FERMANAGH won’t fear Mayo in Saturday’s Bank of Ireland SFC semi-final replay, according to Brian Canavan, the former joint-manager of the Armagh team.

WISER, more experienced and not exactly lacking in confidence - that is Portumna's approach to Sunday's AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final against holders James Stephens in Semple Stadium.

DICK ADVOCAAT will allow himself a wry smile as he sets about the task of preparing for a Euro 2004 semi-final showdown with Portugal.

DJ CAREY yesterday thanked those who supported him last week as a number of tabloid newspapers attempted to expose his marital problems Kilkenny’s All-Ireland-winning captain described the situation prior to last Sunday as a “big intrusion” into his life, yet he brushed it aside saying that “these things happen.”

MANCHESTER CITY hero Jon Macken has urged his team-mates – and the club’s fans - not to get carried away by dreaming of the FA Cup fifth-round clash at Manchester United.

SCOTLAND coach Matt Williams has called on referees to get fair with his side, blaming the loss to Italy on crucial wrong decisions by Welsh whistler Nigel Whitehouse and hinting his side are handled differently because of their lowly status.

THE BONFIRES were blazing again in Newtown on Sunday night, the bunting-bedecked village rocking into the small hours as all 800 souls in the parish appeared to congregate around Paddy Ryan’s pub to celebrate winning the Munster hurling club title.

THE word from the Clare dressingroom to the waiting media was that players would not be available to talk until the match was finished - next week.

Ireland 1 Switzerland 2

MARTIN JOL forecast a battle until the final whistle on the last day of the season after his Tottenham side took a giant step towards European football with a demolition of Villa.

IT’S just as well Ger Cunningham is an easy-going chap, a well-developed sense of humour.

NATIONAL Irish bank has been hit with a total bill of €64 million after a devastating report revealed widespread tax evasion and overcharging at the bank.

OK, it’s official, Katrina is beginning to knock on our door.

PIERLUIGI COLLINA’S continuation as a Serie A referee was confirmed yesterday when he was included on the officials list for next season.

TARA WHELAN’S school jumper, a family photo and her work shirt from the local Sweep Bar will be among the symbols of her short but eventful life which will be brought to the altar today for the 17-year-old’s funeral Mass.

WITH another Heineken Cup campaign consigned to history for the Irish provinces, the post-mortems have begun in earnest. After Munster's clash in San Sebastian, I met a number of people who had also been at Lansdowne Road.

THERE was no jubilation in the Cork dressing room at the conclusion of yesterday’s one-sided game. Rather, there was simple satisfaction at a job well done.

ATHLETES who test positive for the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) could get reduced bans if they provide information on anybody involved in a doping conspiracy, the sport’s governing body has said.