LIVERPOOL defender Jose Enrique insists there will be no excuses from the players as they prepare for a quick turnaround for a Carling Cup quarter-final at Chelsea.

LIGHTS. Camera. Action.

YOU gave it a pet name. It knows more about you than your mother does. Sometimes you even sleep with it. In fact, you’re so attached to it that being separated for only a few minutes could send you into a panic.

GREEN or red, the colour doesn’t matter. Colm Cooper just loves the sight of those Mayo jerseys.

PETE MAHON last night hailed his side’s battling performance in their narrow defeat to Shakter Karagandy in Kazakhstan as the highlight of his long career.

KERRY defender Marc Ó Sé last night predicted some of the long-serving members of the Kingdom squad will bring the curtain down on their inter-county careers in the wake of yesterday’s shattering All-Ireland final defeat by Dublin.

CLARE secured their first brace of league points when they crushed Kilkenny in Saturday’s Allianz NFL Division Four tie at Miltown Malbay.

– A tearful Michael Ballack claimed “it just isn’t meant to be” for him to play in a World Cup final after Italy clinched an epic semi-final victory over Germany in Dortmund last night.

Hundreds of revellers transformed Belfast city centre into a sea of colour today to mark St Patrick’s Day.

Police detained 300 people around France after nationwide student marches against a new labour law turned violent.

Thierry Henry insists Arsenal’s young starlets can secure a glittering future for the club – with or without him.

Munster U21 24 Penn State 10

Didier Drogba’s double put champions Chelsea ahead at the break against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Italy’s Milan clubs looked in good shape at the midway stage of their Champions League quarter-finals after Wednesday’s first-leg fixtures tonight.

Fulham boss Chris Coleman is confident his players will respond to his stinging appraisal of Saturday’s defeat by Everton when they run out at Anfield tonight.

Eddie O’Sullivan insists Ireland will be ready for an early onslaught from Italy in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash at Lansdowne Road.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani condemned the alleged abuse by British soldiers of Iraqi youths that was caught on film in 2004, describing it as “unjustified”, his spokesman said today.

New Norwich manager Peter Grant has leapt to the defence of his under-fire Birmingham counterpart Steve Bruce and branded criticism of him as "a disgrace" given his overall success at St Andrews.

The stalled P-Pars payroll system will use up €21m in taxpayers’ money this year, the Dáil heard today.