Premier league Review

Manchester United thrashed Wigan Athletic  5-0 at Old Trafford with Dimitar Berbatov claiming a hat-trick; a victory that drew them level on points with Manchester City, who only managed a goalless draw at West Brom,  at the top of the table and also reduced the goal difference between the two sides to 5 goals. United remain in second position but those who have wrote off United since the 6-1 defeat to their massive rivals may be thinking again about the outcome of the Premier League title race. Liverpool dropped more points at home to end a difficult week for the club; a 0-0 draw with Wigan midweek followed the FA’s confirmation of an eight match ban for Luis Suarez after he was found guilty of racial abuse towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and the Reds drew 1-1 with struggling Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle United ended a difficult period of bad results with a 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton whilst Fulham earned a valuable point away at Chelsea. Arsenal didn't take the chance to go above Chelsea as they drew with Wolves, QPR held Swansea for a draw and Spurs went four points clear of Chelsea as they defeated Norwich 2-0.

Berbatov on form for United

Manchester United ran out comfortable winners against an on form Wigan who have had a good string of results lately. But Man United were in no mood to allow this form to continue. A hat-trick from Dimitar Berbatov including a penalty along with a goal each from Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia who hit a delightful strike against his former club. Wigan had Sammon sent off in the first half which bemused Roberto Martinez but Wigan now look to turn things around against Stoke on New Year's Eve.

 At the Hawthorns a resilient West Brom held the league leaders Man City to a 0-0 draw which certainly frustrated Roberto Mancini as this allowed Man United to reach the same amount of points as City but the blue side of Manchester are still superior on goal difference. However, two 5-0 victories for the Red Devils against Fulham and Wigan have certainly been helpful in reducing the difference from their rivals.

 At the Reebok Stadium it was a contest between two sides desperate for a win. Bolton were confident after their 2-1 victory away at Blackburn on Tuesday night whereas Newcastle were coming in on the back of a 3-2 defeat at home to West Brom. However, it was the visitors who claimed the 3 points as goals from Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba both in the second half ensured a 2-0 victory for the Magpies to get them back to winning ways.

 Liverpool dropped points at home to a Blackburn Rovers side rooted to the bottom of the table and they had to come from behind as Charlie Adam scored an own goal on the brink of half-time to make it 1-0 to Rovers. In the second half Liverpool needed to come out and after unconvincing performances recently, they had to go for the win. They got themselves back in the game through an equaliser from Maxi Rodriguez in the 53^rd minute. Goalkeeper Bunn made some important saves in the latter stages of the game to deny Liverpool a winner and meant that the under pressure Steve Kean had something to smile about before his team face another daunting away trip; this time to Old Trafford against Manchester United to end the year.

Dempsey celebrates his equaliser

Chelsea did not build on an excellent second half performance and result against Spurs on Thursday as they had to settle for a draw against their West London rivals Fulham. Despite Juan Mata giving the home side the lead in the second half, USA international Clint Dempsey grabbed a precious goal to give Fulham a point as they looked to recover from their 5-0 defeat to Man United earlier in the week. Andre Villas-Boas reflected on the result and concluded that it would be difficult to win the title after the draw.

 Sunderland drew 1-1 with Everton at the Stadium of Light with Martin O’Neill’s side taking the lead with Jack Colback getting his first goal for the club making it 1-0 midway through the first half. Six minutes in to the second half and a penalty was awarded to Everton after referee Howard Webb assumed Leon Osman had been tripped inside the box. However, replays show that this was a very controversial decision as Osman had merely lost balance and caught himself causing him to go down. Leighton Baines stepped up and converted and the game finished that way at 1-1. Martin O’Neill was understandably infuriated and David Moyes admitted that it should not have been a penalty for his side.

 Stoke City drew with their opponents Aston Villa with the result being 0-0 at the Britannia Stadium in the live evening fixture. Villa thoroughly deserved a point at a difficult place to visit but Stoke never really sparked and failed to conjure up fluent attacks. There were a few occasions when they looked dangerous but they found it difficult to get through a strong, disciplined Villa defence.  Substitute Nathan Delfouneso also came very near to scoring when Gabriel Agbonlahor used his pace to get the ball and play it across evading Huth with Delfouneso getting the touch but Thomas Sorensen made an excellent stop to concede a corner.  Stoke came closest when a corner found Marc Wilson who’s header struck the underside of the bar and bounced back down the chest of Agbonlahor on the line and was cleared. Replays show that not the whole of the ball was over the line and Agbonlahor didn’t handle it when it came down from the bar so it wasn’t a goal or penalty.

Hennessey making an important save to deny Vermaelen

Arsenal missed out on the opportunity to climb in to the top four as they didn’t capitalise on Chelsea’s dropped points by drawing 1-1 with Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. Gervinho gave the Gunners a 1-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes but Wolves equalised through Steven Fletcher who headed home from a Stephen Hunt effort before half-time. A remarkable display from Wayne Hennessey in the Wolves goal ensured Wolves took a point from this fixture. Wolves had Milijas sent off harshly after he appeared to win the ball when going into a challenge with Mikel Arteta.

 At the Liberty Stadium, Swansea drew 1-1 with QPR with the visitors goal being just the third goal Swansea have conceded at home; quite an impressive record so far. Danny Graham gave the Swans the lead and there were appeals for handball when the striker controlled it but the referee allowed the goal to stand. In the second half QPR came back stronger with Joey Barton forcing Michel Vorm into a fine save from long range and before Jamie Mackie equalised in the 58^th minute. The game ended level with a point each that was beneficial for Neil Warnock’s side to steer away from danger.They're now 3 points above the relegation zone.

