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Munster's Damien Varley warms up in the fading light. ©INPHO/James Crombie
Early Doors

The Morning Score: Tuesday

Get your day off on the right foot (or the left if you’re Leo Messi). Here’s all the morning’s sports news.

1. #JIM STYNES The state funeral of Jim Stynes, the Dublin minor footballer and Australian Rules legend, has taken place in Melbourne.

“I tried following in his footsteps, but they were always too big,” Jim’s younger brother Brian said in his eulogy.

2. #PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester United have opened up a three-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, but Alex Ferguson’s men were nowhere near their best in last night’s 1-0 win at home to Fulham.

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring towards the end of the first half with his 17th goal in his last 17 games before late controversy saw referee Michael Oliver wave away Fulham’s penalty claims after Michael Carrick appeared to push Danny Murphy in the game’s dying moments.

3. #LUKE FITZGERALD Irish international winger Luke Fitzgerald could be on the verge of leaving Leinster, according to reports in The Irish Times this morning.

Gavin Cummiskey writes that the IRFU contract offered to the 24-year-old a few months ago has since been withdrawn, opening up the prospect of an overseas move for Fitzgerald.

3. #CLAUDIO RANIERI Inter Milan have sacked Claudio Ranieri as coach just six months after appointing him.

The 60-year-old had been under intense pressure after a run of just one win in 10 matches left the club languishing in eighth place in the Serie A table, seven points shy of the European qualification places.

Youth team coach Andrea Stramaccioni will take charge on an interim basis.

4. #WATERFORD HURLING Sean Cullinane and Ken McGrath were unanimously ratified as Waterford’s new hurling selectors at a meeting of the Déise county board last night.

The two will take over from Nicky Cashin and Brother Philip Ryan, who stepped down from the roles last week.

5. #EA SPORTS CUP Cillian Morrison hit an awesome foursome as UCD beat Waterford 6-1 in the EA Sports Cup last night. Morrison started and finished his hat-trick within the space of six first-half minutes before adding a fourth in the opening minutes of the second half.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Monaghan United, Shelbourne, Cork City, Finn Harps and Drogheda United.

6. #CHAMPIONS LEAGUE There are two European games to look forward to tonight as the quarter-finals of the Champions League get underway.

Roberto di Matteo and Chelsea travel to Portugal to take on Benfica, while the tournament’s unlikely success story APOEL Nicosia host Real Madrid.