. The Arsenal manager would doubtless be happy to crack open a bottle of red with his Manchester United counterpart, provided he can use the Scot's head as a corkscrew, while Fergie - who guards his grudges jealously - will never forget or forgive being spattered by jet-propelled pizza in the Old Trafford tunnel some three years ago. p
Planet Football
Today's other stories in brief p

Gaelic Games

Caffrey's men arrest O'Dwyer's progress
O'Byrne Cup SF semi-final/Dublin 0-15 Wicklow 1-5: There's probably no such thing as a surprise in wind-lashed O'Byrne Cup matches in Aughrim but from an early stage of Saturday's semi-final, before about 4,500, it was apparent Dublin were moving too easily and accurately to end up as the biggest scalp on Mick O'Dwyer's latest belt. p
Tyrone maintain their focus
McKenna Cup SF/Tyrone 0-14 Cavan 0-10: Tyrone manager Mickey Harte put all the controversy surrounding his four absent students behind him and put his faith in his extended panel and saw his team produce a strong second half to see off Cavan in the Dr McKenna Cup under lights at Breffni Park on Saturday. p
Donegal show stamina
Donegal 2-11 Down 0-11: Donegal put in their best performance to date in the Dr McKenna Cup to clinch a semi-final meeting with Armagh after defeating Down in Ballyshannon yesterday. p
Mayo put in better display
Connacht SF League/Mayo 0-15 Roscommon 0-3: Mayo's interest in the FBD Connacht League may have ended with a game to play - IT Sligo and Galway have already qualified for the final - but this was an important game for John O'Mahony at Ballyhaunis yesterday. p
Extra special for Carey
Munster SH Cup/Waterford 2-14 LIT 1-16: A late late point in extra time from Conor Carey saw Waterford defeat the Limerick college in the quarter-final of the Munster Senior Hurling competition at Dungarvan yesterday. p
Kiely keeps Limerick on track
McGrath Cup SF Semi-final/Limerick 0-9 UCC 0-6: Limerick had goalkeeper Seán Kiely to thank for their victory over UCC at Newcastle West yesterday. Kiely saved John Hayes' 16th-minute penalty and, with his side hanging on to a two-point lead in injury-time, got to the end of a palmed effort from Mike O'Donoghue. p
Galway shaping up
Connacht SH League/Galway Development 0-16 GMIT 0-9: The early portents are favourable. Two victories inside 24 hectic hours suggest Galway are acquiring an invaluable winning habit. p
Armagh prove too strong
McKenna Cup SF/Armagh 0-9 Monaghan 0-6: Despite fielding a largely experimental side, Armagh still proved too strong for Monaghan in Clones yesterday. Despite defeat Monaghan qualify as best runners-up, edging UUJ out on scoring averages, 1.64 to 1.586. They will play Tyrone in the semi-final on February 13th under lights in Kingspan Breffni Park. No starting time has been agreed. Armagh and Donegal will contest the other semi final. p
Lawlor completes comeback
O'Byrne Cup Semi-final/Laois 2-12 Offaly 3-8: Whenever these neighbourly foes cross paths you don't expect either of them to back down, and yesterday's O'Byrne Cup semi-final went something like that. With the clock counted out and the scores level Paul Lawlor landed one of those fortunate frees to hand Laois the unlikeliest of victories, and Offaly the narrowest of defeats. p
Galway slow to cut loose
Galway 1-19 GMIT 0-4: A scoring spree which yielded 1-9 without reply either side of half-time saw Galway qualify for the final of the Connacht League at the Micheál Breathnach's club grounds in Inverin yesterday. p

Rugby

Home instincts desert Munster
Munter 6 Leicester 13: The bottom line is Leicester physically beat Munster up at Thomond Park on Saturday, and it took a lot of hard swallowing. Unrelentingly, unerringly and unforgivingly, the Tigers gave a tacit lesson in how to take on Munster. p
Llanelli made to work hard
Pool Five/Llanelli 20 London Irish 16: Munster's quarter-final opponents, Llanelli, completed their pool campaign unbeaten, but they were made to work hard for the points against a gutsy London Irish side. p
Kidney not of a mind for the blame game
In all the post-match discussion around Limerick and beyond on Saturday night, the dominant topic undoubtedly would have been the decision just on the hour to decline a near certain 9-8 lead and instead opt for a scrum close to the Leicester posts. But Munster coach Declan Kidney was not of a mind to conduct the post-mortem in public and defended his players. p
Bittersweet as the lights are dimmed
Pool Four/Farewell to Thomond: It was neither the score nor the record the audience demanded, but you had to be enthralled. Keith Duggan soaked up the atmosphere in the old theatre p
Ulster undone by Poitrenaud
Pool Five/Touslouse 28 Ulster 13: Clement Poitrenaud's two tries salvaged some pride for the former European champions Toulouse. p
Northampton fail to bring Biarritz back home
Pool Six/Northampton 8 Biarritz 17: Northampton knew before kick-off they would be facing Biarritz in the quarter-finals, barring the unlikely outcome of a draw in which the Saints scored four tries and restricted the French club to no more than three. The only question was where the tie would be staged. p
Bradley opts to look at positives
European Challenge Cup/Harlequins 26 Connacht 10: Connacht coach Michael Bradley says he faces plenty of selection headaches ahead of Friday's key Magners Celtic League clash with Edinburgh. p
Return of Solomons helps inspire Belfast Harlequins
All-Ireland League Round-up: Can Alan Solomons pull it off? Surely not. The former Ulster coach's arrival at Belfast Harlequins may have something to do with their first win of the season, after nine rounds, over defending champions Shannon at Deramore Park on Saturday. p
Planet Rugby
Today's other stories in brief p