Bale gets his second goal of the night

 In the evening game, Norwich played high flying Spurs and Gareth Bale inspired a 2-0 victory scoring both goals. Norwich had done well in the first half, it was 0-0 at half-time but Spurs came to life in the second half and Emmanuel Adebayor had good feet to set up Bale inside the box to put it past John Ruddy for the first goal. It was more class from Bale for the second goal as he went on a long run charging through the Norwich defence and he delicately chipped the ball over Ruddy across the line to give Spurs a 2-0 lead and virtually kill the game off.

Barclays Premier League Review

Manchester United celebrated Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th anniversary in charge of the club with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland whilst Man City maintained their 5 point lead at the top with a narrow victory over QPR and there were wins for Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle but Liverpool were held to a goalless draw with Swansea City at Anfield.




Heitinga puts it in his own net.

 

The lunchtime kick off saw in-form Newcastle United take on David Moyes' Everton side at St James' Park. The Magpies are still unbeaten this season after an excellent 3-1 victory against Stoke City last Monday night. It was the home side who took the lead when a low cross in from the right hand side by Danny Simpson was put in by Everton defender John Heitinga gifting Alan Pardew's men the lead. The lead was doubled when Ryan Taylor hit a wonderful volley beyond Tim Howard's reach to come in off the bar and make it 2-0 to the home team. Everton got themselves back in the game when Jack Rodwell pulled one back at the very end of the first half. There were shouts for a penalty in the second half when Louis Saha's shot was deflected and appeared to strike the arm of former Everton player Dan Gosling but no penalty was given. It should have been a spot kick but the referee had his view blocked by another Newcastle defender. It finished 2-1 in the end and Newcastle went up to second in the Premier League albeit temporarily.




Guard of Honour for Sir Alex Ferguson.



It was a day of celebration at Old Trafford as Sir Alex Ferguson marked 2 years in charge of Manchester United; an incredible record of achievement and consistency at the highest level with one of the greatest teams ever. He walked onto the pitch to be greeted by a guard of honour by his own team and Sunderland as well as being presented on the pitch with the North Stand being renamed the 'Sir Alex Ferguson' stand in tribute to the Scotsman. A statue will also be placed outside of this stand in the near future. In to the action and it was a former United player, Wes Brown, who headed in to his own net. Brown didn't have a great view and was unfortunate in this scenario. Sunderland created their own chances but didn't take them and Westwood was forced into some remarkable saves including a double one with shots from Rooney and Evra coming close. United held on and closed the gap to just 2 points from Man City even if it was only for a couple of hours.

Man City were at Loftus Road in the evening kick off, but it was QPR who started the better with numerous attacks and Bothroyd eventually giving them the lead with a wonderful header. It could have been a lot more for QPR who hit the post and came close on several occasions. They didn't finish off these chances and Edin Dzeko snatched an equaliser at the end of the first half with a nice finish which was unfortunate for Rangers who really took the game to City. In the second half, Mancini's team went into the lead as David Silva took a great touch away from the defence and claimed his 4th goal of the season giving the visitors a 2-1 lead. QPR came back though despite some testing shots from Sergio Aguero and they equalised when the ball found Bothroyd in the air who headed it against his team mate Helguson and it went into the net. The Man City players complained that Helguson was offside but replays show that Stefan Savic was keeping Helguson onside so the linesman made a great decision in that respect. Man City came back once more though and regained their lead when Yaya Toure, who scored two in the midweek Champions League win over Villareal, headed home for the third to secure the victory. Man City remain 5 points ahead at the top, QPR are in 12th after a very courageous and defiant display that probably meant they deserved at least a point.

Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against West Brom with goals from Robin Van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta ensuring the 3 points for an Arsenal side who have revived in recent weeks after their shocking start to the campaign. Mikel Arteta's goal was finished off nicely by the Spaniard after a good team move. Arsenal are now in 7th place and certainly needed this win after the 0-0 draw with Marseille in the Champions League last week.

Chelsea recovered from their recent woes in the Premier League as they recorded a 1-0 victory over struggling Blackburn courtesy of a great header from Frank Lampard. It wasn't an easy game for Andre Villas-Boas as Cech was forced into making some essential saves and also took a knock that required treatment. Chelsea stay in 4th with that win whilst Blackburn remain in the relegation zone.

There was a thriller at Villa as Norwich City travelled to Villa Park and it was the away team that took the lead through a wonderful free-kick from Pilkington with 25 minutes gone but Bent equalised 5 minutes later before Villa took the lead in the second half through Gabriel Agbonlahor to make it 2-1. Darren Bent then got a second to give Villa a 3-1 lead before Steve Morison pulled one back with over 10 minutes left creating a very tense end but the home side held onto all 3 points taking them above Norwich and into 8th place.

Swansea City earned a remarkable point away at Anfield with a fantastic performance in a game where they also had chances too. Michel Vorm was the hero for Swansea denying Liverpool on a countless number of times. Liverpool attacked and attacked but they couldn't find a goal. Swansea also had chances too and they came close to causing a huge upset against the Reds. Dirk Kuyt had a goal disallowed for offside and this was an excellent decision by lineswoman Sian Massey who correctly ruled the goal out. Swansea held on for a famous point and will be very pleased by their performance that will give them a major confidence boost. Especially as they take on Manchester United at home in their next Premier League fixture.

Premier League results

Arsenal 3-0 West Bromwich Albion

Aston Villa 3-2 Norwich City

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Chelsea

Liverpool 0-0 Swansea City
Manchester United 1-0 Sunderland

Newcastle United 2-1 Everton

Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Manchester City

Sunday's Fixtures

Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic (Sky Sports 1, 1.30pm)

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur (Sky Sports 1, 4pm)



npower League 2 review

In another big weekend in League 2 Southend United went 2 points clear at the top as Crawley and Morecambe were held to draws in their respective matches but there were wins for both Cheltenham Town and Shrewsbury Town away from home.

