Friday 5 April 2013

Friday morning headlines




GOLF

Offaly's Shane Lowry is 2 under at the Texas Open after an overnight opening round 70, that's three shots off the lead

Padraig Harrington says the tough course suits him, the Dubliner is just one shot off the lead after a 4 under 68.

Rory McIlroy hit a level par score of 72.


GAELIC GAMES

Kilkenny county board have confirmed that Brian Cody is taking a break from team affairs for a number of weeks after undergoing pre-planned cardiac surgery yesterday.

Martin Fogarty and Michael Dempsey will be taking charge of the Senior Hurling Panel and Cody is expected to be back on the sideline for the Cats Leinster Championship game with Offaly this summer



Laois football manager Justin McNulty has made three changes from the side that beat Longford ahead of Sunday's trip to Wexford in Division Two of the National Football League

Kevin Meaney comes into the midfield to replace Conor Boyle; Meaney scored two points when introduced as a half time sub in the win over Longford last time out

The other switches are in the forwards with Conor Meredith and Colm Kelly coming in and Padraig Clancy and Billy Sheehan coming out of the team

Laois need to beat Wexford combined with a Westmeath win against Derry and hope that Galway win against Armagh if they're to secure a final place

Eoin Culliton is in goal

The full back line is Peter O'Leary, Denis Booth and Paul Begley

The half backs are Darren Strong, John O'Loughlin and Padraig McMahon

Meaney and Brendan Quigley are in midfield

Ross Munnelly, Conor Meredith and Colm Begley are the half forwards

The inside forwards are MJ Tierney, Gary Walsh and Colm Kelly

While Donie Kingston has returned to the panel, Kingston left last week but has since returned and trained with the squad last night.

We'll have commentary on Sunday with thanks to MW Hire and Gerry Browne Jewellers Trophy Centre Portlaoise


SOCCER

Athlone Town make the trip to Waterford this evening hoping for a first win at the RSC in over 5 years

Town, who are unbeaten in the First Division so far this season, are without strikers Philly Gorman and Noel McGee for the 7.45 kick off

In the Paddy Cotter Cup Quarter Finals this evening Willow Park host Stradbally at 8pm


It's being reported that Richard Dunne may not receive a new deal from Aston Villa.

The Ireland defender is likely to miss the rest of the season with the groin injury that his kept him out since last summer.

Villa boss Paul Lambert says Dunne’s injury is one of the most frustrating that he's ever scene.

According to the Irish Independent LA Galaxy, New York Red Bull and Malaga are among those interested in the 33 year old who's out of contract at the end of the season.


Chelsea appear to have one foot in the semi-finals of the Europa League. Fernando Torres scored a brace and Victor Moses got the other goal as the Blues beat Russian side Rubin Kazan 3-1 in the first-leg at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle suffered a 3-1 defeat to Benfica in Portugal - despite the Magpies taking the lead on the night.

Tottenham also have a tough task ahead of them after they were held to a two-all draw with FC Basel at White Heart Lane.

The Swiss side went two-nil up at White Heart Lane after goals from Valentin Stocker and Fabian Frei but Spurs fought-back with goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Gareth Bale was stretchered off during the final stages with an ankle injury but Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas only expects the Welsh forward to miss two games.


Joey Barton has been summoned to appear before the ethics committee of the French Football Federation after launching a twitter attack on Paris St Germain's Thiago Silva.

The Marseille midfielder described the Brazilian as an "overweight ladyboy" during a trademark rant and PSG have now threatened to take legal action against him.


Former Inter Milan defender Taribo West has been accused of lying about his age throughout his playing career.

The Nigerian, who also played for the likes of AC Milan and Derby County, is listed as 39 years old, but former Partizan Belgrade president Zarko Zecevic, says that they discovered that he was actually 12 years older than he claimed to be when he was playing for them.


RUGBY UNION

Wasps welcome Leinster to Adams Park in the Amlin Challenge Cup at 8 O’Clock this evening

Head coach Joe Schmidt has made four changes to his side in the wake of last Saturday's disappointing defeat to Ulster at the RDS. Gordon D'Arcy returns to the centre where he's joined by fit-again Fergus McFadden.

The other two changes are in the pack with team captain Leo Cullen replacing Quinn Roux in the second-row, while Sean O'Brien comes into the back-row in place of Shane Jennings.


Ulster look set to have Tommy Bowe in their squad for tomorrow's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens at Twickenham.

The Ireland winger has returned to training in recent weeks after surgery on a knee injury, but he wasn't expected to make his return to competitive action for several weeks.

Mark Anscombe will name his team at lunchtime, but he's now expected to hand the winger the number 23 jersey while Dan Tuohy is also set to start despite a back spasm he suffered in training and prop John Afoa has returned from New Zealand after the birth of his daughter.

Munster will also name their team to face Harlequins, Doug Howlett and Simon Zebo remain doubts for the Reds.


Clermont Auvergne head coach Vern Cotter become the latest man to rule himself out of running to succeed Declan Kidney.

The New Zealand born coach was one of the names being linked with the job and he was seen as one of the candidates that could boast of coaching experience in both hemispheres.

But Cotter has told a French radio station that he's committed to Clermont and intends to honour his contract with the Top-14 side, which currently has a year left to run.

The former Canterbury Crusaders assistant coach has also been linked with a possible return to Super Rugby at the end of next season.


TENNIS

Ireland face Finland in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup tennis this afternoon.

The opening singles match between James McGee and Harri Heliovaara gets underway at three in Castleknock, followed by the meeting of Colin O'Brien and Jarkko Nieminen.


HANDBALL

Ireland's Olympic handballers were beaten in the first of this week's men's European qualifiers, going down 28-12 at home to Belgium last night.

They face Estonia at DCU tomorrow at 2.


SWIMMING

Lance Armstrong has withdrawn from a Masters Swimming Championship in his home town in Texas. The disgraced former cyclist was hoping to return to competitive sport at the event but has taken himself out of the field after objections from swimming's world governing body, FINA.

Armstrong had entered in three distance events because the competition isn't covered by the same drug testing rules but FINA sent a letter to organisers today - insisting that the event is under the jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Code.


PARALYMPICS

The family of Oscar Pistorius has denied that the Paralympic champion is already back in training as he awaits trial on charges of murdering his girlfriend.

The Blade Runner was photographed this week running on a track but a statement from his family insisted that the 26-year-old has merely been out running on a number of "isolated occasions" while his agent said that the athlete had simply been out for a jog.


RACING

There's two Grade One races at Aintree today

Sprinter Sacre and Flemenstar clash in the Melling Chase is at five past three while At Fisher's Cross is the favourite for the Sefton Novice's Hurdle at a quarter past four

Gigginstown's Road to Riches is also a contender in the race

Ahead of Saturday's Grand National, 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Imperial Commander will carry the top weight while Ruby Walsh has chosen to partner the Willie Mullins' runner "On His Own".

But champion jockey Tony McCoy has opted to ride Colbert Station.

Last year's runner-up, Sunnyhillboy has been loaded with an extra 10-pounds this year, which appears to have swayed McCoy's mind.

Sam Waley Cohen will be on board Castletown Geoghegan horse Oscar Time

Oscar time, trained by Martin Lynch, was second to Ballabriggs in the race in 2011


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