Previous Day
Ronaldo deal a blow for Madrid
Soccer: Real Madrid have refused to give up on
Cristiano Ronaldo, despite him signing a new five-year deal with
Manchester United. The Madrid press has long insisted Ronaldo will
be joining Real next season and the club have made no secret of the
fact that he is their number-one target. p
Play-off takes uncertain twist
Gaelic Games: Tomorrow's National Hurling League Division One relegation play-off between Limerick and Offaly has been thrown into uncertainty with the decision of Central Council, on the opening day of the 2007 GAA annual congress in the Hotel Kilkenny in Kilkenny city, to revisit the structure of next year's first division. p
Leinster hold their nerve and discipline
Rugby Celtic League/ Dragons 22 Leinster 23: Leinster may have been out-scored on tries but showed the composure of champions to keep their title challenge in the Magners Celtic League alive against Newport-Gwent Dragons last night. p
Soccer
Mourinho wants to honour contract
English FA Cup Semi-final: Sunday Blackburn Rovers v Chelsea Venue: Old Trafford Kick-off: 4.0pm On TV: Sky Sports 1. Jose Mourinho yesterday admitted for the first time that he has received no assurances from the club's board of directors about his Chelsea future. pSilencing the sceptics in some style
English FA Cup Semi-final: Today Manchester Utd v Watford Venue: Villa Park Kick-off: 5.30pm On TV: BBC 1: Inheriting Roy Keane's number 16 shirt at Old Trafford was never an issue for Michael Carrick, writes Daniel Taylor . pKenny keeps eyes focused on final goal
Scottish FA Cup Semi-final Sunday Hibernian v Dunfermline Venue: Hampden Park Kick-off: 3pm: Emmet Malone talks to the Dunfermline manager, who is still waging a campaign on two fronts. pStrachan targets the double
Scottish FACup Semi-final: Today St Johnstone v Celtic Venue: Hampden Park Kick-off: 12.30pm On TV: Sky Sports 1: Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is targeting a league and cup double to help make up for slipping out of this season's Champions League. pRovers defence stands firm
League of Ireland Premier Division/ Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0: Shamrock Rovers' plucky defensive performance in the second half last night ensured they took an important point from an enjoyable Eircom League Premier Division contest at Turner's Cross. pSt Patrick's tested but not breached
League of Ireland Premier Division/ St Patrick's Athletic 0 Bohemians 0: Like Bray a few weeks back, Bohemians travelled to Inchicore aiming to put an end to the home side's winning streak by taking the game to them and, just like Wanderers, they tried to do it by playing a third man in attack and applying sufficient pressure to prevent their opponents finding their stride. pDrogheda make quick returns
League of Ireland Premier Division/ Drogheda Utd 3 Sligo Rovers 0: This win sees Drogheda draw level on points with St Patrick's Athletic at the top of the table following a comfortable victory over a Sligo Rovers side who were effectively beaten before the match was half an hour old. pHutton clinches Derry victory
League of Ireland Premier Division/ Waterford Utd 0 Derry City 1: A vintage Peter Hutton goal on 75 minutes earned Derry all three points at the RSC last night and extended Waterford's losing streak to five games. pMurphy penalty miss is costly
League of Ireland Premier Division/ Galway Utd 1 Longford Town 1: An expectant Terryland Park audience demanded a home victory and Galway United came within a whisker of obliging, but Longford Town ambled away with a scarcely merited draw. pPremiership Team news
A look ahead to all the weekend's action in the English FA Premiership: pHiddink staying put
Soccer Shorts : Guus Hiddink has dismissed reports he will replace Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager in the summer. pBoy Ronaldo overstepping his position
Sideline Cut : An awful lot of people seem to have a fierce set against the lad Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Manchester United. It would be stretching it to suggest he ranks up there with George W Bush in terms of universal unpopularity, but for a twinkle-toed, smiley-headed soccer player, Ronaldo seems to have a gift for making folks apoplectic with rage. p
Quick to grasp nature of the brief