Southend United were at home to an Oxford United side who are certainly fighting at the top end of the table and earning important results so this was one of the big games in League 2. Mark Phillips gave the home side the lead at half-time but Oxford replied in the second half through Damian Batt making it 1-1 but Ryan Hall's 25 yard effort that gave Southend a 2-1 lead proved to be the winner as the Shrimpers picked up maxium points to keep them at the peak of League 2.

Shrewsbury Town were in need of a victory after their 0-0 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon last week and they were up against a struggling Dagenham side at the wrong end of the table. Both sides were reduced to 10 men in this game. James Wallace, who signed on loan from Everton midweek, was sent off for Shrewsbury after lunging in on Jon Nurse. Terry Gornell gave the visitors the lead in the 6th minute capitalising on a mistake from Dagenham's Richard Rose. The game was decided in injury time when Graham Turner's men were awarded a penalty after Scott Doe fouled James Collins and was consequently sent off. It was Collins who took the penalty and put it away to seal the 3 points for Town who move up to 4th with that away victory.

Cheltenham continued their surge into the automatic promotion places with a 1-0 victory at Bradford City; Kaid Mohammed's 15 yard strike being the only goal of the game to take Cheltenham up to third.

Morecambe and Crawley Town had to settle for draws as Morecambe drew 1-1 with Plymouth Argyle and it could have been worse for John Coleman's side who were 1-0 down to Plymouth courtesy of Simon Walton. However, in the 4th minute of injury time, Nick Fenton scored a very late equaliser to rescue a point for the visitors. Crawley finished 1-1 with Hereford United at Edgar Street. It was Hereford who took the lead early on through Barkhuizen but Drury levelled for Crawley before half-time and the Red Devils are now unbeaten in 9 games and lie second in League 2 behind Southend.

Despite Dagenham's defeat they remain above the relegation zone on goal difference as Barnet drew 1-1 with AFC Wimbledon keeping them in the bottom two along with Plymouth Argyle.

League 2 Results:

Accrington Stanley 2-1 Bristol Rovers
AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Barnet FC
Bradford City  0-1 Cheltenham Town
Burton Albion 1-0 Macclesfield
Crewe Alexandra 0-3 Torquay United
Dagenham and Redbridge 0-2 Shrewsbury Town
Gillingham 4-3 Northampton Town
Hereford United 1-1 Crawley Town
Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Morecambe
Port Vale 0-2 Swindon Town
Rotherham United 2-0 Aldershot
Southend United 2-1 Oxford United

Motionless Hamilton on pole in Korea

Hamilton on pole.

Lewis Hamilton ended Red Bull's qualifying dominance in the 2011 season as he took pole position with a time of 1.35.820 ahead of World Champion Sebastian Vettel in second and his Mclaren team mate Jenson Button in third. It's been a difficult year for Hamilton and this pole position, which is his 19th career pole, would have given him a psychological boost despite the lack of motion he showed in the aftermath.

Tyre selection was the centre of debate as the teams prepared for qualifying and their race strategy but this wasn't as difficult to decide as earlier expected. Mclaren had already shown their competitive edge this weekend with Lewis and Jenson being at the top of the practice time sheets and had given their rivals, although the title race is over, a fierce warning ahead of this weekend's race. With P3 being over after the chequered flag was waved, Hamilton, Button and Vettel as well as Massa and Alonso were fighting hard on their final laps. Hamilton ended his session with a fast time getting into the 1.35s which was shortly followed by Button who managed 1.36.126 taking him up to second before Vettel followed denying Mclaren a one-two but not enough to take top spot of Hamilton. Mark Webber qualified in 4th in front of Felipe Massa who out qualified his Ferrari team mate Fernando Alonso in 6th.

When the drivers went in to Parc Ferme, Lewis Hamilton got out of his car slowly and did not celebrate his pole position. He showed no emotions and just went through to be weighed and cool off after an exciting qualifying session, Vettel came in and seemed rather content with his performance and inspected one of the Mclarens and made his way to be weighed. When the drivers came out for their top 3 photo, Hamilton didn't smile and again looked very subdued as Button and Vettel talked to each other. In the press conference, Hamilton was asked about his lack of emotion and said that he was very happy inside and gave a brief answer. This was the first time this season that Red Bull haven't been on pole position and that run stretches back to Brazil last year as well so it's nice to see someone different at the top.

If Hamilton can convert the pole position into victory tomorrow then I am sure that smile will return to the face of Hamilton who has admitted himself that this has been his worst year in Formula One but he has the chance to end it strongly. Although the battle for the world title is over, there is still plenty to race for and a strong end for Mclaren will give them the baseline for more development in 2012. It should be an interesting race and will  test whether Hamilton has still got the ability to get race wins. The race begins at 7am in England tomorrow morning.

France edge past Valiant Wales

A brave Wales side, who were reduced to14 men in the first half, could not beat the French at the Eden Park stadium in New Zealand. France won the game 9-8 after 80 minutes in the Rugby World Cup semi-final in controversial circumstances as Irish referee Alain Rolland sent off Welsh captain Sam Warburton for a high tackle after just 18 minutes of play.

A dejected Warburton after his dismissal.

