WHAT were the Leinster Council thinking when they fixed this game for 7pm on a Saturday evening in Kilkenny?

THERE was a distinct lack of quality to yesterday evening’s Allianz NHL Division 2 decider in Semple Stadium, but it is results, not aesthetics, that will concern Wexford boss Colm Bonnar.

Wexford 1-16 Clare 2-9

Wexford have received a timely boost ahead of Sunday's Allianz NHL Division 2 final against Clare (Semple Stadium, throw-in 5pm), with Darren Stamp and Paul Roche returning from injury to take places on the starting line-up.

Wexford 4-18 Antrim 1-12

NHL DIVISION 2:

Laois manager Niall Rigney and his Wexford counterpart Colm Bonnar have named their respective starting line-ups ahead of Sunday's important NHL Division 2 encounter in Portlaoise (throw-in 2.30pm).

TOP-GUNS John Gardiner and Jerry O’Connor have been given starting places on the Cork team for next Sunday’s crunch Allianz Division One NHL clash with Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

IT WAS a very crowded scene in the LIT goalmouth yesterday in the final seconds of this Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final as UCD’s Maurice Nolan – his side needing a goal to send the game into extra-time – stood over a 30m free.

WATERFORD last night received a major boost for Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Tipperary at Semple Stadium when co-captain Stephen Molumphy was named to lead the attack in a sector notable again for the exclusion of 2007 Hurler of The Year Dan Shanahan.

A HUGE boost for the Munster hurling champions as Eoin Kelly makes his first appearance of the year for Tipperary in Sunday’s championship clash with Cork at Semple Stadium.

2008 team colleagues Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Jerry O’Connor return to the Cork colours for Sunday’s Allianz NHL clash with Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Northern Rock shareholders are to reveal details today of their plans to take legal action over compensation.

Disgraced media mogul Conrad Black’s plea for an emergency delay to the start of his six-and-a-half year jail sentence for fraud should be denied, US prosecutors said today.

Fallen media mogul Conrad Black will be sentenced for his role in a £3m (€4.1m) fraud, a judge ruled today.

Fallen media mogul Conrad Black will be sentenced today after he was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Cork 1-14 Wexford 3-2

CORK 1-14 WEXFORD 3-2, Dungarvan

A US prosecutor accused media mogul Conrad Black of systematically “fleecing” shareholders out of more than $60m (€44.7m) and creating an elaborate paper trail to cover his tracks.

A federal prosecutor ripped into media mogul Conrad Black and other Hollinger International executives today, saying “they systematically stole €44m” from the shareholders and created a phoney paper trail to cover their tracks.

Jurors in the trial of former media mogul Conrad Black have been told to prepare for closing arguments next week.

The US government’s star witness at former media mogul Conrad Black’s fraud trial testified that he consulted Black on every business deal he made on behalf of the Hollinger newspaper empire.

Media baron Conrad Black signed a contract promising not to compete with a company he himself controlled, an ex-employee of his Hollinger International newspaper empire, who said she sent him a £1.35m (€1.99m) cheque in return, told a court.

Payments totalling $9.5m (€6.9m) that prosecutors say belonged to Hollinger International shareholders went instead to media mogul Conrad Black and four other executives, a company memo showed.

A businessman who steered Conrad Black’s Hollinger newspaper empire through a storm of lawsuits and investigations told a court that the former media mogul “was very knowledgeable” about the finances of the company he is accused of swindling out of £44m (€65m).

Former newspaper tycoon Conrad Black’s racketeering and fraud trial is getting under way in the US.

As chairman of the far-flung Hollinger newspaper empire, tall, silver-haired, magnificently tailored Conrad Black reigned supreme as one of the world’s most powerful media moguls.

Former press baron Conrad Black compared himself to a privileged aristocrat of the French revolutionary era as he wrestled with the high cost of using his company plane, US prosecutors said.

Hollinger Inc, a Canadian holding company formerly controlled by ousted media magnate Conrad Black, has signed a deal to cooperate with the US Attorney’s Office in its criminal prosecution of the former Daily Telegraph boss and several others.

Conrad Black, the former owner of the Daily Telegraph, and three other executives have been charged with fraud in America involving the $2.1bn ($1.79bn) sale of several hundred Canadian newspapers and the abuse of company perks at newspaper publishing company Hollinger International.

CONRAD BLACK has quit as chief executive officer of Hollinger International Inc, and has put the company up for sale after an internal investigation found he misled shareholders over $32 million paid to executives.