Time on the Ocean: A voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Hope

SHEIKH MANSOUR’S £1billion investment in Manchester City was unable to save the Blues from an embarrassing Carling Cup defeat to West Brom’s second string at the Hawthorns.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI said he hopes fans in his native Italy will look back on his time in charge of the national side in a different light, following the arrest of former referee Byron Moreno.

VETERAN Cork defender Anthony Lynch insists Sunday’s All-Ireland victory is not diminished for him by the fact he was ruled out of contention by injury.

CORK’S pursuit of All-Ireland glory has frequently had a miserable outcome in recent seasons but rewriting that script last Sunday afternoon did not provoke wild euphoria.

IT was no surprise that Graham Canty’s first thought when the final whistle blew yesterday was not for himself but for a man left standing in familiar shoes.

FOR the Cork players, and all they have been through over the past few years, this was the sweetest thing.

IN all the talk about Down’s incredible record at Croke Park prior to yesterday’s game, the fact that their appearances in All-Ireland finals had only been sporadic over the past 50 years had been overlooked by many.

BOTH semi finals of the Droopys Stud Munster Oaks at Waterford on Saturday had similar outcomes with the early pace-setter caught in the dying strides.

MOMENTS after the final-whistle blew at Croke Park yesterday, signalling the end to the Rebels’ 20-year football title famine, Micheál O Muircheartaigh stood out of his familiar seat in gantry for the last time on All-Ireland final day.

SUNDERLAND striker Darren Bent is plotting the downfall of more of the Barclays Premier League big guns after having his own say in the title race once again.

AMIDST the blizzard of colour and incessant din in last month’s All-Ireland semi-final, Paul Kerrigan kept calm.

HE has formed a reputation as a football defender of note during his career but it was on the hurling stage where Owen Sexton was the hero in yesterday’s Evening Echo Cork IHC semi-final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

EDWIN van der Sar left Sunderland bemoaning more dropped points having spared Manchester United further pain.

THERE’S a subtle connection between Killarney and the Scottish Highlands – both became big tourist destinations in the 19th century and both entertained Queen Victoria.

IF it boils down to a battle of the rookies at Celtic Manor this weekend, then the Ryder Cup will be safely back in European hands. There are 11 debutants between the two teams with six in the home side – with three straight into action this morning.

LIVERPOOL manager Roy Hodgson felt his side earned a good point despite a disappointing performance in their goalless Europa League draw in Utrecht last night.

His battling qualities are legendary, but the US Ryder Cup captain also has a reputation as a hothead and being thin-skinned. Simon Lewis wonders wether will he keep the latter emotions in check this weekend?

THE Republic of Ireland will be hoping to cap their fantastic run in the European U17 Championship by overcoming last year’s beaten finalists, Spain at the in the final at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon, Switzerland tonight.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi took full responsibility for his side’s World Cup group exit, admitting the reigning champions had played with “terror in their hearts, heads and legs”.