SPORTING DIGEST: FOOTBALL:

FOOTBALL: Mike Pejic, the former Everton and England full-back, yesterday left Chester City, who are bottom of the Second Division, after only seven months in charge. His assistant, the former Everton and Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe, is likely to take over.

Peter Shilton, suspended last week as manager of Plymouth Argyle for failing to settle a tax debt, yesterday issued a writ against the club, seeking damages for breach of contract.

Sheffield Wednesday have signed the 25-year-old striker, O'Neill Donaldson, from Doncaster for £50,000. The former Shrewsbury player has been on loan to Mansfield, for whom he scored seven goals in five games.

The Arsenal striker, Alan Smith, entered hospital yesterday for an operation to repair a torn cartilage. He will be out of action for up to a month.

Brian Whitehouse, Aston Villa's chief scout, has left the club. Malcolm Beard, who held the same position under Villa's new manager, Brian Little, at Leicester, may replace him.

The BBC will screen live coverage of Tottenham's FA Cup fourth-round trip to Carlisle or Sunderland on Sunday 29 January. The following evening, BSkyB will televise Sheffield Wednesday's match against Wolves. The third-round replay between Tranmere and Bury has been switched to Wednesday 18 January.

Yeovil Town have sacked their manager, Brian Hall, who was in his second spell at the GM Vauxhall Conference club after having led Wealdstone to the non-League double in 1985.

Rene Higuita, the Colombian goalkeeper, has been cleared of charges of co-operating with a band of kidnappers and will rejoin the national team. The 28-year-old had been jailed from June 1993 while awaiting trial. He was released in January 1994 after posting $10,000 (£6,500) bail.

INTER-CONTINENTAL CUP (Riyadh) Group A: Denmark 1 (Rasmussen 88) Mexico 1 (Luis Garcia 70) (Denmark won 4-2 on penalties). Group B: Argentina 0 Nigeria 0. Friday: Final: Argentina v Denmark. Third-place play-off: Nigeria v Mexico.

AFRICAN NATIONS' CUP Group Five (Port Louis): Mauritius 0 Zambia 3 (K Bwalya 32, 87, J Bwala 76).