MORNING HEADLINES

GAELIC GAMES

Sigerson hosts Athlone IT have qualified for finals weekend

AIT will face UCC in next Friday's semi finals following an 0-11 to 1-4 win over Cork IT in Athlone last night

The Midlands students, who were without injured Roscommon midfielder Cathal Shine, built up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead at the interval thanks to the point taking of Westmeath trio Alan Coffey, Kieran Martin and Ger Egan and a stunning score from captain Frankie Burke from Galway

Egan and Martin put over frees in the opening ten minutes of the second half to stretch their lead to 0-8 to 0-2

Cork's Ciaran Sheehan fisted a goal into the Athlone net 15 minutes from time to give Cork IT some hope but Athlone finished strongly with Longford's James McGivney and Meath's Dan Queeney popping over late points in the 0-11 to 1-4 success

St Brigids have been  handed a boost ahead of their AIB All-Ireland Club Semi Final with Crossmaglen tomorrow

Veteran goalkeeper Shane Curran has been passed fit to start, he's been nursing a quad injury in recent weeks

Crossmaglen defeated Brigids' neighbours Garrycastle in last year's All-Ireland Final

A chance to play reigning All-Ireland Champions St Mary's Edenderry is the reward for the winners of this afternoon's Leinster Colleges Senior Football Quarter Final between Knockbeg and Marist College, Athlone

The last eight all Midlands clash throws in at 2pm at Rosemount

CAMOGIE

Its third level finals weekend in camogie

In the blue ribband Ashbourne Cup it's holders WIT against UCD and UL versus NUIG in tomorrow's semi finals

IT Carlow take on St Mary's in the Fr Maher at 11.30 tomorrow morning while on Sunday it's Athlone IT against IT Tralee in the Fr Maher Shield decider

Laois, Offaly and Westmeath get their Under 16 Leinster campaigns underway on Sunday

Laois and Westmeath meet at Rosenallis at 1pm on Sunday, Kilkenny against Offaly throws in at 1pm at Johnstown

SOCCER

Chelsea and Tottenham both won the first legs of their Europa league last 32 ties

Last year’s Champions League winners Chelsea beat Sparta Prague 1-0 in the Czech Republic.

Oscar scored the winner 8 minutes from time not long after he came off the bench.

Gareth Bale scored two free kicks for Tottenham in their 2-1 win at home to Lyon.

Bale's first goal was on the stroke of half time and he got the winner in second half injury time.

Samuel Umtiti scored an away goal for the French side.

Liverpool will have to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Zenit Saint Petersburg in the return leg at Anfield.

Zenit scored twice in the last 20 minutes through Brazilian International Hulk and substitute Sergei Semak

Newcastle were held to a scoreless draw at home to Metalist Kharkiv

In the Leinster Senior League at 7.45 tonight Edenderry Town are away to Glebe North in the Sunday Senior Division

That game is a meeting of two of the bottom four

Tomorrow evening leaders Portlaoise Athletic host Seafordrock at 6.30 in the Sunday Premier Division

On Sunday morning second from bottom Tullamore Town are away to third from bottom Ballyouster in the Sunday Major Division, there's an 11am kick off there

In the O’Neill’s LFA Under 19s Cup tomorrow Tullamore Town host Collinstown at Leah Victoria Park, Ballinahown have a home tie against Crumlin with both those games at 2pm

Also in the John Farrell Combined Counties Cup 3rd Round tomorrow Longford Wanderers versus Ericcsons and Grange Utd play St.Aengus

CCFL Senior Division high flyers Mullingar Athletic play Mostrim United at 7pm in Round Four

Also at 7 in the Counties Shield it's Derry Rovers B against Colmcille Celtic

On Sunday there are four games in round four of the Counties Cup

In the 11am kick off it's Gracefield against Monksland

Premier leaders CK Utd host giant killers Dynamo Town at 2

Clara Town play Rosenallis and St Peters face Edenderry

And there's one game in the Senior Division where Gallen host Kilavilla at 2

RUGBY UNION

Two Irish provinces are in Rabo Direct Pro 12 action this evening

Ulster, who have a seven point lead at the summit, will be targetting a bonus point victory when they host basement side Zebre

