Previous Day
Johnson closes in on title
GOLF: One by one on Masters Sunday, they filed
the10 yards from the practice green to the first tee; many without
hope, some with a glimmer that this could be their time and a few
firmly believing that it would be. p
Wexford surprise package of weekend
GAELIC GAMES: Galway and Mayo will have a preliminary date next Sunday, five weeks ahead of their scheduled Connacht Championship meeting. The intriguing prospect of John O'Mahony facing the county he led to two All-Irelands popped up unexpectedly as the western counties ended up in the same half of the NFL semi-final draw. p
United showing signs of anxiety
SOCCER/Portsmouth 2 Manchester Utd 1: Beneath
the roar of battle there is a rustling noise. It is the sound of
pages being turned as managers glance at the Premiership table and
then have another obsessive stare at the fixture list. p
Soccer
Carvalho gives Chelsea fresh hope
Chelsea 1 Tottenham 0: Chelsea, relentless and ruthless, have hope again. If this felt like a fixture too far for both teams, lethargy at times dragging the contest almost to plodding pace, the news that filtered through from Fratton Park on Saturday evening should ensure the champions' zest is rekindled for the weeks ahead. Jose Mourinho and his squad departed for Spain yesterday three points adrift and with belief refreshed that a third consecutive Premiership title remains within their grasp. Such confidence is hardly misplaced. pGreen fingers and green finishing
Arsenal 0 West Ham 1: Suddenly and against considerable odds West Ham are part of the Easter rising. By becoming the first team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates, having been the last to beat them at Highbury, Alan Curbishley's side have not only sent a fresh tremor of apprehension through the lower reaches of the Premiership, they have also raised the possibility that Arsene Wenger's team might not after all be playing in next season's Champions League. pMascherano holds fort for Liverpool
Reading 1 Liverpool 2: There can be no more damning indictment of the problems earlier this season at West Ham than the current form of Javier Mascherano. Unappreciated, sidelined and ultimately unwanted in a team fighting for survival, the Argentinian has suddenly become pivotal at a club who are currently the bookmakers' favourites to become champions of Europe. pSupporters tire of being taken for granted
On The Premiership: 'In some ways I admire football fans. In what other business can you serve up crap and then have people come back for more?" pKeane's attitude rubs off on his players
Sunderland 2 Wolves 1: They have known enough bad days on Wearside over the past five years to notice a good one when it turns up, so special occasions stick out even more. And for the second time in six weeks, this felt like a special afternoon at the Stadium of Light. pPlanet Football
Today's others stories in brief p
Cork complete four-in-a-row in Munster
Munster Under-21 FC Final/Cork 3-19 Tipperary 3-12: Cork clinched their 20th Munster under-21 football title and their fourth in a row with a deserved win over Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday. pJoyces see off Down
Galway 3-11 Down 1-11: Two goals in less than 60 seconds from the Joyce cousins, Pádraic and Nicky, secured Galway's fifth win on the trot against relegated Down at Tuam Stadium yesterday. pDublin suffer at hands of old rival
Kerry 1-12 Dublin 2-7: An Taoiseach arrived in Parnell Park yesterday after commemorating one glorious defeat and took his seat for another setback, this one less likely to be rescued by consequent events. Having been put down by the old oppressor Kerry, Dublin were consigned to relegation for the first time in 12 years. pWaterford make telling point
National Hurling League Quarter-finals/Waterford 1-20 Tipperary 1-19: There was, as Tony Brown said afterwards, a touch of championship in the air at Nowlan Park yesterday. Waterford and Tipperary went to the verge of requiring extra time of each other in this National League quarter-final before a fine point from Shane Walsh placed a thin slice of separation between the sides at the final whistle. pClinical Mayo take their chances
Tyrone 1-11 Mayo 4-7: Conor Mortimer's hat-trick set up an all-Connacht semi-final against Galway as Mayo stunned Tyrone at Healy Park yesterday. pLimerick hit rock bottom
Cork 0-16 Limerick 1-9: Cork condemned Limerick to division three football next season with a powerful last quarter surge at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. pMayo retain title with ease
