Goalkeeper Artur Boruc has confirmed it was his dislike for Rangers which meant he did not shake hands with any opposition players at the end of Celtic's heavy defeat at Ibrox.

Manchester City bounced back from their mauling against Chelsea to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt has admitted his team have no excuses for their performance against Cyprus on Wednesday night which is likely to cost boss Steve Staunton his job.

Steve Staunton vowed to resist renewed calls for him to quit after the Ireland’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign petered out in an embarrassing Croke Park draw with Cyprus.

Republic of Ireland 1 Cyprus 1

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has today insisted that England striker Michael Owen is happy on Tyneside.

Newcastle 0 Liverpool 3

Waterford United 3 Finn Harps 3 (Finn Harps win 6-3 on aggregate)

The Football Association have called an emergency board meeting this morning at which England coach Steve McClaren seems certain to get the sack.

There was no dream return to London Irish for England’s Peter Richards as Harlequins, his former club, recorded their second win over the Exiles this season with a narrow EDF Energy Cup victory.

Indian Blessing got the Breeders’ Cup off to a flying start for punters with a pillar-to-post victory in the Juvenile Fillies event.

Birmingham’s prospective owner Carson Yeung saw former Juventus player Olivier Kapo score a late winner for Steve Bruce’s side against Wigan at St Andrews.

Manchester United equalled a 100-year-old scoring record as they stormed to the Premier League summit with a clinical win over Middlesbrough.

Scotland found a new way to inflict agony on their fans by crashing out of the 2008 European Championships qualifiers in the last minute against Italy at Hampden.

Lansdowne 8 Blackrock College 24

Bourgoin 24 Ulster 17

The Redheaded Vulture, a bird that thrived in South Asia feeding on the dead, is itself dying out.

Brian O’Driscoll admits “time is running out” as Ireland seek to halt the alarming slump in form that is threatening to undermine their World Cup.

Ireland 32 Namibia 17

John Wells insists England’s rookie pack “know what is coming” when they stand toe to toe with a juggernaut South Africa eight in Bloemfontein tomorrow.