Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce breathed a huge sigh of relief after seeing his side emerge from their slump to hold Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 draw.

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1

AC Milan 1 Celtic 0

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has been handed a two-match touchline ban and a £5,000 fine by the Football Association.

Anderlecht were today fined £12,857 for the improper conduct of their supporters during last week’s UEFA Cup Group G game with Tottenham.

Roma 1 Man Utd 1

Munster 1-21 Leinster 1-13

England 3 Estonia 0

Cork Constitution 46 UCD 13

Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 1

A Canadian hunter ate rotten meat and fended off snarling animals to survive for 96 hours while trapped under his truck in remote countryside before he was discovered.

All-Ireland champions and four-in-a-row Walsh Cup chasers Kilkenny were sensationally knocked out of the 2008 Walsh Cup today as they went down to a 2-15 to 1-17 defeat to Antrim.

Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations campaign has been given a timely lift after it was revealed today that Paul O’Connell is on course to face Scotland on February 23.

Reading 0 Bolton 2

Ireland U20 6 Italy U20 0, Dubarry Park

The jury in the €700,000 breast cancer insurance fraud trial has been told by the prosecuting counsel that the evidence could lead to only one conclusion: "This was a clever, elaborate and dishonest fraud."

Schalke 1 Porto 0

Kilmarnock 0 Rangers 2

Liverpool 1 Barnsley 2

Coventry 0 West Brom 5