Annual Congress: Seán Moran talks to GAA president Nickey Brennan, who insists any dealings with the GPA would have to be in the context of not impacting on amateur status. pFit to grace national stage
National Football League Semi-finals: Keith Duggan profiles talented Kildare forward John Doyle who has proved a handful for opposing teams in recent years. pPast master Fitzhenry still catching the wave
National Hurling League Semi-finals: Tom Humphries hears from the Wexford custodian about new dawns, new attitudes and the importance of big men. pHarte to keep 38-man panel
News : Tyrone manager Mickey Harte is to retain a squad of 38 players for this year' s championship. pNational Hurling League: Semi-final previews
Sunday Division One semi-finals Kilkenny v Wexford, Semple Stadium, 2.30 : The Leinster counties' relationship isn't really at the stage where psychological points are too easily scored. pNational Football League: Semi-final previews
Sunday Division One semi-finals Galway v Mayo, Croke Park, 2.15 : It's safe to speculate both counties could have done without this league semi-final a mere five weeks before they square off in the championship. p
Ireland out of depth in power struggle
Rugby Under-19 World Cup/ Ireland 5-31 South Africa: The ever-reliable trait of bravery was evident from this Irish team but rugby at underage level has moved on. The IRFU have not. pMcKenzie answers the call for Harlequins
All-Ireland Cup final preview/ Belfast Harlequins v Garryowen Dubarry Park, 4pm: It will be a case of planes and automobiles for the former Ireland under-21 international and Ulster wing Paul McKenzie as he attempts to take his place in the Belfast Harlequins team for today's AIB All-Ireland Cup final at Dubarry Park. pClassy Ulster stay in title hunt
Celtic League/ Border Reivers 9 Ulster 33 : Ulster returned to winning ways in the Magners Celtic League with victory over bottom-placed Border Reivers at Netherdale last night to lift hopes of retaining their title. pConnacht lose forward battle
Celtic League/ Connacht 23 Glasgow 40 : There was no final Sportsground fling for Connacht. That performance was produced by the Scotttish vistors, who ran in four tries and bagged the bonus point to maintain their recent momentum as the Magners Celtic League nears its end. pKidney to evaluate fringe players
Munster v Llanelli at Musgrave Park (7.30) On TV: Setanta: It's not about revenge simply because it's not possible to compensate for losing a Heineken European Cup quarter-final with a victory in the Magners Celtic League game. p
Point Barrow has winning look
Grand National Preview : The usual maximum field of 40 runners will line up for today's John Smith's Grand National but with the lottery element no longer such a factor in the world's most famous steeplechase it's hard to deny that Point Barrow ticks almost all the right boxes as a likely winner. pPinstickers' guide to the Grand National
HEDGEHUNTER (14/1): Emphatic winner in 2005 but has faced a race against time to get fit for the contest this term, having suffered a setback that saw him miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup. pA dynasty not ready to be reined in
Grand National Interview: Brian O'Connor talks to Paul, Philip and Nina Carberry, members of a family whose instinctive talent to get horses running and jumping, and enjoying it, suggests it must be stamped on their DNA. pDunbrody sets a good tone for Bowen's chances
Aintree Report : Dunbrody Millar's storming success over the big Aintree fences in yesterday's Topham was the perfect Grand National warm-up for trainer Peter Bowen, who runs both McKelvey and Ballycassidy in today's big race. p
Aussies annihilate hapless Ireland
Australia annihilated Ireland yesterday by nine wickets in Bridgetown. In front of what must surely have been the biggest crowd of the tournament - a mystery free tickets and the expectation among many that Pakistan would be here go only part way to explaining - the Irish soon found themselves in dire straits and matters did not improve. p
McDowell enjoying himself again
China Open Second round: Graeme McDowell admits he is happy just to be in contention at a European Tour event again in the Volvo China Open. p
Moore to extend lead
Motor Sport : Stephen Moore of Pomeroy in a Ford Focus WRC starts tomorrow's Tom White Memorial Rally with a dominant lead in the National Forestry Rally Championship after winning the first two rounds. p
