Northern Ireland midfielder Grant McCann has moved from Barnsley to Scunthorpe for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

Scored all 3 goals for Hibs in their Scottish Cup win over Invernes Caley Thistle.

New Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen:

I know Deans ability and have seen it many times in the first team, said Paatelainen, recalling his time as a coach at the club.

Hull and Northern Ireland winger Stuart Olyott has turned down a £100,000 move to Southend because he doesn't want to move his family.

6th February & 26th March - both at home.

ILS: "The excitement level for these games are on about the same level as the managerial appointment"

Bulgaria at least rumoured to be costing 26 notes.

Nigel Worthington has been rewarded for scuppering our hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 with a contract that will make him the highest paid NI manager of all time, and keep him in the job until the end of the World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign.

Jonny: I've always wanted to come back, right from the start of the season. I thought another season out on loan, just to get some games, and I enjoyed my time here last season. I've been following Sunderland since the start of the season and I've been trying to kick every ball! I'd be watching them wit my family who are all Sunderland fans after last season.

Following Lawrie Sanchez' sacking by Fulham, surely any right thinking person will hope the IFA do all that is humanly possible to reinstate him in the NI job. I remind readers of what Lorry said on the 14th of May 2007:

"There is never a good time to go but as I've always said I would rather go when the team is on a high than have to leave because the team is doing poorly.

I KNEW this picture would come in useful sometime!!

"Finland manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that he was approached by the Irish FA about the Northern Ireland job after Lawrie Sanchez's departure.

Hodgson opted to stay with Finland and his side just missed out on a place in the Euro 2008 Finals but his future with the country is now in some doubt.

Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino.

San Marino are the lowest ranked team in Europe. No pressure.

Fixtures yet to be sorted. Matches run from September 2008 to November 2009.

Only the top team in each group qualifies automatically. The best eight runners-up play off for four more places.

Northern Ireland were left to reflect on what might have been as their EURO 2008 qualifying campaign finally ran out of steam against Spain tonight. Despite having won 5 out of 6 home games after recovering from a nightmare start against Iceland, and earning credible draws away to Denmark and Sweden, our failure to pick up even a point in an away double header against Latvia and Iceland in September, left us having not only to beat Spain tonight, but to rely on Latvija turning over Sweden.

Northern Ireland go into their last EURO 2008 qualifier with the chance to go through following a superb 2-1 win over Denmark tonight.

Pre-game thoughts were occupied with questions over whether the match would actually go ahead, after torrential rain all day. At 6pm, the referee had declared the pitch unplayable, but the Windsor Park surface passed a pitch inspection 5 minutes before kick off, and the game kicked off.

George McCartney will miss our final two qualifiers after doing his ankle in today. Jonny Evans would be the obvious choice to replace him, but maybe Nige will call up Alan Fettis or something...

Note that the Denmark game has an evening kick-off - 7:45pm

Jonny Evans, who probably shouldn't have started the match but definitely should have been on the bench is left out altogether (relegated to U21s)!! Stephen Robinson stays in the squad while Grant McCann is left out. Andy Kirk, joint top scorer in league one, is left out.

His first ever club goal. The opener in a 1-1 draw with Bolton.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=TOV4KT5S

Gareth McAuley scored the opener for Leicester against Chelsea in the week in the league cup. His team led 3-2 with 16 minutes left but Chelsea went on to win 4-3.

David Healy got an assist in Fulham's 3-1 win over Reading this afternoon, and then followed it up with his first goal since mid-August.