MACEDONIA will come to the Aviva Stadium for today’s Euro 2012 qualifier with a simple game-plan — to attack Ireland from the first whistle.

MICK MCCARTHY singled out Stephen Ward for praise after the versatile Irishman helped Wolves record a deserved derby victory over Birmingham.

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron flew back to Switzerland last night as England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup received a last-minute boost.

AN investigation into the violent scenes that marred the end of last Friday’s Tyrone ladies senior football final is officially underway.

A MAN was stabbed and violent battles broke out between rival football fans in “large-scale” crowd trouble last night.

SEX and booze have been very much off the agenda for Dunmanway FC in the past few days, at least until they get over the game of their lives against Liverpool today.

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.

MISSING the call to spot Thierry Henry’s handball made referee Martin Hansson cry and will likely prevent the Swedish referee taking charge of a match at this World Cup.

THE group that represents former patients of surgeon Michael Shine has expressed fury at the Government’s refusal to publish the result of an investigation into allegations that he abused male patients in his care at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

IT’S first versus second at the top of the Airtricity League tonight (kick-off 8pm) as Saint Patrick’s Athletic visit Shamrock Rovers for another six-pointer Dublin derby.

FIFA will consider scrapping extra time at World Cups or reviving the ‘golden goal’ rule, the organisation’s president Sepp Blatter has announced.

KILKENNY GAA chiefs will lodge a formal complaint with Croke Park in the wake of the chaotic scenes after their All-Ireland SHC final win over Tipperary.

There are two recurring targets for fans’ anger, week in, week out – ‘The Sunday Game’ and the conditions at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

FULHAM returned to winning ways courtesy of Clint Dempsey’s double as Blackburn failed to provide Sam Allardyce with another Premier League victory during his absence for heart surgery.

FRANCE’S first-choice front man André-Pierre Gignac suffered an injury scare during Toulouse’s 3-2 win against Rennes in Ligue 1 yesterday.

A SENIOR Swedish prosecutor reopened a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange yesterday, the latest twist to a puzzling case in which prosecutors of different ranks have overruled each other.

THE online whistle-blower WikiLeaks said it will continue to publish more secret files from governments around the world despite US demands to cancel plans to release classified military documents.

GAA chiefs are set to investigate the unruly scenes during yesterday’s All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final in the Gaelic Grounds, as 13-man Portlaoise crashed to defeat against Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans has endorsed the new law interpretations featured in the opening two rounds of the Super 14 competition, but believes referees must go a step further in order to achieve perfection.

A DOUBLE-JOBBING college lecturer has been blocked from claiming two pensions after concern was raised over lax governance standards in the third-level system.