I’m in the away dressing room of the Saputo Stadium and it’s all pretty quiet, sombre. The current occupants, Orlando City SC, have just lost to Montreal Impact in a run-of-the-mill MLS game and the deafening silence says much.

Daniel St Ledger turned to referee Paddy Neilan late on Saturday evening and enquired how much was left on the watch. “12 minutes”, replied the Roscommon official. “It felt like an eternity,” the Carlow football captain admitted yesterday.

"I'm sitting on the fence, just like you do Tony."

Antrim 1-12 Carlow 0-15: Allianz National Football League Division 4: The day was bright and brisk, but the football in yesterday’s Allianz NFL Division Four tussle at St Paul’s Complex in Belfast, didn’t match the conditions.

Carlow 3-08 Louth 1-12: Carlow’s footballers provided new boss Turlough O’Brien with a first win thanks to this merited two-points victory over Louth in yesterday’s O’Byrne Cup tie at Dr Cullen Park.

Kildare 2-07 Carlow 1-09: An injury-time goal from Padraig Fogarty rescued an understrength and underwhelming Kildare in Athy last night.

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy has revealed Ireland international Sean St Ledger has left the Championship club at the end of his short-term deal.

Former Cork City defender Brian Lenihan has had to cut short his loan spell at Blackpool and return to Hull City after suffering a patella tendon knee injury.

Sean St Ledger looks to have found a club at last.

In the week that was in it, and with the long awaited Euros kick off now just 24 hours away, a conversation with Kevin Kilbane could only begin with one question: was he too now ready to come out of international retirement?

Late points from sub Jack Kennedy and Daniel St Ledger sealed a remarkable come-from-behind victory for Carlow in this afternoon’s All-Ireland SFC round 1B qualifier against Waterford at Dr. Cullen Park.

After narrowly avoiding a stray plastic bottle kicked in his direction on his last visit to the country, Ireland defender Seán St Ledger is hoping to dodge the full force of Germany’s attack on Friday.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has seen his options hit ahead of next month’s key World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria after three players, headed by Aiden McGeady, dropped out of his squad.

With his media duties completed yesterday, Giovanni Trapattoni sat sipping a cup of tea at a Dublin Airport hotel watching in admiration at Mayo’s second-half destruction of Tyrone.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trappatoni has named a 29-man provisional squad for next month’s World Cup qualifying meetings with Sweden and Austria.

Having seen his side create a number of clear-cut chances against Wales only to draw a frustrating blank on Wednesday night, Giovanni Trapattoni was almost channelling Ray Parker Jr yesterday: If there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who ya gonna call? Goalbuster.

In a fresh blow for Giovanni Trapattoni, Sean St Ledger now looks set to miss next month’s World Cup qualifiers with a knee injury that could keep him out of action for six weeks.

Republic of Ireland defender Sean St Ledger snatched a last-gasp winner as Leicester reached the second round of the Capital One Cup with a 2-1 win over League Two outfit Wycombe.

The GPA could yet act on the behalf of the Carlow and Laois football panels as they have confirmed neither they nor the players were consulted about Friday week’s All-Ireland round one qualifier.

Spain 2 Rep of Ireland 0

Spain 2 Republic of Ireland 0

Confirmation will only come later today when Giovanni Trapattoni names his team but, on the basis of training at Malahide yesterday, it looks like Richard Dunne will miss out and Simon Cox will start against the Faroe Islands tomorrow night.

On the radio, David Pleat reminded us why we had waited so long for neighbours to reconnect.

England 1 Republic of Ireland 1

Sean St Ledger is hoping a second Wembley appearance in a little more than six weeks will help place him in the shop window.

If there’s one player, above all others, who personifies the concept of commitment to the Irish cause, then it must be Darren O’Dea.

It was a sight which was almost as welcome and just about as rare as the sun blazing from a deep blue sky over Watford’s training ground yesterday: Richard Dunne back on a football pitch.

FA CUP SEMI-FINAL: Wigan v Millwall

Sean St Ledger has urged the Republic of Ireland not to allow the ghosts of Euro 2012 and their German nightmare ruin their hopes of World Cup qualification.

Unlike his defensive comrade in arms Richard Dunne, Sean St Ledger has made it back from lengthy injury just in time to be in contention for the World Cup qualifier against Sweden.

It’s been quite a few months for Ciarán Clark.

Giovanni Trapattoni is backing his defenders to keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic at bay as the Republic of Ireland attempt to take a step towards World Cup qualification in Sweden.

Giovanni Trapattoni has expressed serious reservations about throwing both Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger back into the fray in Stockholm next month even if both players are fit for the crunch game against Sweden.

Tipperary 0-16 Carlow 1-14

There was mixed injury news in defence for GiovanniTrapattoni yesterday as it was confirmed that long-termabsentee Sean St Ledger will not now need surgery to a troublesome hamstring problem, but a strain in the same area looks likely to keep John O’Shea out of Ireland’s February friendly with Poland.

Republic of Ireland defender Sean St Ledger has travelled to Germany to see a specialist about his troublesome hamstring injury.

It’s been a bit like being stuck inside an episode of ‘Hospital Requests’ in these parts lately as one Ireland player after another hobbles in to speak to us of their injury woes.

Sean St Ledger still doesn’t know if he’ll be fit for Ireland’s World Cup games in March as he battles to recover from a rare injury-related condition.

Necessity has proved to be the mother of invention for Giovanni Trapattoni who has been forced by an injury crisis to set out a radically altered team in a fresh formation for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Germany at the Aviva Stadium.

When John O’Shea looks around the Republic of Ireland dressing room tomorrow evening, there will be some familiar faces missing.

Skipper Robbie Keane and experienced winger Aiden McGeady trained with their Republic of Ireland team-mates this morning after jetting into Dublin.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has a triple injury worry ahead of Friday's World cup qualifier with Germany at the Aviva stadium.

Injury concerns for Ireland ahead of Friday’s big World Cup qualifying test against Germany have worsened with the news that Glenn Whelan is the latest player to emerge as a major doubt for the game.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni faces further disruption ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Germany and the Faroe Islands after suffering a double injury blow.