Other soccer news in brief
McGeady expected to move south
AIDEN McGeady is likely to end up in English football despite Spartak Moscow offering to make him a millionaire, according to football agent Rudi Vata.
Vata thinks the Celtic winger would make up to €2.5 million after tax if the Russian club were successful with a reported €10 million bid for the 24-year-old.
"I don't think he will go," said Vata. "If he has one or two options down south then I think he will go there. It is not easy to make new friends and you travel long journeys to games.
"Moscow is a beautiful city, a great city, but it takes a strong personality, someone with a strong mentality to survive over there," said the former Celtic defender.
Republic of Ireland international McGeady, who signed a five-year deal in 2008, has been a long-time target of Alex McLeish ever since the Birmingham City manager moved from Celtic's city rivals, Rangers.
Chelsea to try and convince Cole
CHELSEA will fight to keep Joe Cole at Stamford Bridge. The England midfielder has been linked with a move to Arsenal after saying he will not sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge when his current deal expires at the end of June.
He has also been a target for Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and West Ham.
But Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins insists he and manager Carlo Ancelotti will be trying to persuade Cole to stay.
Wilkins said: "We've obviously been in dialogue with Joe for months now and it's pretty evident that Carlo and myself would love Joe to stay but it's down now to the club to see what we can do.
"We sincerely hope Joe stays with us - he's a smashing guy and he's a wonderful footballer so we'll keep our fingers crossed."
Madden does trick against Glenville
PADDY Madden scored a hat-trick as Bohemians eased into the fourth round with 7-1 victory in the FAI Ford Cup at Richmond Park yesterday.
Glenville, who play in the third division of the Leinster Senior League, were behind on 10 minutes when Madden scored his first. He scored again on 29 minutes.
The biggest cheer of the day went up on 42 minutes, though, when a mistake by Bohemians' left-back Mark Rossiter presented Jason Hegarty with a run on goal to score with a terrific finish.
Ken Oman restores Bohemians' two goal lead right on half-time.
Jason Byrne added a fourth goal on 66 minutes and Madden completed his hat-trick on 82 minutes before Ruaidhrí Higgins and Byrne completed the rout.
GLENVILLE:Malone; McDonnell, Keogh, Byrne, Scott; J Hegarty, Hogan (O'Brien, 51 mins), P Duffy (A Duffy, 58 mins), Gorman; Cullen, McArdle (R Hegarty, 75 mins).
BOHEMIANS:O'Connor; Heary, Shelley, Oman, Rossiter; McGlynn, Huggins, Cronin (Dixon, 77 mins), Brennan (Burke, 76 mins); Madden, Quigley (Byrne, 57 mins).
Referee:P McLaughlin (Monaghan).
Benitez being lined up to take over at Inter Milan
INTER Milan president Massimo Moratti has confirmed Rafael Benitez is the number one choice to take over the reins of the European Champions.
Speculation has been rife that Benitez is to be Jose Mourinho's successor since the Spaniard left Liverpool by mutual consent last Thursday, with Italian media expecting a deal to be completed by tomorrow. And Moratti has confirmed they are set for talks with Benitez over the next few days.
"I can only speak well of him because he is very good," Moratti said in an interview to Corriere dello Sport. "Yes, that is the direction and in the next few days we will see, we will decide.
"It's also important that he has always done well in Europe, to continue to get joy from the Champions League is our aim."
Inter have been on the lookout for a new coach since Mourinho's departure for Real Madrid after he had steered the Nerazzurri to a treble of the Champions League, Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.
Xavi implores Fabregas to join him
BARCELONA midfielder Xavi has told Cesc Fabregas he would love to see him back at Camp Nou and has no doubt the Arsenal man would be a star with the Catalan giants.
Fabregas has long been linked with a return to Barca, the club where he learned his trade as a youngster before moving to London seven years ago and they are still hopeful of signing him this summer despite having a €35 million offer for the Spain international rejected this week.
The 23-year-old is under contract to Arsenal until 2015 but last month reiterated his desire to head back to Barca and Xavi knows the club's blood runs through his international team-mate's veins.
"I would love him to come," he said yesterday. "I have already told him so.
"He's a footballer made up of Barca DNA. I don't have any doubt that Cesc would triumph at Barca."
Carlow pay the penalty
A PERFECTLY struck penalty on 61 minutes from Monaghan Town striker Karl Bermingham rescued a 1-1 draw for the League of Ireland side against FC Carlow in their FAI Ford Cup second-round tie at The Valley, Ballon, Carlow yesterday.
The home side had taken the lead on 55 minutes through a superbly headed goal from Brian Quigley.
However just past the hour a foul in the penalty area on Monaghan's Philip Hughes brought about the visitors penalty and Bermingham cooly slotted the ball high into the Carlow net.
FC CARLOW:G Dowling, A Wren, J Dermody, A Byrne, C J Browne, B Quigley, D Walsh, L Murphy, G Sykula, N Phelan, A Hickey. Sub: E Phelan for N Phelan (84 mins).
MONAGHAN UTD:G Sava, S McKevitt, A Costigan, A Lynch, C McMahon, D Tierney, C O'Connor, A Collins, K Bermingham, P Hughes, S Brennan. Sub: S McCrossan for McKevitt (74 mins)
Referee:P Cascara (Kildare).
