ireland.com - The Irish Times

Arsenal pass their first big test
SOCCER: The daylight that had gleamed between Arsenal and the chasing pack at the top of the Premier League may have been snuffed out this weekend, but the league leaders could still greet the final whistle with genuine satisfaction at their afternoon's endeavours. Arsene Wenger's young charges have made their point. p

Souness keen to manage Ireland
SOCCER: The guessing game gathers pace. Even Jack Charlton was included in the bookies' list of possible candidates to succeed Steve Staunton as Republic of Ireland manager, albeit with odds of 500 to 1. Graeme Souness, a marginally more realistic successor, meanwhile, confirmed his interest in the post yesterday. p

Cruel fate for UCD as Martin returns to have final say
SOCCER/Longford Town 1 UCD 0: If they fail to avoid relegation over the next couple of weeks then what will be a fourth FAI Cup final in seven seasons for Longford Town is likely to feel more than a little bittersweet for Longford Town. As they face into big league games between now and then, however, Alan Mathews and his men can take some pride from the way they dug in to beat UCD in yesterday's semi-final at Belfield Park to set up a meeting with Cork City at the RDS. p

Soccer

Arsenal stand firm
Liverpool 1 Arsenal 1: On an afternoon such as this it feels as if the long run-in to the title has begun. The prize may still be far beyond view but the match pulsed with urgency, gripped the spectator with the contrast of philosophies and offered everything other than a victor. The game led a long life, maturing from initial grimness when Liverpool, all too conscious of the Champions League defeat by Besiktas in Turkey, were at their most doggedly resolute. p
Just like the 'old times'
Manchester Utd 4 Middlesbrough 1: Manchester United have reached such an exhilarating run of form that the biggest and most blase crowd in English football could even slip out of habit and celebrate a home win for Chelsea when the results flashed up on Old Trafford's scoreboard. p
Chelsea score for fun of it
Chelsea 6 Manchester City 0: So much for the Special One. If Jose Mourinho made Chelsea less beatable Avram Grant is making them more watchable. Manchester City found them uncatchable on Saturday as Chelsea achieved their biggest victory since August 1997, when Gianluca Vialli scored four times as Ruud Gullit's team welcomed Barnsley to the Premier League with a 6-0 win at Oakwell. p
Ramos has his work cut out
Tottenham 1 Blackburn Rovers 2: Tottenham received an award before kick-off yesterday as life after Martin Jol got under way in front of Juande Ramos, his managerial successor. Michael Dawson accepted a cheque of £30,000 in recognition of Tottenham topping the fair play league last season. p
Megson the man to really banjax Bolton
On The Premier League: Gary Megson set a record last week. Football managers have become grumpily accustomed to losing votes of confidence at the fag-ends of their reigns, but the new Bolton Wanderers boss is surely the first coach to receive a resounding thumbs-down before even signing his contract. p
In-form Jones denies Fulham
Sunderland 1 Fulham 1: Sunderland manager Roy Keane believes he may have identified the reason for his side's sluggish first-half performance against Fulham - the club's intense training sessions. p
Everton get by Bywater too easily
Derby County 0 Everton 2: Ayegbeni Yakubu grabbed his second Premier League goal for Everton as David Moyes's men heaped more woe on struggling Derby in an uninspiring encounter at Pride Park yesterday. p
New man at Bolton; same old problems
Bolton Wanderers 1 Aston Villa 1: Bolton may have a new man in charge in Gary Megson but the same old problems remain. They have forgotten how to win league games and lost their ability to hold on to a lead. Megson's side made the breakthrough through Nicolas Anelka. But Martin O'Neill saw his side secure a point through substitute Luke Moore. p
League of Ireland
Shamrock Rovers 0 Sligo Rovers 0: Contrary to what many believe has been an encouraging year for Shamrock Rovers, manager Pat Scully was scathing of his team's season after Saturday's draw and said they didn't deserve to get into Europe. p
Women's Uefa qualifying
Republic of Ireland 2 Romania 1: Ireland moved level on points with Group Two leaders Sweden following their over Romania at Richmond Park on Saturday. p
Spanish Primera Liga
Leaders Real Madrid scored two late goals to secure a 3-1 home win over Deportivo Coruna yesterday. Deportivo took a second-minute lead through Xisco in the Bernabeu, though Ruud van Nistelrooy quickly levelled from the penalty spot. p
Scottish Premier League
Rangers stumbled to a 2-1 defeat at Dundee United yesterday in a fast-flowing encounter which was decided by Barry Robson's penalty. Dundee are now level on 22 points with second-placed Rangers, although the latter enjoy a better goal difference. p
Planet Football
Today's other stories in brief p
A bit of advice for JD and the blazers
Locker Room: First, I'll sign up if everyone else will. There should be a moratorium from here until Christmas on columns about the Irish management job. Ban these weapons of mass speculation. There should be some sort of cyber swear-box system. A fine should be imposed for every mention of Delaney, Staunton or any one of the rinky-dinks which the former might be greasing up in order to replace the latter. p
Delaney's mazy run leaves Tony hot and wrongfooted
TV View: We often wonder about this carbon-footprint business. If, for example, you criss-cross Dublin, several times, in a taxi or an RTÉ-chauffeured limousine, in pursuit of the FAI, is it you or the FAI that is, ultimately, morally responsible for the carbon footprint left behind? p

