Thursday morning headlines

SOCCER

Chelsea blew a two-goal lead as their defence of the Champions League with a 2-2 all draw with Juventus.

Oscar scored a stunning brace to put Chelsea 2-0 up after 33 minutes but Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back before the break and Fabio Quagliarella came off the bench to equalise 10 minutes from time.


Michael Carrick's 7th minute goal gave Manchester United a 2-0 win over Galatasary.

It was the England midfielder's first goal in the competition for three years.

United missed yet another penalty, their third of the season, through Nani.

Celtic were held to a goalless draw by Benfica in their Group G opener at Parkhead.


Three Premier League sides are in Europa League action later.

Tottenham host Italian side Lazio at White Hart Lane, Liverpool begin their campaign in Switzerland against Young Boys and Newcastle are in Portugal to face Maritimo.


Damien Duff no longer has 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland according to today's Star.

The Fulham winger captained his country in the final group game of Euro 2012 to mark his 100th appearance.

But Duff is now stuck on 99 caps due a problem with the friendly with Hungary in Budapest before the Euro's.

The game on the 4th of June doesn't count as a full international because of the referee.

Kenn Hansen from Denmark wasn't appointed correctly by the Hungarian FA according to FIFA.


GAELIC GAMES

Clonaslee St Manmans and The Heath battle to beat the drop in the Laois Senior Football Championship tonight

Portarlington hosts the relegation playoff at 7.45


Maurice Horan's been handed another two years as manager of the Limerick footballers.
Horan's been in charge for two years already and will remain on until end of the 2014 championship.

He'll be ratified at a full county board meeting next month.


Galway manager Anthony Cunningham has played down comments from Joe Canning in relation to Henry Shefflin.

The Tribesmen's star forward caused a stir after he appeared to accuse Shefflin of unsportsman-like behaviour during their drawn All-Ireland final earlier this month.

But Cunningham says the only thing Canning did wrong was use a poor choice of words and he was actually complimenting Shefflin's leadership qualities.


RUGBY UNION

Four Mullingar players have been selected on the Leinster Under 18 Clubs team to play Ulster at Donnybrook on Saturday

Niall Hannon and Andrew Purcell are in the pack with Conor O'Brien at fly half and Anthony McGivney on the right wing

Tullamore's Karl Dunne starts at full back with the team captained by Gorey centre James Nolan

Abbeyleix's Rory Maloney and his Cistercian Roscrea classmate Oisin Heffernan played for Leinster Under
18 Schools 61-3 win over Connacht at Donnybrook yesterday evening

The win saw Leinster crowned Inter Pro champions


GOLF

Rory McIlroy's in action later today at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

The World number 1 goes into the tournament at the top of the FedEx Cup standings and will win more than 10 million dollars in prize money if he ends up top of the pile.

Tiger Woods goes into the finale in second place while Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker could also finish top of the standings with a win this week.

Birr's Stephen Grant goes out at 2 over par on day three of the European Tour Qualifying School in Germany

The former pro footballer has been struggling with a back injury during the event
Grant is back out at 10 past 12


BOXING

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr could lose his $3m purse after testing positive for marijuana following last weekend's points loss against Sergio Martinez.

Chavez Jr, son of the Mexican boxing legend, lost his WBC middleweight title despite dropping Martinez in the last round in Las Vegas, but his first defeat could be even more painful if Nevada boxing chiefs take severe action.

Chavez Jr is no stranger to controversy as he was suspended for seven months after testing positive for a banned diuretic after his 2009 win over Troy Rowlands, which was changed to a no-contest.


RACING

The €40,000 Guinness Handicap Hurdle is the highlight of the eight race card on day 5 of the Listowel Festival

The going is heavy on the Flat course and heavy, soft to heavy in places on the National Hunt track ahead of the 2.05 start

Rhode jockey Pat Smullen is three winners behind Joseph O'Brien in the race for the flat jockeys championship going into the meeting

The first day of Ayr's William Hill Gold Cup meeting has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track.

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