Kick off at Ravenhill is 5 past 7

While it's a 7.45 kick off in Galway where Connacht entertain last year's champions Ospreys

Athlone teenager Robbie Henshaw returns from international duty to start at full back for Connacht

Buccaneers travel to Stevenson Park to face Dungannon in the Ulster Bank League Division One B tomorrow afternoon

John O'Brien, Shane Layden and Danny Qualter are all definitely out for the Pirates while Kolo Kiripati and Mark Dolan are doubts

Following their draw with Blackrock a couple of weeks ago Buccs are currently 4 points behind second placed Dublin University

Kick off tomorrow is 2.30

Also tomorrow afternoon Portarlington begin their Towns Plate campaign with an away tie against Dundalk at 4pm

In the Towns Cup on Sunday Mullingar host All-Ireland Junior Cup winners Tullamore

Roscrea travel to Athy while Edenderry are away to Naas

In the Plate it's Navan against Portlaoise

All of Sunday's matches are at 3pm 

GOLF

David Higgins is eight shots off the lead on three under after two holes on day two of the Africa Open

Gareth Maybin is two over going into today’s round while Damien McGrane is three over.

Matt Kuchar has a one shot lead on 7 under after the opening day of the Northern Trust Open in California.

Padraig Harrington is 6 over while Graeme Mc Dowell is two over.

BOXING

The semi finals of the National Elite Boxing Championships get underway in Dublin tonight

We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the Midlands boxers to take to the ring,

Hugh Joyce takes on Chris Phelan in the flyweight semi finals in the second bout of the evening at the National Stadium

At lightweight David Oliver Joyce faces George Bates in the lightweight last four

2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce goes up against Willie McLaughlin at welterweight

And Moate's Joe Ward will find out his opponent for the lightheavyweight final

Ken Egan and Davy Joe Joyce meet in tomorrow's semi final

ATHLETICS

The AIT arena hosts the National Senior Indoors this weekend

Among the top athletes competing in Athlone is Cork’s Rob Heffernan who was fourth in the Olympics last year, he’s in 5000 metre walk action tomorrow afternoon

Eleven time National Indoor Champion Derval O’Rourke competes in the 60metres hurdles on Sunday

European Cross Country Champion Fionnuala Britton is in the 1500 metres also on Sunday, while Europe’s top 400 metres sprinter this year Brian Gregan is in the 200 metres

SNOOKER

Ken Doherty has advanced to quarter finals of the Welsh Open with a 4 frames to 3 win over Tom Ford but Antrim's Mark Allen lost 4-2 to Ding Junhui

Doherty faces Stuart Bingham this afternoon

HOCKEY

Mullingar's firsts, who are now third, are away to Glenanne tomorrow in the Leinster Hockey League Division Four where there's a 1pm start

At the same time Mullingar's struggling seconds face Glenanne's thirds in Division Six

It's an 11 O'Clock game for Mullingar's Ladies; they're away to Clontarf in Division Eight

In Ladies Division Six it's Tullamore against Suttonians at the Harriers at 11am

Tullamore's seconds play St Brendan's at the Royal College of Surgeons at 1pm

South East Division Two leaders Portlaoise travel for an 11 O'Clock game versus second placed Wexford on Sunday

AFL

Portlaoise's Zach Tuohy set up a goal but was on the losing side in the Carlton Intra-Squad game in the early hours of this morning

Tuohy was on the navy side that lost to the whites by 73-58

That match was part of the Blues preparations for the NAB Cup which gets underway next week

RACING

Cheltenham Champion Hurdle entry Steps To Freedom is the star attraction at Dundalk this evening where there's an eight race card on the all weather from 10 to 6

He goes up against course specialist Akaska and French recruit Rich Coast in the concluding Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey and Trainer Race

Also Cheltenham bound Gordon Elliott-trained Carlito Brigante runs in the 10 to 9

Yesterday Birr trainer Phillip Byrne had the fifth winner of his career as Mioqen took the Beginners Chase at Thurles

Top weight Tidal Bay, who has been the best backed horse since the weights for the Grand National were announced on Tuesday, is out of the big race.

Trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed he has a slight leg injury and needs a months box rest.

He'll also miss a possible tilt at the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

It means the weights for the Aintree spectacular on the 6th April are certain to rise.

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