ENGLAND are grappling with how to tweak a winning team after an unexpected one-day international whitewash of Pakistan.

Despite playing their third match in five days, Earlston High School emerged winners of the Brewin Dolphin under-18 Plate final after producing a polished performance of running rugby to defeat Carrick Academy at Murrayfield last night.

JEDBURGH Grammar confirmed their favourite status by lifting the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools under 16 Plate with a comfortable win over Borders rivals Peebles High School at Murrayfield last night.

Peter Houston has hailed the impact of John Rankin after the midfielder played a starring role in Dundee United’s 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

Legendary Liverpool defender Tommy Smith last night revealed that he has sold his medals because he was afraid they would be stolen.

The latest football news from around Britain

HIBERNIAN manager Pat Fenlon called for his team to “show more balls” in adversity after watching them concede four goals in 28 second half minutes to lose 4-3 at Motherwell. The loss leaves him with only one victory from 12 Scottish Premier League matches in charge of a Leith club who remain joint-bottom of the table with Dunfermline.

DUNFERMLINE have written to the Scottish Premier League after the Fife outfit were not paid the £80,000 owed to the club for the recent meeting with Rangers.

The three main Rangers supporters organisations have joined forces to launch a website where fans can pledge how much money they would be willing to invest in the crisis club.

Expediency of ending sequence of defeats means the creativity fans crave must wait

]]> 1.2133253 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:01:38 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/golf_desert_double_as_paul_lawrie_and_martin_laird_progress_in_wgc_event_1_2133252

PAUL Lawrie and Martin Laird provided another satisfying day for Scottish golf as they both recorded last-hole wins in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

PRESSURE and international rugby go hand-in-hand but, as some fear that expectations may grow too great too quickly on the shoulders of 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, the player himself is taking it in his stride.

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon insists his team’s relentless surge clear at the top of the SPL is worthy of the highest praise, regardless of the 10-point deduction imposed on outgoing champions Rangers.

Arbroath last night showed they are in the mood to make a real challenge for the Second Division title by seeing off neighbours Forfar at Gayfield.

Sacked Huddersfield manager Lee Clark has been shortlisted for the 2012 Football League Award for Outstanding Managerial Achievement.

Daniel Uchechi insists he has plenty more to offer at Aberdeen once fully match-fit.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes he and his team-mates showed that they are in the Europa League to win the competition after they thrashed Porto to reach the last 16.

Sir Alex Ferguson would love to set up a classic European final with Manchester City.

WHILE many people have said football should just do away with the pre-match handshake ritual in the wake of the recent Suarez-Evra and Ferdinand-Terry sagas, Franz Beckenbauer reckons there should actually be more handshaking at games.

JOSE Mourinho is the subject of a complaint by a gay rights group after he allegedly used a Spanish homophobic insult about match officials.