In sport it’s a mark of the great teams, a mark even of the great individuals, that very often the opposition are beaten ever before they start, psyched and intimidated into early submission.

Bridesmaid. It’s a word that seems to provoke equal amounts of fear and loathing from members of the opposite sex, much to the incomprehension of men everywhere.

St Michael’s secured a Leinster Schools Senior Cup final shot with holders Clongowes Wood after a titanic tussle with Kilkenny at Donnybrook yesterday.

Shamrock Rovers maintained their unbeaten start to the Airtricity League Premier Division campaign with Gary Twigg’s fifth goal of the season and an injury-time second from Billy Dennehy helping the champions grind out victory at Tallaght Stadium last night.

Blackwater CS (Lismore)0-11 Dungarvan CBS 0-8

CHELSEA blew the chance to put one foot in the Champions League knockout stage last night but their failure to beat Genk was overshadowed by another racism storm for the beleaguered club.

CORK and Laois battle for an All-Ireland final place when the first of the Ladies senior football championship semi-finals is played in Cashel this evening (6pm, TG4).

IT’S been an interesting couple of weeks for Jimmy Barry-Murphy, and we’re not just referring to the fact that he celebrated his 57th birthday last Monday.

FOR Pat Gilroy’s Dubs it was Corduff.

HOLDERS Inter Milan staged a remarkable second-half revival to knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League at the Allianz Arena.

IT was total domination from Waterford United in their opening game in the Airtricity League of Ireland First Division but Stephen Henderson’s side came unstuck by a very defensive Athlone Town outfit that held out for a share of the spoils at the RSC last night.

IT’S next stop Kazakhstan for St Pat’s after two first-half goals and a disciplined second-half performance saw Pete Mahon’s men deservedly turn around their Europa League tie against Iceland’s IBV at Richmond Park last night, winning 2-1 on aggregate.

THE satisfaction was clearly evident in the Kerry camp at the final whistle in Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday.

Declan Kidney doesn’t do surprises. Especially not when he has settled on a team he likes. That’s why there were no great gasps from the fourth estate when he named his team to meet France yesterday.

I’ve never seen singing as work.

CORK’S finest are running out of time to catch Catholic Institute, after the Limerick side showed off their clinical short corner conversion ability with a 5-1 win over UCC at The Mardyke on Saturday.

LIVERPOOL manager Kenny Dalglish knows he has some tough calls to make as he seeks to end Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the Barclays Premier League season.

CRESCENT COLLEGE Comprehensive won the Bowen Shield after a seven-year gap with an exciting victory over PBC in an epic contest at Temple Hill.

IT MAY go down in the history books as having finally drawn a line under centuries of animosity between two neighbouring nations.