It was nothing but a stupid tackle, however this foul did not appear to warrant a red card and a yellow would have been a justified decision. Nevertheless, Wales were given a disadvantage and this may have ruined the game as a spectacle. It was Wales who took an early lead with a penalty converted from James Hook. Hook had another penalty when the French front row was penalised but Hook couldn't put it in between the posts as it drifted towards the right. Then in the 18th minute it all went wrong for Wales when captain Warburton challenged Vincent Clerc and took him off his feet but immediately released him as his feet went off the floor. It was a bad challenge but Warburton realised this and let him go as soon as Clerc's feet were lifted off the ground. Despite Warburton's innocence, the referee, without referring to video evidence, sent off Warburton and Wales were facing a huge task ahead of them.

France soon got it level as well, Wales had a scrum and had the put in but France pushed the srum and won a penalty which was well taken by Morgan Parra. This made it 3-3 and France had the advanatage once more when Wales conceded another penalty from a scrum that was once again converted by Parra making it 6-3 to   Les Blues. It was continuing to be a kicking game when France extended their lead 10 minutes into the second half and Parra continued his good record in this game gaining the 3 points from a difficult position.

Williams with Wales try.

Wales responded and kept on pressuring the French and this paid off in the 58th minute. Wales got the first try of the game with Phillips picking up the ball from the ruck, dummying a pass and then going all the way to grab 5 points that got it back to 8-9. The conversion would have taken Wales into the lead but Stephen Jones  hit the post and agonisingly missed the opportunity to give Wales the advantage. It was now all to play for though with just a point separating the two sides.

Wales attacked France and kept possession for as long as they possibly could but with just 5 minutes to go, their opposition were remaining resilient. A drop goal would have been enough to win the game but the Welsh couldn't get themselves in the position to do so and that was a credit to France's determination. With the 80 minutes up, it was do or die for Wales but they lost possession and France inevitably kicked the ball out to put them through to the Rugby World Cup final.

France players celebrate victory.

It was utter heartbreak for Wales who have been magnificent for the whole campaign and showed great commitment again in this semi-final. They were given an early setback with the dismissal of their captain but kept on fighting until the very end and came so close to reaching that glamorous final but France just edged past them in the end. The sending off will be the main talking point of this game and the referee will come under a lot of criticism for this unfair decision. Wales have a lot of positives to take from this World cup and can certainly look forward to the future, there is a lot of potential in the side and they will most definitely be a world class side with more progress and development. Many believe that France have been the worst side in this tournament and don't deserve to be in the final but the fact is that they are there and have a great opportunity to win the world cup. They will either face New Zealand or Australia depending on the outcome of tomorrow's massive semi-final which should be a fantastic contest in this major rivalry. For Wales, their journey is not over just yet , they still have a 3rd/4th play-off to play next week so they still have the chance to finish strongly. 3rd place will still be a great achievement and reflect on how successful they have been in this tournament. They will play the losers of tomorrow's semi-final. France will now wait to see who they will face in the battle to claim the World Champion's status next weekend.

Ludlow 1-4 Sundorne

Ludlow School 1-4 Sundorne School

Starting XI: Wills, Jones, Smith, Green, Simmons, Jehu, Burrows, Rogers, Hanks, Dance, Clarke

Subs: Bebb, Mitchell

Sundorne School’s Year 11 team began their season with a victory that was less comfortable than the score line suggests when they made the trip down to the South of Shropshire on the 6^th October. The team had been training for a few weeks and were finally ready to play their first game of the academic year.

With goalkeeper Matthew Richards ill and unavailable to play as well as Matthew Parton for the same reasons, the team were given an early setback, also without Mark Murch and Aiden jehu because of injuries. Will Wills was called in to play in goal, and Chris Green was called up to the squad along with Jay Clarke. This match also saw a debut for Chris Jones who made a great first impression at the back.

The visitors started the game well, keeping possession and making regular attacks putting pressure on Ludlow before Josh Hanks had a great chance to open the scoring but he could only put the ball straight to the keeper who collected comfortably. The rain started to fall down and the conditions were not the most pleasant, particularly for those on the side lines. Then another opportunity fell to Jay Clarke who again couldn’t put it past the keeper and was unfortunate not to score. Sundorne kept on pressing and were winning a lot of corners and when the opportunity for a long throw from Hanks came about, defender Chris Green made his way up from the back but his close-range effort was put over the bar much to the agony of manager Mr Street. Ludlow were beginning to deal with the constant attacks and started to play the ball around themselves creating a few opportunities before they got their first real chance which they took with two hands. Against the run of play, the home side took the lead and that probably gave Sundorne a reality check and the need to start playing it on the floor more. Ludlow almost doubled their lead when their striker decided to have a shot that hit the post .However, they couldn’t find an equaliser before half-time and when the first period was over, Ludlow were leading 1-0.

Mr Street gave his side a thorough team talk and motivated the players to come out stronger in the second half. This appeared to have just gone in through one ear and out of the other when the second half started as Ludlow continued to attack with the Sundorne defence dealing with it well and managing to clear the danger. Eventually with just over 20 minutes to keep themselves in the cup, Sundorne started playing a lot better, Jordan Burrows was controlling the midfield and made some pin point passes finding James Jehu on the right hand side who was looking a lot sharper and eager. After a long time with no chances, striker Josh Hanks managed to get an opportunity which he took first time and grabbed an equaliser for last year’s County Plate and District Cup finalists. This certainly gave the away side the momentum and confidence to finish off the game and that they did. Hanks doubled his goal tally with a second for Sundorne which was shortly followed by a goal from Scott Dance who realistically ended all hopes of Ludlow coming back. It was great to see Ashley Bebb back on the football scene after his recent torment with his kidneys and he was brought on to replace the Jordan Burrows who, along with Jamie Rogers, controlled the midfield very well in the second half. We hope that Ashley will return to full fitness very soon and wish him the best.  Scott Mitchell also came on after for James Jehu. Although Ludlow continued to advance up the pitch, they couldn’t find a second and when Sundorne won a corner Chris Green rounded up the match with a fourth; the year 10 centre back rising up brilliantly to head it home. This was the final action of the game and the referee blew the final whistle.

