Ronnie O’Sullivan heads into a titanic Crucible quarter-final with John Higgins today insisting he is the underdog.

John Higgins hauled himself level at the mid-session interval of an arduous battle with Rory McLeod at the Betfred.com World Championship.

JOHN HIGGINS finished off Stephen Lee last night to pass his first test at the Betfred.com World Championship.

HE has been criticised for being far too good-looking to play Henry VIII in the hit historical drama The Tudors.

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon admits he was relieved to avoid another Active Nation Scottish Cup upset after dumping Berwick Rangers out in the fourth round yesterday.

A SECONDARY school prefect and his family have gone on the run after they were told their asylum application had failed and they are to be deported back to Nigeria.

Shaun Murphy could not hide his delight after dumping six-time champion Stephen Hendry out of the Masters at Wembley with a 6-4 triumph.

A 53-year-old man pleaded guilty today to resisting police outside the set of a Miley Cyrus movie on the Georgia coast in the US after prosecutors agreed to drop charges that he tried to stalk the teen pop star.

A grand jury in Georgia refused to indict a 53-year-old on charges of attempting to stalk teenage star Miley Cyrus as she filmed a movie.

A grand jury in Georgia has refused to indict a 53-year-old on charges of attempting to stalk teenage star Miley Cyrus as she filmed a movie.

A US man charged with trying to stalk teenage star Miley Cyrus told an investigator he planned on returning to her Georgia movie set and “finishing things”, her security guard said.

POLICE have searched the Georgia home of a 53-year-old man accused of attempted to stalk Miley Cyrus during the filming of the teenager’s new movie.

Police searched the Georgia home of a 53-year-old man accused of attempted to stalk Miley Cyrus during the filming of the teenager’s new movie.

The North's Mark Allen had one foot in the second round of the Betfred.com World Championship after tearing to a 7-2 lead over Martin Gould.

Ronnie O’Sullivan missed out on a possible £157,000 (€177,000) jackpot but still clinched a commanding lead over Stuart Bingham in their first-round match at the Betfred.com World Championship.

JAY-JAY Okocha fears expectation levels have been pushed unrealistically high at Hull after feeling it necessary to issue a mild rebuke to the club’s supporters.

WEST Bromwich Albion beat Charlton 4-3 on penalties to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

SIX WEEKS AGO Kevin Phillips was convinced his career could be over, but the West Brom forward has defied medical science to make a miracle recovery in his attempts to power Albion back to the Premier League.

UK chain Halfords credited its revamped Apollo and Carrera bicycle ranges and improved camping equipment lines for another strong sales performance today.

JERMAIN DEFOE scored twice to shrug off the controversy over his bite on West Ham’s Javier Mascherano and fire Tottenham into the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

Two indigenous AFL players Andrew McLeod and Chris Johnson are to lead Australia against Ireland in the International Rules Series over the next two weeks.

Car parts and cycle retailer Halfords, which trades in Ireland and the UK, reported its seventeenth consecutive year of sales growth today and said shoppers were still spending more in its stores.

LIONS duo Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy will form the centre partnership for Leinster in their Celtic Cup quarter-final clash with Glasgow on Friday night, (Lansdowne Road, 7.30pm).

A former Scottish soccer boss is to replace the chief executive of car accessories and cycle retailer Halfords, it was announced today.

NSW Country 10 Scotland 48

Andy Johnson is in talks with Crystal Palace about a new contract after hitting 24 goals this season.

FORMER Aberdeen and Scotland manager Ally McLeod has died at the age of 72.

Scottish football today united to mourn the death of former Scotland manager Ally McLeod, who died this morning.

FA Cup latest:

Two extreme sportsmen plunged 3,700ft to their deaths after a daredevil stunt in the French Alps went horribly wrong, rescuers said today.

EVERTON manager David Moyes has admitted chasing the signature of Fulham’s Sean Davis after convincing young prospect Kevin McLeod to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Cardiff City 1, QPR 0

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod claimed yesterday that he had no regrets over his comments during the club’s feud with the Scottish Premier League.

Rory McLeod set up a dream meeting with his idol by beating Malta’s Tony Drago 5-3 in the first round of the £597,200 (€86,500) Regal Scottish Open in Edinburgh.

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod has admitted the club cannot appeal against UEFA’s decision to fine them following the El Hadji Diouf incident.

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod believes the charity donation of El Hadji Diouf’s club fine will preserve the relationship between Liverpool and Hoops fans.

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod insists the club are prepared to wait for a decision from Martin O’Neill on his future.

New boy Brian McBride could solve Everton’s striking problems as they bid to bounce back from their FA Cup embarrassment at Tottenham on Sunday.

CELTIC chief executive Ian McLeod yesterday insisted manager Martin O’Neill was neither difficult nor evasive to deal with.

DerWIMBLEDON’S sequence of seven matches unbeaten ended last night as Derby came from behind to win and move up to twelfth in Nationwide Division One.

THE fighting spirit that inspired Tranmere to so many cup upsets during John Aldridge’s Prenton Park reign came from his days with Jack Charlton’s Green Army. It’s a spirit he hopes to use once again at national level.

CELTIC chief executive Ian McLeod is confident Martin O'Neill will ignore Dick Advocaat's advice and sign a new contract with the club.

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod is confident Martin O’Neill will ignore Dick Advocaat’s advice and sign a new contract with the club.