MATCH reports from the Scottish third division.

AFTER what he calls "the best year of my life", Olympic champion Jason Gardener returned to the racing track at the Kelvin Hall yesterday determined to show his naked ambition.

ON WEDNESDAY January 12, the very day that Phil Anderton was walking out of Murrayfield, an Aberdeen businessman was sitting down with Kenny Logan to talk about launching a bid for the Glasgow rugby franchise.

ABERDEEN 34-10 GALAABERDEEN Grammar clocked up at their first league double of the season and in doing so almost certainly confined a gallant Gala side to relegation.

THERE'S been a lot of talk about how vulnerable England are. They've got a new coach and they've lost a host of players - Jonny Wilkinson, Neil Back, Lawrence Dallagio, Mike Tindall, Will Greenwood, Martin Corry ... the list just

MATCH reports from the Scottish second division.

CURRIE 20-25 HAWICKHAWICK continued their revival to draw level with Currie in the table. The visitors could hardly have opened better, catching Currie cold in the second minute for Barry Sutherland to nip in for a try from a scrum

WALTER Smith has ensured that his first get- together in charge of Scotland will involve a proven goalscorer at international level by extending an invite to Ally McCoist to assist in coaching the squad.

MELROSE 21-26 HERIOT'SHERIOT'S maintained their challenge for the BT Premiership title with a bonus point win over Melrose at The Greenyards to move to the top of the table ahead of their rivals Glasgow Hawks.

QoS 0-0 ST MIRRENCRAIG "The Cat" Hinchcliffe will wake up this morning purring with pride after his double save denied Queen of the South the chance to go level on points with St Mirren.

GERAINT Jones, standing up and whispering sweet nothings, has been known to unsettle many a batsman in his time, but sledging is unlikely to have any effect on the maverick that is South Africa's Andrew Hall at the Wanderers today.

ON A day when Kilmarnock have to face the champions at Rugby Park, the last thing the club needs is off-the-field distractions.

FEW football managers, if any, would ever be found pining for their predecessor. But Billy Davies is the exception to this rule at Preston North End in maintaining, despite his inspiring of the club into the play-off places in the

ONLY IN AMERICATONIGHT'S big game in the National Hockey League is the visit of the Pittsburgh Penguins to reigning Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay.

FROM OUR first match onwards, it is going to be backs-to-the-wall stuff for Scotland, and realistically, we must look to our home matches for any success.

DERBY got closest to causing an upset in the fourth round of the FA Cup yesterday as they earned a replay after a 1-1 draw with Premiership side Fulham.

WATSONIANS 51-17 GHAWATSONIANS grabbed a relegation lifeline when they outclassed a GHA side now facing a desperate battle to retain their BT Premiership Division One status.

WORLD OF FOOTBALLGERMANY is up in arms after referee Robert Hoyzer admitted betting on matches he was officiating in and receiving "five-figure sums" to manipulate games, reportedly from a betting syndicate linked to the Croatian mafia.

PARTICK 4-1 RAITHTHISTLE debutant Stephen McConalogue won immediate favour among Firhill fans by scoring twice after coming on as a second half substitute.

IF, AS looks likely, Bernard Laporte selects Yann Delaigue at No.10 for Saturday's meeting with Scotland at the Stade de France, it will be doubly pleasing for the 31-year-old Castres man.