Despite a rusty start, Sundorne had completed the comeback and put in a lot better performance towards the end of the second half. This was a good start considering it was the first game and should give the side a lot of confidence, the younger year 10’s were excellent; Jay Clarke and Chris Green showing great displays in their respectable positions. Captain Jamie Rogers spoke after the match of the need to be more punishing when in front of goal “I feel we need to be more clinical in front of goal and take some of our opportunities, they took their one chance and scored.” When asked about the younger talent in the squad he added “Yes, they fit in almost perfectly, Chris Green is a great new addition at the back along with Jay Clarke and we know Aiden Jehu and Mark Murch can offer a lot of talent to strengthen the squad even more.” Last year, the team reached the County Plate final and the District Cup final losing on both occasions. Rogers hopes the team can go one step further, “I believe we can go very far this year and I hope the lads feel the same as well because falling short in the last 2 years has been very disappointing. I think the silverware is ours this year.” The next game for Sundorne is against Bishops Castle who they beat 2-1 last year, this will be at home which will come as a relief for a lot of the players not having to make the long journey down to the south of Shropshire once more.

Vettel wins championship despite Button victory

Sebastian Vettel claimed third place in today's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka to take the world championship for the second successive year as Jenson Button won the race ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Vettel-2011 World Champion

Vettel only needed one point from the reamining 5 races to take the championship so it was inevitable that he would be crowned world champion once more. The German started this race on pole with Button second and team mate Lewis Hamilton behind in third. From the start, it looked that Jenson Button had made a good get away but Vettel was not going to let him take 1st place easily pushing Button wide and on to the grass which allowed Hamilton to get upto second. The stewards then confirmed that they would be investigating the incident but took no further action. Button continued to race and kept on catching up with Hamilton before he got the chance and Lewis lifted off allowing Button through but it appeared Hamilton had a problem and slowed down before going to the pits. He had a puncture in one of his rear tyres and therefore lost a few places unfortunately.


Vettel was pulling out a good lead at the front but with Jenson second, this lead was reduced and after a few pitstops, Felipe Massa was leading the race. Then shortly after Button pitted once more but timed it perfectly and came out ahead of Vettel to claim the advantage.

Just under halfway through the race, Felipe Massa was closing down on Hamilton and the two made contact after all of the controversy in Singapore two weeks ago between the two. The debris left on the track from this and in another area consequently resulted in a safety car and brought the pack closer. Button was keen to back the cars up before he got away quickly. Fernando Alonso shortly overtook his team mate Felipe Massa in what appeared to be an ordered move. Alonso then went up to second as Vettel pitted an towards the end of the race continued to drive fast. With just a few laps to go Alonso was really closing in on Button who responded soon after with the fastest middle sector which meant he saw out the race comfortably to take victory. This was an emotional victory for Button, who's girlfriend is Japanese, because of the tragedies earlier this year in Japan. Alonso finished second and Vettel third to win the become the 2011 World Champion with 4 races left.

Before the podium ceremony could begin, the drivers were sat down when Vettel came in; he was congratulated by Jenson Button who then asked him "Did you not see me at the start?" to which Vettel replied "Yes, you were right behind me". Button then said "I was halfway alongside you and I was on the grass". Vettel responded "Yes, halfway". Button then replied "That's how were racing then". A bit of friction between the two which was entertaining to watch but Button congratulated him again on the podium and in his post race interview. It was a great way to celebrate his new contract at Mclaren and he certainly looks like he will be a fierce competitor next year. He hasn't given up this year despite Vettel's dominance. Vettel's worst position this year is 4th which says everything about his dominance. The next race is in a week's time in Korea. Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for an incredible year and he thoroughly deserves the world championship for a second time, he is now the youngest ever double world champion.

Lacklustre England Qualify but Rooney sees Red

In England’s 900^th international game in their history, they failed to celebrate a victory after an unconvincing performance against Montenegro who were only playing their 37^th game as they let a 2-0 advantage slip. The night was marred by Wayne Rooney being sent off in the second half for a ridiculous retaliation. The draw though ensured England's qualification for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Young celebrates England's opener.

It wasn’t the most welcoming conditions for England in Podgorica where heavy rain poured down  on the Podgorica stadium making it difficult for grip and unpredictable for the goalkeepers. England started the game brightly with a couple of attacks including one where debutant Phil Jones decided to go on a run beating the Montenegro defence and forcing an early corner for the visiting nation. The corner came to nothing but after a few minutes of good possession by the Three Lions, a great chance fell to Arsenal striker Theo Walcott who volleyed the ball as it came down to his feet but was denied the opening goal by a reasonably good save by the Montenegro goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic . After it seemed that England had clear control of this match, Montenegro started to attack themselves with some skilful play in midfield causing the England defence some problems but they couldn’t convert their pressure into a goal. In the 10^th minute, England finally found a breakthrough after creating a lot of opportunities when Theo Walcott played a great cross into the box which was met by the header of Manchester United winger Ashley Young to give England a 1-0 lead which they deserved.

Rooney receives red card.