Rugby

Dallaglio and Catt talk of World Cup shambles under Ashton
Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt have become the first England players to openly criticise Brian Ashton's coaching methods during the World Cup. p
Champions make an impressive start
All-Ireland League Round-up: Garryowen sent out an early warning that it will take strong hands and minds to remove the AIB League crown from their grasp with a clinical 26-3 defeat of Ballymena on the opening day at Eaton Park on Saturday. p

Gaelic Games

Loughnane sees light at end of the tunnel
Interprovincial Hurling Final/Munster 2-22 Connacht 2-19: They went to Rome, Paris and Boston in attempts to breathe life into the Interprovincial Championships, but Ger Loughnane's solution is divinely simple - let there be light. p
Gilmartin goal helps topple holders
Sligo SHC Final/Calry/St Joseph's 1-20 Tubbercurry 1-16: Calry/St Joseph's regained the Sligo title after an extra-time rally dethroned holders Tubbercurry at Tourlestrane on Saturday. p
Staying power seals titlefor determined Dunloy
Ulster SHC Final/Dunloy 2-14 Dungiven 2-8: The final scoreline hides the true story of yesterday's cracking Ulster hurling final at Casement Park. It was only in injury-time that the Antrim champions shook off the gutsy Derrymen. p
Moyle Rovers hold on
Tipperary SFC/Moyle Rovers 0-11 Aherlow 1-7: Moyle Rovers are through to the county senior football final after a one-point victory over the 2006 champions Aherlow at Cashel on Saturday. p
Reid trio fill some big boots to help Ballyhale retain their title
Kilkenny SHC Final/Ballyhale 1-20 St Martin's 1-10: There aren't many clubs that can rival the success of Ballyhale Shamrocks in championship hurling, but when manager Maurice Aylward described this as their greatest victory of all time he was hardly exaggerating. p
Rathnew set up familiar final date
Wicklow SFC Semi-final/Rathnew 0-12 Kiltegan 1-4: Rathnew have set up a county final meeting with Baltinglass next Sunday following their five-points win at Aughrim yesterday. p
Kiltale spring a surprise
Meath SHC Final/Kiltale 1-8 Kilmessan 0-9: There was a major surprise at Páirc Tailteann as Kiltale surprised Kilmessan to lift the Meath title for the first time since 1983. p
Players do best but fail to win promotion
Interprovincial Football Final/Ulster 1-12 Munster 1-8: Here recurs a depressing theme. The Railway Cup celebrated 80 years of existence on Saturday by returning to Croke Park for the first time since 1991. Now the M Donnelly Interprovincial Championship, it seems like the perfect tool to promote Gaelic games. p
Athleague make it two on the trot
Roscommon SHC Final/Athleague 2-11 Pádraig Pearses 1-10: A whirlwind finish to the first half set Athleague on their way to retaining the Roscommon title in yesterday's replay in Athleague. p
Donaghmoyne in surprise exit Women's Football
Women's Football: All-Ireland club champions Donaghmoyne are out of this year's competition after a surprise 2-5 to 0-8 defeat to Tyrone's Errigal Ciarán in yesterday's Ulster senior football final at Clones. p
Joyce makes a telling contribution
Galway SFC Final/Killererin 1-9 Milltown 0-10: Killererin captured their fifth title with a deserved victory over a Milltown side bidding for their first crown since 1981. p
St Vincent's can end 23-year wait
Dublin SFC Final/St Vincent's v St Brigid's: History weighs heavily on this St Vincent's team, but the way they despatched the favourites, Kilmacud Crokes, in last week's semi-final leaves them well placed to end 23 years of hurt. p
Nemo so near to surprise defeat
Cork SFC Final/Nemo Rangers 0-12 Ilen Rovers 0-9: Ilen Rovers were within 15 minutes of causing one of the biggest surprises in the history of the Cork football at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. The west Cork club, who were only founded in 1973, the year after Nemo's first county title, led by 0-8 to 0-5 following Brian O'Sullivan's third point. p
Éire Óg regroup
Leinster SFC First Round/Éire Óg (Carlow) 3-9 Tullamore (Offaly) 1-8: New Carlow football champions Éire Óg staged a remarkable recovery to eliminate Offaly champions Tullamore in this Leinster first-round tie at Dr Cullen Park Carlow yesterday. p
Shock for Stradbally as Ardmore win
Waterford SFC Semi-final/Ardmore 2-5 Stradbally 0-6: Ardmore defeated Stradbally - five-in-a-row county champions from 2001-05 - in a keenly contested encounter at Dungarvan's Fraher Field yesterday. p
Reidy beats out rhythm for Drom
Limerick SFC Semi-finals/Drom-Broadford 1-12 Monaleen 1-7/Ballylanders 0-17 Adare 1-6: It is to be a west v south senior football final in Limerick after recent past winners Drom-Broadford and Ballylanders put paid to the ambitions of Monaleen and Adare at Kilmallock yesterday. p

