SERVICES

Tuesday November 10, 2009

United Fall To Third After Defeat At The Bridge

West Ham United 2 Aston Villa 1

In the midweek game on Wednesday, substitute Zavon Hines scored an injury-time winner against 10-man Aston Villa to lift the struggling Hammers out of the bottom three of the League.
Hines fired home after a fine run by Scott Parker as the match looked to be heading for a draw.
Mark Noble had put the home side in front from the penalty spot in first-half injury time.
England goalkeeper Robert Green then saved Ashley Young's 49th minute spot-kick before the Villa winger atoned for his error with a curling 25-yard equaliser two minutes later.
The win lifted the home side out of the relegation zone and into 16th place while Villa, who had Habib Beye sent off late on, remained seventh.

Aston Villa 5 Bolton Wanderers 1

John Carew produced an inspired performance as Aston Villa demolished Bolton Wanderers to put their push for a European spot back on course with a resounding victory.
The Norwegian international set up three goals - for Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner - and scored one himself before Carlos Cuellar put the icing on the cake for Martin O'Neill's side.
Bolton have now leaked 15 goals in their last four matches in all competitions and could only manage a single reply from substitute Johan Elmander.
Carew was in unstoppable form with his power and aerial dominance and made it a miserable day for the former Villa defenders Gary Cahill and Zat Knight.
But Milner was also impressive on the flank while Cuellar was outstanding at the back for Martin O'Neill's side, who shrugged off the absence of suspended skipper Stiliyan Petrov and injured duo James Collins and Emile Heskey.

Blackburn Rovers 3 Portsmouth 1

Jason Roberts recovered from a bout of swine flu to leave Portsmouth feeling sick themselves at Ewood Park as Blackburn Rovers came from behind to claim three priceless League points.
Rovers had been reeling at the end of a poor first period in which Jamie O'Hara fired the visitors ahead with a 30-yard strike past Paul Robinson in the 15th minute.
But Roberts clambered off the bench at the break to steer a 52nd-minute leveller past David James - and added Rovers' third after Ryan Nelsen had netted a rare goal to put his side in front.
The win brought sighs of relief all round for the home side - and especially manager Sam Allardyce, whose half-time changes were vindicated.
With Roberts forming a multi-purpose strikeforce along with Franco Di Santo and fellow substitute Benni McCarthy, Rovers ultimately did enough to wriggle clear of the relegation zone.
For Pompey, however, the late drama provided a jolt back down to earth following their emphatic 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic last week - which hinted their appalling start might have been a thing of the past.

Manchester City 3 Burnley 3

Kevin McDonald had the last word in an amazing six-goal thriller which brought Burnley their first away point of the season and condemned Manchester City to a fifth successive draw.
Graham Alexander's penalty and a Steven Fletcher effort seemed to have Burnley well placed for their first top-flight away win since April 1976.
But Shaun Wright-Phillips breathed fresh life into the home side two minutes before half-time and Kolo Toure and Craig Bellamy seemed to have set the stage for a City win in 15 raucous minutes either side of the break.
However, after spending almost all the second period on the back foot, Burnley found a final burst of energy three minutes from time.
Substitute David Nugent crossed for Fletcher, whose nod back invited McDonald's gleeful finish.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 0

Sunderland striker Darren Bent missed a penalty on his return to White Hart Lane as Tottenham Hotspur secured victory through goals from Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone.
Bent had the chance to level for the visitors against the side he left last summer but Heurelho Gomes saved his spot-kick, a crucial moment in the match as Steve Bruce's men were gaining momentum.
Instead, Huddlestone grabbed his third of the season with an effort that crashed in off the crossbar, doubling the lead after Keane's early strike.

Wolves 1 Arsenal 4

Arsenal head into the international break resting nicely near the top of the League table.
Unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions Arsene Wenger's side are a clear and positive threat to Chelsea and Manchester United. They are scoring goals for fun - but not all of them are of their own making as Wolverhampton Wanderers will sadly testify.
The newly-promoted team were bright and lively until the 28th minute when they were undone by their own hand.
Ronald Zubar deflected the ball for an own goal and Jody Craddock followed suit seven minutes later.
Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey looked totally bewildered and was beaten again in first half stoppage-time by Cesc Fabregas - his ninth of the season.
Andrey Arshavin added a fourth in the 64th minute only for Craddock to score at the right end in the 89th minute.

Hull City 2 Stoke City 1

Hull City manager Phil Brown breathed again as Seyi Olofinjana and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink fired his side to a priceless win over 10-man Stoke City.
The struggling Tigers had been heading for yet another damaging League defeat after Matthew Etherington's first-half strike at the KC Stadium.
But Hull were rewarded for their greater endeavour as Olofinjana levelled against his former club and substitute Vennegoor of Hesselink won it in the final minute, moments after Abdoulaye Faye was sent off.

West Ham United 1 Everton 2

Everton secured a much-needed first win in five Premier League games with a battling 2-1 victory at West Ham United, who slipped back into the relegation zone.
Louis Saha, who missed the midweek Europa League defeat to Benfica with a calf problem, netted from 20 yards against the run of play on 26 minutes.
Dan Gosling added a second just after the hour, but the Hammers made a fight of it following an own goal by Tony Hibbert.

Wigan Athletic 1 Fulham 1

Wigan Athletic suffered considerable frustration after failing to finish off Roy Hodgson's hard-working Fulham side in a contest that saw the Londoners return to the capital with a valuable point.
Wigan dominated almost throughout, driven on by their lanky French midfielder Mohamed Diame, and led through Emmerson Boyce's strike only for Clint Dempsey to grab an equaliser from the spot.

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0

Captain John Terry put Chelsea five points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League with a second-half winner at Stamford Bridge.
Terry glanced home a 76th minute free-kick from Frank Lampard although United claimed Didier Drogba was in an offside position.
United had their chances with Wayne Rooney twice going close but the Blues made it a club record of 11 straight home wins.