Connacht Under-21 FC Final/Mayo 1-22 Roscommon 1-8: Pierce Hanley was Mayo's top scorer at McHale Park on Saturday as the defending Connacht and All-Ireland under-21 champions registered an emphatic 14-point victory over Roscommon. pCavan celebrate on double
Cavan 3-12 Waterford 1-11: Second-half goals from Jonathan Crowe and Ray Cullivan sealed Cavan's victory in Division 2B of the NFL at Dungarvan yesterday. pMcDonnell stars
Armagh 2-10 Westmeath 0-12: Armagh and Westmeath will both share Division Two status in next year's NFL - and the Orchard County have cause for relief. pMeath advance despite defeat
National Football League Division Two B/Wexford 2-10 Meath 0-9: Despite defeat, Meath still find themselves involved in the league play-offs. Wexford needed an eight-point victory but just failed by a single point to deny their opposition a play-off spot at Wexford Park yesterday. pDraw enough to see Kildare progress
National Football League Divisions One A and One B/Kildare 0-15 Laois 1-12: Kildare booked a place in the last four of the National League for the first time since 1997 by chiselling out a deserved draw in a pulsating encounter at St Conleth's Park in Newbridge yesterday. pA surprise return of vintage Wexford
Wexford 1-16 Galway 0-14: Typical of Wexford to play tricks again just when it seemed they'd gone quiet. Maybe it had something to do with the undeniable summer air of Nowlan Park, but this was almost vintage Wexford - blocking, harrying, frustrating their opposition until, given the circumstances, they completed a quite astonishing victory. pDerry turn on the style
Derry 3-18 Louth 1-12: Derry may have missed out on a semi-final spot but they secured their Division One status for next season in some style by dismantling the challenge of Louth at Celtic Park yesterday afternoon. pGallagher's goal kills off Meath
Leinster MFC Round-up: Meath must take the back door route if they are to hold on to their Leinster minor football crown after losing to Dublin on a 2-11 to 1-7 scoreline at Parnell Park on Saturday. pDuignan points way for Leitrim
Division Two A/Leitrim 0-13 London 0-10: Leitrim are still on course for Division Three football after a fortuitous three-point victory over London at Ruislip yesterday. But London could have caused a real sensation had Paul Hehir's goalbound attempt not come off the crossbar in the 50th minute. pMcGourty gives hope to Antrim
Antrim 2-15 Tipperary 0-11: CJ McGourty, on his his first start at senior level, scored two early points at Casement Park yesterday to put Antrim on their way to victory. pCassidy the hero for Donegal
Donegal 1-13 Fermanagh 2-9: Kevin Cassidy was the hero for Donegal as he came off the bench to give his side their sixth win of the campaign against Fermanagh in Ballybofey yesterday; they now face Kildare in next week's semi-final. They trailed by four points with six minutes left but Cassidy hit the back of the net and also added a point. pBreheny helps elevate Sligo
Sligo 0-15 Wicklow 1-10: Centre forward Mark Breheny epitomised a much sharper and more focused Sligo side as he guided them victory over Wicklow in their Division 2B league game at Aughrim yesterday. p
Connacht happy with draw
Connacht 16 Cardiff 16: Connacht's clash with Cardiff was a case of missed opportunities for both sides. Although fullback Ben Blair missed two injury-time penalties that could have snatched victory for the Blues, it would have been rough justice on the home outfit who were more consistent applying the pressure and produced one of their strongest displays in the Celtic Magners League. pLacklustre Munster running on empty
Celtic League/Ospreys 20 Munster 12: Declan Kidney will be grateful Munster do not have to return to Wales until next autumn following this latest defeat that effectively ended their season. pGarryowen show grit
All-Ireland League Round-up: Garryowen, with trademark grittiness, gave themselves a play-off lifeline at the top of the AIB All-Ireland League first division with a hard-earned 12-10 win over Clontarf at Castle Avenue in Saturday's televised match of the day. pUnder-19 World Cup
Ireland v Scotland: Ireland coach Charlie McAleese has made one change from the side that lost narrowly to the defending champions, Australia, for tonight's game, giving his son Harry the starting role at scrumhalf, with Kris Greene dropping to the bench. pPlanet Rugby
A look at today's other stories in brief p