Golf

Harrington will spend four months on US tour
Abu Dhabi Championship: Padraig Harrington announced last night that he is deserting the European scene for four months to play 11 events in America and will only come back across the Atlantic for the Irish Open at Adare Manor in mid-May. p
Paraguay pair claim World title
Paraguay's Julieta Granada and Celeste Troche led from start to finish to win the Women's World Cup of Golf at Sun City in South Africa. p

Racing

Treble edges Walsh near 100
Fairyhouse report: Nickname continued his winning streak in some style at Fairyhouse yesterday but when it comes to success, even the ex-French star has to give way to his jockey Ruby Walsh whose treble took him to the 99 winner mark for the season in Ireland. p
McCoy gives Cork a miss
Champion jockey Tony McCoy gave up his two rides at Cork yesterday but will return to action on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Irishman missed a winning ride at Wincanton on Saturday when he aggravated an old neck injury, with Tom Scudamore deputising to good effect on Amour Multiple. p
Russell guides Harbour home
Naas Report: Chelsea Harbour leapt into the picture for the Royal and SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with a convincing win at Naas on Saturday. p

Other

Not many hats off to Hatton
BOXING/IBF world light-welterweight title: For a man who had referred to himself as "boxing's Mr Entertainment", Ricky Hatton looked a long way from the ultimate showman in producing a muted performance on his Las Vegas debut to outpoint the strong but limited Colombian Juan Urango and regain the IBF world light-welterweight title he first won against Kostya Tszyu 17 months ago. p
O'Loughlin secures place in World event
CYCLING: David O'Loughlin secured a place in the forthcoming world track championships with an excellent fifth place in the pursuit race at the Los Angeles track World Cup over the weekend. p
Des snaps hyenas but Tigers have last laugh in Thomond
TV View: "I have to say, I would rather meet a hungry bear in the woods than a focused Munster pack," Sky Sports' man with the mic, Mark Robson, admitted as they were about to kick off in Thomond Park on Saturday afternoon. p
Pembroke hit seven to stay top
HOCKEY: Few surprises at the top of the Leinster Senior League saw the three top sides win over the weekend with only Monkstown taking quite a tumble when they came up against a rampant Pembroke Wanderers. p
O'Sullivan takes title
SNOOKER: Century king Ronnie O'Sullivan put his troubles behind him to down Chinese prodigy Ding Junhui in spectacular fashion in The Masters final last night. p
Learning to live with Goody and Lovie
LockerRoom: Some time late last week, with Kafkaesque improbability, my brain turned into nacho cheese. I realised, albeit fuzzily, that I was probably going to be mentioning Jade Goody for the second successive week in the Monday-morning nice-work-if-you-can-get-it column you are now reading. p
Hussey keeps composure to guide Australia home
CRICKET/Tri-series One-day International Series: Australia were again indebted to Mike Hussey as they booked their place in the One-Day International Series final with a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in Sydney which maintained their 100 per cent record in the series. p
Old faults come backto haunt Mauresmo
TENNIS/Australian Open Championships: It must be hoped that France's Amelie Mauresmo puts up a much better fight when she defends her Wimbledon title later this year. She certainly displayed precious little resolve during her 6-4, 6-3 fourth-round defeat here yesterday by the 19-year-old Czech Lucie Safarova, who, prior to this year's Australian Open, had won only one match at this level and is ranked outside the top 50. p
Murray faces biggest test against Nadal
TENNIS: The best coaches in the world are rendered impotent if their players refuse to listen to their advice, and although Brad Gilbert did all in his power to change Andy Roddick's game he failed and they split. It took Jimmy Connors, an eight-times grand slam champion, to shake up Roddick's game and his five-set fourth-round victory over Croatia's Mario Ancic duly kept the much improved American on course to meet Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. p
Loeb triumphs in Monte Carlo Rally
MOTOR SPORT: Sebastian Loeb and Dani Sordo gave the Citroen C4 WRC a tremendous rally debut by finishing first and second in the 75th Monte Carlo Rally. The works Ford Focus WRCs of Marcus Gronholm (third) and Miki Hirvonen (fifth) were split by Chris Atkinson in a Subaru WRC. p
Cullen wins in New York
ATHLETICS : Sligo's Mary Cullen was a shock winner of the mile race at the New Balance Games in New York on Saturday night. Cullen, the National 5,000 metres champion, moved through the field from fifth position with 400 metres remaining to score a surprise win with a sprint in the final 100m of the race, beating off the challenge of Sara Hall and Carmen Douma-Hussar. p

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