If you know a loved one due a baby anytime now, the message is to hold on until the other side of New Year’s Day. Because if that kid is to have aspirations of some time playing high-level football, their odds are frighteningly reduced if they arrive before the end of the year

Inniscarra 1-10 Inagh-Kilnamona 0-7: Just three days after securing a first Cork crown in five years, Inniscarra are only one game away from adding a Munster title after a strong second half showing to defeat newly crowned Clare champions Inagh-Kilnamona.

Austin Stacks 2-10 Laune Rangers 1-6: Austin Stacks retained their place in the Kerry senior football championship for 2016 and consigned Laune Rangers to the intermediate grade for the first time since 1969.

To John O’Shea, the solution is simple.

Laune Rangers 1-14 West Kerry 0-16 (AET): Laune Rangers, inspired by Mike Frank Russell and captain Shane McSweeney, edged out West Kerry in this epic county championship battle at JP O’Sullivan Park, Killorglin, yesterday.

Martin O’Neill thinks Shane Long will take the pressure associated with his €15 million move to Southampton in his stride but believes setting a target for the season would help the Tipperary man bridge the gap from being a scorer of great goals to a great scorer of goals.

Martin O’Neill insisted yesterday he would not feel left down if Roy Keane were to return to club football.

Kerry SFC: Rangers 1-15 St Brendan’s 0-12

Currow 2-11 St Mary’s 0-14

Aiden McGeady’s difficulty could turn out to be Anthony Pilkington’s opportunity, as the winger’s withdrawal from the Irish squad is sure to prompt some deep thinking by Giovanni Trapattoni ahead of next Friday’s World Cup clash with Sweden.

Milltown/Castlemaine 1-11 Laune Rangers 0-09

Giovanni Trapattoni is realistic about his side’s slim chances but that hasn’t stopped him sending out a youthful midfield to take on the might of Spain at Yankee Stadium at 8pm local time tonight (1am Irish time).

By Brendan O'Brien

Hungary 0 Republic of Ireland 0

GLENBEIGH/GLENCAR were crowned Mid Kerry senior football champions for the first time in 36 years in dramatic circumstances at Beaufort on Saturday.

ALL Star midfielder Bryan Sheehan struck the injury-time point that clinched a third successive South Kerry SFC title for St Mary’s (Caherciveen) in dramatic fashion against Dromid Pearses at a windswept Waterville on Christmas Eve.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI believes that pressure from Russia has resulted in Ireland having to play their next European Championship qualifier in Andorra’s tiny Communal d’Andorra Stadium.

CLARE’S Tony Carmody scored a first-half goal, went off injured minutes later but raised the rafters at the end of this final when he lifted the All-Ireland IHC trophy.

HE may have an All-Ireland senior medal in his back pocket and more than a decade of representation at the elite level of the intercounty game behind him, yet Niall Gilligan remains on the hunt for glory.

A SPIRITED Clare bounced back from a horror start to win Saturday’s exciting All-Ireland IHC semi-final at Cusack Park, Ennis.

FOLLOWING the success of the minors on Sunday, Clare capture their second Munster hurling title in three days when their intermediate side captured a first provincial crown at Cusack Park in Ennis last night.

FORMER Clare senior star Niall Gilligan is a major injury doubt for the county’s intermediate team who face Limerick in tonight’s Munster IHC final in Cusack Park, Ennis at 7.30pm.

TRIES from centre Chris Farrell and winger Rob Haldane fired Campbell College to their 23rd Ulster Senior Schools Cup at Ravenhill yesterday.

AIDEN MCGEADY and Kevin Kilbane are among the players who won’t be featuring in the Republic of Ireland’s Carling Nations Cup opener against Wales at the Aviva Stadium next Tuesday after Giovanni Trapattoni trimmed his squad from 29 to 22 yesterday.

St Mary’s (Kerry) 3-20 Nenagh Éire Óg (Tipperary) 1-4

Stephen Hunt has been drafted into the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time this season for the friendly against Norway in Dublin on November 17.

DIEGO MARADONA won’t be in Dublin for Ireland’s glamour friendly with Argentina after the Argentina FA’s executive committee last night opted not to renew his contract.

AS an attacking midfielder, James McCarthy is not unlike Stephen Ireland and could give Giovanni Trapattoni the chance to experiment tactically.

THE scoreline suggests a tight, gripping clash but that statistic conceals the reality behind yesterday’s Kerry SFC semi-final clash at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.

ALL IRELAND LEAGUE.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.

STEPHEN IRELAND might still be on a self-imposed exile from international football but that hasn’t stopped him being nominated for a Young Player Of the Year gong in the 18th eircom/FAI International Awards, which will be broadcast live on RTÉ in February.

INJURIES to Shay Given, Paul McShane and Stephen Ireland may have robbed Steve Staunton of the chance to field something closer to his first choice 11 but the Irish team which will play Denmark in tonight’s friendly in Aarhus (kick off 7pm Irish time) will still represent a decent blend of experience and youth.

Team news is in for the full schedule of AIB All-Ireland League games this weekend.

All the team news for this weekend's clashes.

The teams for tomorrow’s AIB rugby league fixtures have been announced.

The teams for this weekend's AIB League rugby fixtures have been announced.

The teams for this weekend's AIB League matches have been announced.

The teams for the upcoming AIB League fixtures have been announced.

Latest team news fahead this weekend's crunch AIB League action.

Latest team news ahead of this weekend's AIB League action.

Teams for this weekend's AIB All-Ireland League games.