AT KICK-OFF it was rocking, 30,325 mostly red-bedecked fans giving it hell; as the minutes, the seconds, wound exhaustingly down, such was the tension in this absorbing Heineken Cup semi-final that half an hour after the final whistle the Ricoh Arena was still twitching.

LONDON IRISH coach Toby Booth felt his side squandered a golden opportunity to reach their first Heineken Cup final with Saturday’s 21-15 defeat by Toulouse.

DERRY forward Paddy Bradley accused the GAA of “shooting themselves in the foot” by not playing yesterday’s NFL final at Croke Park.

TEN months ago, a sizeable portion of Derry’s supporters were calling for Paddy Crozier’s head but yesterday he captured the entire county’s heart by securing their sixth league title and first since 2000.

CHELSEA are not a club which traditionally lacks confidence. From the defiantly ugly architecture of Stamford Bridge’s corporate sprawl, to the absurd posturing of their pre-match PA announcer, this is one sporting institution with apparently bottomless resources of self-esteem.

IF YOU thought the Kop looked shell-shocked when John Arne Riise headed into his own net with virtually the last touch of the game on Tuesday, then you should have seen the reaction in the press box.

WELL, it’s nothing if not entertaining.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own. Today, and every Tuesday, he will be acting as referee on your opinions on the Premiership. Let him know what you think and he’ll argue the toss with you.

AIDEN MCGEADY admits the pressure will be back on Celtic this weekend as they bid to build on their Old Firm triumph with a win over Aberdeen.

ALEX FERGUSON said he would allow himself 24 hours to savour the magic of Moscow and his achievement in becoming the 14th manager to win two European Cups.

In my time, I’ve been asked by one politician to deliver messages to other politicians as varied as ‘Your deodorant, assuming you’ve encountered the concept, isn’t working’ and ‘If you think nobody has spotted you playing offside with yer wan, you’re mistaken.’

GOALS from Nick Barmby, Caleb Folan, Richard Garcia and Nathan Doyle helped Hull reach Wembley for the first time in the club’s 104-year history and set up a Coca-Cola Championship play-off final clash against Bristol City on May 24.

AFTER scoring the winning goal in the 1-0 final win over Germany, Fernando Torres hailed Spain’s Euro 2008 success as “a great victory for a whole country.”

AFTER the disappointment of losing to arch rivals Nire a week earlier, Stradbally reinstated themselves as one of the favourites to lift the Waterford senior football championship title with a decisive 12-point victory over St Brendan’s at Leamybrien last night.

SUNWORLD HOLIDAYS are boasting unrivalled value on winter holiday prices to Lanzarote from Cork this winter.

THE Government must “do the right thing” and tackle the toxic waste scandal on Haulbowline Island once and for all, an environmental expert said yesterday.

TO BORROW the words of a famous fictional Roman general: ‘Are you not entertained?’ Ulster has shone like a beacon in what has been a mediocre championship but never so bright as on Saturday evening.

Brass or bag pipes? Not much of a choice, really. But some fans are angry with the Munster Council for replacing the traditional pipe band on final day with a brass band. The TV3 honeymoon is over. They get a lash this week for the quality of their coverage and the GAA is criticised for failing to ensure live championship games are broadcast in Irish on TG4.

TIPPERARY captain Paul Ormonde admits he is ‘still hoping’ to regain his starting spot with the Munster finalists.

THE man who blew the whistle on the Haulbowline toxic dump scandal has said he will not be silenced by the state’s threat of legal action.