Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Ferrari the main threat for Webber

MOTOR SPORT:Red Bull's Mark Webber yesterday singled out Ferrari as Formula One's team to beat, with Felipe Massa repaying the compliment but hoping the Australian was right.

Sauber’s Sergio Perez was quickest on the third day of the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya, although the Mexicans best lap time of one minute 21.761 seconds was a low fuel qualifying simulation on super-soft tyres.

Brazilian Massa was second fastest, 0.331 slower, after a similar single lap run.

However the Ferrari driver completed 132 laps – the equivalent of a double race distance at the Spanish Grand Prix track near Barcelona – and said the team’s latest upgrade was a clear improvement.

Webber was third for the world champions, a further 0.374 off the pace.

“I think Ferrari are strong. I think we’re going OK and the rest is hard to say,” Webber told reporters.

“I haven’t even looked at the times today, they’re not even of interest, you just focus on your own thing,” he added, laughing: “I think we’ll be in the top eight in Melbourne.”

The season starts in Australia on March 27th.

“You can never have it perfect but we could be in much worse shape in terms of reliability. Hopefully we are not too far away from Ferrari to start with and we go from there,” said the 34-year-old. “I think we’re going okay but it’s impossible for me to know what the red guys (Ferrari) are doing. On race runs they are going okay, they look quick.”

Asked about Webber’s comments, Massa pointed to Red Bull as his favourites.

“First of all they are a team that won last year and second they are very quick here.

“Even yesterday (world champion) Sebastian (Vettel) did a very quick time as well. so I point to Red Bull, he said.

I hope Mark Webber is right.

Behan blows hot for St Michael's

GAELIC GAMES:A superb point into a gale from 30 yards by centre back Diarmuid Behan, three minutes from the end of extra-time, earned St Michael's, Listowel, their place in the All-Ireland C football final after a dramatic 0-11 to 1-7 win over Holy Rosary, Mountbellew, at Clarina, Co Limerick, yesterday.

Coached by former Kerry star Liam Hassett, the Kerry side never led until that late winning score which broke the hearts of the Mountbellew side who led 1-4 to 0-2 after 25 minutes and by 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval. With the last kick of normal time Bryan Greaney levelled the game.

ST MICHAEL’S: S OSullivan; D Collins, E McKenna, C OKeeffe; J Maguire, D Behan (0-1), P Enright; D Enright (0-1), B Flavin; B Joy, C Cox (0-5, three frees), D Kennelly (0-1); P Quille, C Mulvihill (0-2), B Greaney (0-1). Subs: D OCarroll for Joy.

HOLY ROSARY: A Finn; C Farrell, L Laheen, P Gormally; G Lally, C OBrien, C Moran; F Mulryan, P Moore; S OReilly, J Collevy (1-2), S Delaney; N Carty, S Walsh, C Rabbitte (0-5, three frees).

Referee: M Meade (Limerick).

Britton will lead Irish team

ATHLETICS: Fionnuala Britton will lead a small Irish team into the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in Punta Umbria in Spain on Sunday week, writes Ian O'Riordan.

The Wicklow runner was just one of three athletes selected by Athletics Ireland yesterday, and will be joined in the senior women’s race by the national championship winner Ava Hutchinson from Dundrum South Dublin while Ferrybank’s Shane Quinn will compete in the junior men’s championship, having also won the national title.

Initially it looked as if Britton might be the lone Irish representative, but the selectors opted to name 26 year-old Hutchinson and Quinn once they too confirmed their interest. Irish senior men’s champion Joe Sweeney didn’t make himself available for selection as he wished to concentrate on the summer track season.

Berra in hospital after falling

BASEBALL:Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was taken to hospital as a precaution yesterday after the 85-year-old former Yankee slipped and fell before New York's spring training game.

Berra, with the team as a guest instructor, caught his shoe on a carpet and fell in the clubhouse before the Yankees game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Field in Florida. He fell on his posterior and paramedics insisted he go to hospital to be checked out.

Hooker Ford signs for two more years with Edinburgh

RUGBY: Scotland hooker Ross Ford yesterday agreed a two-year contract to stay with Edinburgh. The 26-year-old, who will line-up for Scotland against England in the Six Nations on Sunday, has agreed a new deal until May 2013.

Ford, who made his Edinburgh debut in October 2007, said: “I’ve loved being part of Edinburgh’s development in the last four years, and I’m excited by the prospect of helping the club push on.

“As a player, you always want to be part of a set-up that’s going forward and I firmly believe that this is the right environment for me to carry on maturing.

“I look forward to enjoying more good times with Edinburgh. It’s great to have my future sorted out, and I’m thrilled that future is with Edinburgh.” Nick Scrivener, Edinburgh’s interim head coach, was thrilled to retain the services of Ford, who toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2009.

He added: “Ross putting pen to paper is a massive boost for everyone.”