Oulart to crack Easter feature
Ground conditions look to have turned Oulart's way at just the right time to help last year's runner-up make it "lucky 13" in today's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. pCool success for Swan
Grade One success was a regular occurrence for Charlie Swan during a spectacular riding career but the former nine-time champion jockey enjoyed his biggest success as a trainer at Fairyhouse yesterday when One Cool Cookie made all the running to land the Powers Gold Cup. pMullins's veteran to do the business
Adamant Approach can prove yet again he is in rare form for a 13-year-old and pull off a hugely popular success at Fairyhouse today. Willie Mullins's veteran teams up with Ruby Walsh, who guided Adamant Approach to his biggest career victory all of five years ago in the Pierse Hurdle, in this afternoon's three-mile conditions race. p
Hopes of shock plummet as Botha remains doubtful
Ireland's chances of pulling off another shock win in today's match against New Zealand have taken a blow over the weekend as injury and illness begin to limit selection options. pAustralia too strong for England
England moved closer to World Cup elimination as Australia brushed them aside in their relentless pursuit of a third successive title. Despite Kevin Pietersen breaking England's century duck for the tournament, their mid-range total of 247 was not enough to challenge Australia and they breezed to a convincing seven wickets victory with 16 balls remaining. p
Winning the mind games
US Masters: Dr Bob Rotella gets inside Padraig Harrington's head. It is, most probably, a fascinating place, a labyrinth of roads seeking to make sense of a journey that has taken the Irishman from the foothills of the Dublin mountains, where he learnt his craft on the hilly terrain of Stackstown Golf Club, to contending in golf's majors, be that at the links of Muirfield, the torture chamber of Bethpage or, perennially, the test that is Augusta National. pMcIlroy juggernaut rumbles on
West of Ireland Championship: Rory McIlroy stood head and shoulders above the rest at Rosses Point yesterday, but the 17-year-old Holywood star still wasn't happy with his game despite cruising into the last 16 of the Radisson-SAS West of Ireland Championship. pOnly place Tiger leads is the leaderboard
Locker Room: Here in the attic where most of these columns get made under sweatshop conditions I have a book (surprised, eh?) which was published way back in 1996 and is something of an artefact. The tome is a collection of Sports Illustrated articles written about Tiger Woods, who that year was the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. p
McLaren look strong after one-two in Sepang
MOTOR SPORT: Double world champion Fernando Alonso celebrated an emphatic victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday, while British rookie Lewis Hamilton finished second to hand McLaren their first one-two since 2005. pHiggins proves the master again
MOTOR SPORT: Mark Higgins, with Rory Kennedy of Letterkenny on the pace notes, further extended his lead in the Global International-sponsored Irish Tarmac Championship with a comfortable victory over Eugene Donnelly in the weekend's UAC International Easter Rally. pWalsh earns second place
EQUESTRIAN: Dan Walsh notched up a second-place finish on the Toscana Tour in Arezzo on Saturday. Walsh, who won at the Italian fixture in the bronze tour last weekend, produced one of only two clears in the Silver Tour jump-off. pSteffy gets a right stuffing in a supersonic time
TV View: We set the video for The Championship yesterday, the plan being to offer a thorough analysis of ITV's take on Sunderland's unstoppable march towards glory. In the home dug-out was the Red Mystic Ranger who, the commentator told us, has "embarked on a magical adventure, befriended mystical dragons, battled dangerous beasts and encountered pure evil". pIreland's fighting spirit sees off Italy
WOMEN'S HOCKEY: In a game that saw Eimear Cregan win her 100th senior cap, Ireland beat Italy 3-2 at Belfield yesterday, the hosts' third victory in the four-match series, the first of the games ending in a draw on Thursday. It proved to be an encouraging series for coach Gene Muller and his young side, who face Italy again in August's European Championships. pLeader Kenneally holds slim cushion
CYCLING: With just one stage remaining in the Rás Mumhan, Brian Kenneally is holding a slender lead at the top of the general classification. p