Golf

Flawless Bourdy earns first tour win
Mallorca Classic: France's Gregory Bourdy fired a flawless final round yesterday to claim his first European Tour title in the Mallorca Classic. p
Irish pair collect spoils in Morocco
HASSAN II TROPHY: Padraig Harrington held off a late challenge from Darren Clarke to capture the Hassan II Trophy at Royal Golf Dar Es-Salam in Morocco yesterday. p

Racing

Ballydoyle laments George Washington
Michael Kinane returns for some Bank Holiday Monday action at Leopardstown following a miserable Breeders' Cup experience at Monmouth Park on Saturday night that reached a tragic finale in the $5 million (€3.5 million) Classic with George Washington having to be put down. p

Other

Barnes, Sutherland, Donovan progress
BOXING/World Championships: Irish boxers are edging punch by punch toward securing qualification for next years Olympics Games from the 2007 World Championships at the University of Illinois in Chicago. p
Football a sideshow at wet Wembley
AMERICAN FOOTBALL/New York Giants 13 Miami Dolphins 10: Roger Goodell, the man who brought NFL football to Wembley Stadium, might just go down in history as the first American who tried to make a slow buck. p
Aussies provide further lessons
HOCKEY: Ireland's four-match series against Australia at Belfield proved to be a sobering experience for coach Gene Muller and his players, the visitors, ranked fourth in the world (compared to Ireland's 14th) comfortably winning each of the unofficial games without conceding a goal. p
Glenanne sneak thriller
HOCKEY: Glenanne and Pembroke Wanderers made it four wins out of four in the Leinster First Division on Saturday, but while Pembroke had a comfortable enough afternoon, with Justin Sherriff and Ian Symmons scoring two apiece in a 4-1 win away to Three Rock Rovers, Glenanne won by just a single score in an 11-goal game with Fingal. p
Molesey prove too strong in Galway
ROWING: A Molesey crew backboned by medallists at international level won the NUIG Head of the River in Galway on Saturday, writes Liam Gorman. p

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