England weren’t going to be satisfied with just one goal and kept on searching for another gap in the defence to breach.  A beautifully weighted ball over the top from the back to find Ashley Cole led to a chance but he could only put it wide for a goal kick after the Montenegrin defence closed him down.  Darren Bent almost set up another England goal after he weaved his way through the defence with some good control; his ball to Rooney however fell short and was cleared away from danger. Suddenly, Montenegro were looking lively again and hunting for an equaliser to restore the jubilant atmosphere that was present before the match begun.  A long ball over the top almost found their strikers but Gary Cahill dealt with the situation well and headed back to Joe Hart who was probably having a busier game than many people expected.  This attack led to a succession of chances for Montenegro who were now taking the game to England winning a couple of corners that, unfortunately for them, didn’t result to anything but they were looking much more hungry. Despite the wave of attacks coming from the home side, England doubled their advantage when Wayne Rooney played a lovely ball through to Ashley Young who squared it to Darren Bent to give England a 2-0 lead. It was looking comfortable for England but anyone who thought Montenegro would give up was very wrong. Again, they attacked England and had a few long range efforts going close before they got a very important goal before half-time. Zverotic  chested the ball down to his feet before striking a half volley which took a deflection off Gary Cahill and went into the net despite some contact from  Joe Hart in the process. Therefore, Montenegro were right back into the game and certainly stole the momentum from the English going into half-time.

Montenegro decided to make a change at the beginning of the second half bringing on Milan Jovanovic to replace Kascelan.  England won a free-kick early in the second half and this was well whipped in by Young but no one could get on the end of it and Bozovic collected confidently in the air. Then, Montenegro attacked and Joe Hart was forced to make a good save which he did very well. The home team were certainly showing fluency in their performance and continued to pressure England and when the ball managed to get through the England defence, there were shouts for a penalty which could have been given as it appeared Cahill made contact with the attacker but the referee was not persuaded by the wild shouts from the home supporters.  Fabio Capello made his first change when he replaced goal scorer Ashley Young with Stewart Downing. Another ball over the top caught the England back four out but luckily the ball carried all the way through to Joe Hart.  Darren Bent was then replaced shortly afterwards by Frank Lampard. England started to attack more and a corner that was driven powerfully by substitute Downing was met by the head of Gary Cahill who couldn’t direct his header goalwards. All of a sudden, a bizzare incident happened when Wayne Rooney was blocked by one of the Montenegrin players and then unnecessarily retaliated by kicking out. His act of stupidity earned him a straight red card and rounded up a difficult week for Rooney off the pitch. With less than 20 minutes to go, England had to play with 10 men. Capello responded and awarded Danny Welbeck his second England cap who came on for Theo Walcott. In the 84^th minute a glorious opening fell to Montenegro with an overhead kick that went over the bar. Hart was then forced into another great save dealing with a difficult shot across the goal and tipped it wide for a corner.  Then there were more shouts for a penalty in the England box; again the referee waved appeals away and booked the culprit Jovetic for simulation and this was the right decision.

An additional time of 3 minutes was indicated by the fourth official at the end of the 90 minutes and in the 91^st minute, Montenegro completed the comeback with a dramatic equaliser from Delibasic that sent Podgorica into complete delirium at the final whistle. The game finished 2-2 and a poor performance from England meant that they had lost their 2-0 lead. However, only a point was needed from this game to qualify so although there was much disappointment at the draw, England had qualified for Euro 2012 and secured top spot of Group G. Montenegro had secured a play-off place so they can still qualify for the tournament next Summer. The main talking point will most probably be the sending off for Wayne Rooney who will miss a minimum of one game at the tournament next year. Rooney joins David Beckham as the only two players to see red twice as an England player and this is the first time England have let a 2-0 lead slip since September 2004 which was against Austria.  Of England’s 900 games they’ve won 510, drawn 218 and lost 172. They are just two goals away from reaching 2,000 international goals in their history as well.

Full Time:

Montenegro 2-2 England

Other results in Group G

Wales 2-0 Switzerland

Group G Table           P    W   D    L    Pts

England	8	5	3	0	18
Montenegro	7	3	3	1	12
Switzerland	7	2	2	3	8
Wales	7	2	0	5	6
Bulgaria	7	1	2	4	5

Alonso Cruises to First Win of Season

It's good to be back at the top of the podium

Fernando Alonso took the chequered flag at the British Grand Prix to claim his first win of the 2011 championship and the first win for Scuderia Ferrari as the Spaniard capitalised on a pit lane error from Red Bull on Sebastian Vettel's stop to cruise to the finish line in 1st place whilst McLaren endured an extremely difficult weekend.

Qualifying saw Mark Webber take pole position for Red Bull after what was heading for an exciting final lap of Q3 became nothing of the sort as wet areas on the track forced the drivers to abort their final lap to keep their cars safe. This meant that Paul Di Resta qualified in a very impressing 6th for Force India at this first home grand prix.  However, things were not so inspiring for Lewis Hamilton who could only manage 10th on the starting grid; certainly a disappointment in front of the home fans. It was a very nervous session for the Brits as Jenson Button left it late in Q2 to get through to the pole position shoot-out managing 4th from 14th. Button finished 5th fastest in the final session. Vettel was second behind team mate Mark Webber and that once again was enough for a Red Bull pole. Christian Horner's team have come out on top in every qualifying session this season with Vettel in particular dominating. Alonso finished in 3rd ahead of Felipe Massa in a reasonable 4th for the Brazilian.

