Manchester United's impressive winning record came to an end last night as Michael Obafemi's 96th minute equaliser gave Southampton a point at Old Trafford and saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side miss out on the chance to go third. Goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial had turned the match in United's favour but a late corner and a bundles Obafemi finish did the damage in a match which Solskjaer said afterwards United probably didn't deserve to win. In other soccer news, after sportspeople rallied around David McGoldrick yesterday in light of racist abuse he received online, Jame McClean pointed out in a message on Facebook that he hasn't received any such support for the abuse he has been on the end of for years due to the fact that he doesn't wear a Remembrance Sunday poppy.
On to rugby and last night the IRFU finally reached a pay reduction agreement with its players for a six-month period after protracted talks. Players earning over €25k will take a 10 per cent cut and a 10 per cent deferral until the end of the year it was announced last night. Meanwhile, in his column this morning Gerry Thornley writes that there are reasons to be cheerful for Munster when rugby resumes, despite missing out on the European knockout stages. "With Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree bringing their influence to bear over a full 'pre-season' as such, coupled with their new signings, Munster could be the most improved of the four Irish sides after the resumption," he writes. Meanwhile, in Texas, former Ulster flanker Roger Wilson has found his niche in tackling the problem of bad technique in high school American football. "I'd watch the young kids playing high school football leading with their heads in the tackle and was shocked by what I was seeing," he tells Jonathan Drennan.
On to our Game Changers series and this morning Johnny Watterson looks at the impact Gary O'Toole had one swimming and how he sacrificed his prospects at the 1992 Olympics to seek justice for the victims of George Gibney. "Call it responsibility. Call it a moral imperative. Call it anger. Call it outrage. Call it an affront. Call it a response to everything his father Aidan and mother Kay ever taught him. On his return from the Olympics O'Toole filled a gaping moral vacuum. He took it upon himself to ask his own discreet questions, make his own tactful investigations," he writes.
In GAA, Wexford have asked the government to increase capacity for club championship matches given the county has had such a low rate of Covid-19 infections. The county believes that its three main venues – Wexford Park, Bellefield in Enniscorthy and O'Kennedy Park in New Ross – would be well able to host up to 2,000 in four pods of 500.
Finally to golf and Tiger Woods returns to action this week at the Memorial Tournament where he will played alongside Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka for the first round. McIlroy is also trying to hold on to his world number one spot while Bryson DeChambeau is looking to make it two wins in two starts.
