Rafael Benitez admitted he has taken on a “massive” challenge in agreeing to lead Newcastle’s desperate fight for Premier League survival.

Two goals from penalties by Salthill/Knocknacarra’s Shane Maughan couldn’t prevent All-Ireland champions Corofin win on their return to the Galway SFC.

Galway captain Paul Conroy is confident that the Tribesmen will get their championship off to a winning start this weekend in New York.

Newcastle are unlikely to make a swift appointment as they look for a replacement for manager Alan Pardew after ruling out skipper Fabricio Coloccini as a candidate.

Newcastle’s Premier League clash with Leicester will now kick off at 4pm, the St James’ Park club have announced.

THERE are times when it feels we have a greater chance of sending a minister for health into space than successfully completing a new national children’s hospital.

Galway SFC

Galway captain Paul Conroy says they are pleased they have fate in their own hands as they head to Monaghan tomorrow in a bid to avoid the drop to Division Three.

Joe Kinnear resigned as Newcastle’s director of football on Monday night after a turbulent week on Tyneside.

Galway 3-10 Sligo 0-8

Hospital chiefs across the country have been ordered to crack down on sloppy hygiene among medics which is putting tens of thousands of patients at risk of infection.

Salthill-Knocknacarra 0-13 St James’ 0-11

Salthill-Knocknacarra remain on course for successive Galway SFC titles for the first time after holding off the challenge of a Caltra side forced to start without Michael Meehan.

Papiss Cisse will return to action at St Mirren tomorrow night after ending his exile from the Newcastle squad.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has insisted he is going nowhere after the resignation of managing director Derek Llambias plunged the club into fresh chaos.

Joe Kinnear will begin work in earnest today after meeting Newcastle boss Alan Pardew to discuss the way forward.

Metalist Kharkiv 0 Newcastle 1 (Newcastle win 1-0 on aggregate)

Padraic Joyce rolled back the clock with a blistering hat-trick as Killererin sealed their spot in the Galway SFC quarter-finals yesterday.

Galway football manager Alan Mulholland received another boost as both Padraic Joyce and Michael Meehan showed great form and kicked their clubs into the third round of the county SFC.

Argentina international Jonas Gutierrez has signed a new contract which will keep him at Newcastle until 2015.

Newcastle 3 Blackburn 1

GALWAY SFC champions Killererin were dumped out of this year’s competition after being taken apart by an outstanding Salthill/Knocknacarra in Corofin yesterday.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has admitted the club is struggling to persuade Jose Enrique to sign a new deal.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew’s hopes of securing his key players before embarking on a recruitment drive have suffered a further blow.

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has launched a scathing attack on England’s World Cup hopes and dismissed Gareth Barry as a “teacher’s pet”.

Liverpool are expected to be at the centre of activity on the final day of the transfer window – with Reds striker Fernando Torres wanting a move and Charlie Adam in manager Kenny Dalglish’s sights.

Joey Barton is ready to commit his future to Newcastle after opening talks over a new deal.

Newcastle 1 Blackburn 2

Kevin Nolan is determined to make big-spending Manchester City pay for Newcastle’s bout of homesickness.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton turned to his big guns once again as nine of the men who fashioned a midweek Carling Cup victory over Chelsea made way for the game with Stoke.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has told his players they deserve to be back in the Barclays Premier League after watching them edge closer to the Coca-Cola Championship title.

A burnt-out Nissan Micra was discovered in the Cookstown Industrial Estate the morning after an alleged murder in the capital, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

DAMIEN DUFF admits it was an easy decision to swap the chaos at Newcastle for the stability offered by Fulham.

Damien Duff admits it was an easy decision to swap the chaos at Newcastle for the stability offered by Fulham.

The Singapore-based Profitable Group have made formal contact with the people charged with the task of selling Newcastle.

Three young Irish women onboard the Air France airliner which vanished over the Atlantic Ocean were best friends who were forging out promising careers as doctors.

Newcastle 3 Middlesbrough 1

HABIB BEYE has urged his Newcastle team-mates to adopt Alan Shearer’s winning mentality to hand the manager a first victory just when he needs it most.

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer is hoping forgotten man Joey Barton can revitalise his midfield just when he needs it most.

Alan Shearer was this afternoon thrashing out the details of his sensational return to Newcastle.

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear has been fined £500 (€537) and warned over his future conduct for calling Martin Atkinson “a Mickey Mouse referee”.

NEWCASTLE United have turned down a £5 million (€5.3m) offer from Manchester City for Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given but Magpies officials expect the Blues to return with an improved £8m (€8.5m) bid for Shay Given before the end of the week.