The race winner Alonso

After a disappointing end to qualifying, the excitement headed towards the race. With Mark Webber having poor starts in previous races this season, it was always going to be interesting to see what happened when the red lights went out. Webber had won in 2010, and was looking to repeat the same success again. However, that didn't happen; his team mate Vettel took the lead after passing Webber who dropped to second. Jenson Button managed to get upto 4th with his Mclaren team mate Lewis Hamilton making a great start. From 10th on the grid to 6th on the first lap, it was a remarkable start from Hamilton who was driving towards a podium finish with this defiant mentality. As always, Vettel was leaving a large gap behind him at the start and it appeared as if this could be a very one-sided race. There were a lot of battles going on over the track. Hamilton was chasing down Fernando Alonso after passing Jenson Button who looked really slow; also being passed by Massa after originally overtaking the Ferrari driver. There were some brilliant moments on the track, and the crowd were anticipating further action with Alonso and Hamilton. Hamilton overtook Massa and was now heading for his former team-mate at Mclaren Alonso; the move finally came on lap 15. He was now just 6 seconds off the lead. At this moment in time, it was very difficult to tell how this race was going to pan out. Suddenly Alonso was closing in on Hamilton despite previously losing a place to the 2008 World Champion. Alonso looked determined and he kept the pressure on the Mclaren. Lewis defended as much as possible and it wasn't going to be a simple task for Alonso. Alonso used the DRS zone to his advantage and regained third place from Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton on his way to 4th

It was on lap 27 when things started to change. The leader Sebastian Vettel came in for his stop as well as Alonso; Vettel needed to stay ahead of the Ferrari but there was a problem with the right rear tyre as one of the wheel nut guns wasn't working. The stop became much longer than necessary and Alonso managed to punish the Red Bull's for this mistake as he took the lead. All of a sudden, the race had changed and now Alonso, not Vettel, was disappearing into the distance for an inevitable victory. Hamilton had got up to second during this bizarre mishap and Vettel was chasing him down quickly. On lap 37 Hamilton pitted, it was a quick and smooth pit stop but he couldn't stay ahead of the reigning world champion Vettel. Two laps later, disaster struck. Button, in 5th, went in for his final pit stop. It was quick but as he exited the pitlane, he stopped immediately. His front right tyre was coming off. The cameras went to the mechanics where somebody was holding up the wheel nut which obviously hadn't been put in and consequently ended Button's race at his home grand prix. Things got worse for Mclaren when Lewis Hamilton received a message over the radio telling him to slow down slightly to conserve fuel as they hadn't given him enough fuel for the race. Therefore Felipe Massa, Hamilton's championship rival in 2008, was steadily closing in on him.

Surprisingly, Mark Webber was also lapping faster than Vettel who has outraced him on nearly every occasion this season. This added some diversity to the race and something that we haven't seen yet this season. Towards the end, he was really getting close and there was almost a great opportunity on the National Pits Straight but the German just about defended his position. There were two gripping pieces of action on the track; Hamilton against Massa and Vettel defending against Webber. On the final lap, however, Mark Webber received a message over the radio from Christian Horner telling him to maintain the gap. The Australian had been given team orders which was disappointing to see. But there was still some edge of your seat racing to witness. Going into Club corner on the final lap, Massa went up the inside of Hamilton to take 4th place but the Briton fought back coming around the outside making contact with Massa before he went wide on the final corner allowing Hamilton through to just about snatch the position across the line which really gave the crowd something to shout about.

The race was over and Alonso took a sweet victory to claim his first winner's trophy this year. Hamilton's courageous performance salvaged some satisfaction for McLaren but other than that it was a very below average performance from Martin Whitmarsh's team. Vettel's second extended his lead at the top of the World Championship to 80 points ahead of Webber. Paul Di Resta finished 15th after he, like Vettel, suffered from a pit lane error. Despite the controversy with Red Bull, the British Grand Prix was a very successful and  entertaining one and there was a great atmosphere at Silverstone with so many fans. The teams now look on to Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix which is effectively the halfway stage of the season.

The podium celebrations

Top 10

1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
3. Mark Webber (Red Bull)
4. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
5. Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
6. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP)
7. Sergio Perez (Sauber)
8. Nick Heidfeld (Lotus Renault)
9. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP)
10. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso)

Calm Klitschko Dominates Valiant Haye

Wladimir Klitschko held on to his WBO,IBF and IBO status and also added the WBA Heavyweight champion belt to his collection after beating David Haye unanimously on a points decision on an incredible night in Hamburg.

Klitschko with his trademark left jab

As the fight day approached, the verbal war was over but David Haye was still keen on playing the psychological game by delaying his entrance to the ring by 10 minutes in an attempt to unsettle his Ukrainian opponent. He eventually made his way to the ring debuting the new England football away shirt and Haye seemed to be in a joyful mood. He appeared to be singing along to his entrance music and looked very happy. However, when some fans started wrestling to try and get on to the cameras, Haye’s smile disappeared and he became quite irritated. Then, it was Klitschko’s turn to enter the ring in a packed Hamburg stadium. His brother Vitaly fetched Wladimir who then came out to a big cheer from the crowd.  Klitschko was then followed by his team into the ring. Haye was wrapped in a foil sheet to keep him warm whilst Klitschko glared at him. Both of them traditionally touched the gloves, very quickly albeit. 

A powerful right hook from Klitschko

Finally, after the delays , the fight was ready to begin. Round 1 started and Haye made a cautious start, he dealt with the constant robotic jab that Klitschko kept throwing at him. In the first couple o rounds, Klitschko didn’t even use his right hand to make any contact. Haye was off balance when he was throwing his punches, and feel to the floor regularly. He complained to the referee and at one point, Klitschko was deducted a point for this. Klitschko had very good tactics, he was in control from the start and always pressured Haye who just couldn’t reach his opponent due to his tall stature. It came up to the final few rounds, and it was clear that Haye needed some big punches or a knock out to ‘malfunction this robot’ like he said he would. Haye didn’t get the punches he required to get himself back in the fight and when it came to the final round, Klitschko just coasted it and kept Haye out of reach. The final bell went with both men raising their hands for victory although it was quite obvious that Haye had been defeated.

The new WBA champion celebrates his victory.

The decision was made which was 117-109, 118-108, 116-110 and Klitschko became WBA champion, Haye congratulated Klitschko with a hand shake and hand shakes were shared throughout both teams.  After the fight, Haye revealed a broken toe on his right foot and blamed this injury for his defeat saying that it hampered his ability to push off his right foot.   Klitschko labelled Haye “A sore loser” and was still not happy with Haye’s behaviour in the build up to the fight despite the Brit shaking his hand after and believed his conduct was a disgrace to the sport. He also thanked the British fans for the support they brought to the fight and the atmosphere they created. Adam Booth told the media that Haye will definitely retire in October and that he was disgraced by the referee but had no problem with Klitschko being awarded the victory. In the press conference after the fight,  Klitschko offered Haye a rematch and he accepted the challenge. Haye showed his broken toe again at the conference. Finally, Haye and Klitschko shook hands after the press conference and that was that.

The broken toe, a picture posted on
Haye's Twitter account.

It was certainly a fight to remember, Klitschko’s height and left jab was too muh for Haye, it was an experienced, professional and tactically brilliant victory or Klitschko who thoroughly deserved it. The pre-match talk between the two did not affect him, and he is a worthy champion for the way he fought last night.

Now it remains for us to see whether Haye will have another fight before retiring and whether it will be a rematch against Klitschko. A disappointing night for Haye, he took the punches well and carried on valiantly but offensively, he couldn’t get it right against Wladimir Klitschko who still awaits his 50^th knock-out.

Wembley Awaits Champions League Final

Messi and Rooney have been the main subject in the
build-up to this massive game.

As the most glittering prize in European club football approaches, Wembley stands in its element awaiting two of the most talented, consistent and dominant teams in domestic football to embrace its immaculate surface in the UEFA Champions League Final 2011. Spanish giants Barcelona take on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United at the 90,000 capacity national stadium of the England football team.

Barcelona, in most recent times, have been renowned for their amazing footballing talent and described as possibly the best team in footballing history. Pep Guardiola has certainly masterminded his team’s success in the past 3 years, winning the treble in his first year as manager. A Champions League winner in his first season, notably against their opponents this evening, Manchester United. The Catalunyans have, like United, won their domestic league title after another blistering season in which they thrashed their great rivals Real Madrid 5-0 at the Nou Camp in November. The wide variety of players with extraordinary talent, skill, vision and incredible ability suggest that the manager of Barcelona would not have to say a lot to his players before a game. However, there is much more to management than talking so this point should not be taken too seriously or into deep discussion. With the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa and Pedro, Barcelona look unstoppable, but the managing magician that is Jose Mourinho has shown that this is not the case. His Real Madrid side held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the league and also competed with them in a very controversial semi-final fixture in the Champions League this year. Officials have been at the centre of criticism from the Mourinho but the fact remains that Barcelona are in the final.

The Wembley turf being prepared for the big event.

Manchester United have had a magnificent year, winning a record 19^th league title. The Red Devils have not played the best this season and performances haven’t always been up to the previous standards set by themselves. The success in the Premier League has been down to consistent results, no constant philosophy of how to play football and the determination of the players. They have also made some important comebacks and have scored goals late on and for these assets, they thoroughly deserve to be Premier League winners and will be extremely confident today despite taking an unfamiliar status as underdogs. The Champions League has always been a priority for United, and their performances in the competition this year have been great and have led them to this eagerly anticipated showdown at Wembley stadium tonight.  Making their way past Marseille, Chelsea and Schalke on their way to the final, United have comfortably won their right to be where they are. There should be no reason for United to be scared of Barcelona, they have a very good team throughout, Vidic is strong at the back, Valencia and Nani give United pace on the wings and Rooney has a very solid partnership with Javier Hernandez who has brought something different to the United team in his first year at the club. They’re not a team who loses confidence when they concede , they have been 2-0 down to West Ham and Blackpool this season away from home and have managed to comeback in those games and won. Barcelona may be a better side, with no disrespect to West Ham or Blackpool, but United still have a winning mentality and that will be required today when they face some of the best players in the world.

Edwin Van Der Sar will play his final football game in his career, and what a way to end it would be if they were to win the European Cup. He has been an iconic figure representing club and country at the highest of levels and is one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and has been a credit to Manchester United and Holland. He will surely be missed in the Premier League but a happy retirement is certainly deserved. Hopefully, regardless of the result, he will enjoy his final football match.

There are no injury problems for either side. United look to start with Evra, Ferdinand,  Vidic and Fabio at the back.  Valencia, Carrick, Giggs and Park-Ji Sung are xpected to start in midfield and Rooney and Hernandez are likely to start up front. Barcelona’s Eric Abidal and Carles Puyol both passed fitness tests to play and should start in the back four.

Off the field, there have been rumours that this could be Pep Guardiola’s  last game as Barcelona manager, he has been linked with the vacancy at Chelsea. It sounds unlikely but he has won the La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey in his time at Barca, and that is everything he could possibly win at a major level. He may be looking for a fresh challenge in England, but he may also be very happy at continuing the development of Barcelona.

It is shaping up to be a great game, will Messi fall under pressure? Will United win against the odds ? The curtain will soon fall on the Champions League campaign and one team will be crowned champions of European what will be a very special night in football history. I am predicting a great game and Manchester United to win 2-1 after extra time.

UEFA Champions League Final 2011

Barcelona v Manchester United

Wembley Stadium

7.45pm Kick Off.