TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Squad sheets: Burnley v Bolton Wanderers Burnley's manager, Owen Coyle, has revealed that his Wolves counterpart Mick McCarthy laughed when he told him his January transfer budget so an answer to the Turf Moor club's parlous away form must come from within. Burnley continue to rely on their performances at home, but the improvement in the teams around them mean that might not be enough. Bolton should at least be well rested after Monday's meeting with Wigan fell foul to the weather, but they have underperformed despite possessing a squad which on paper looks well-equipped to move up the table. James CallowVenue Turf MoorTickets £28-35 (0871 221 1914)Last season n/aReferee C FoyThis season's matches 13 Y39, R2, 3.15 cards per gamesportingbet odds Burnley 5-4 Bolton 19-10 Draw 11-5BurnleySubs from Penny, Kalvenes, Duff, Gudjonsson, Edgar, Eckersley, Blake, Nugent, Easton, Van der Schaaf, Thompson, GuerreroDoubtful NoneInjured Rodriguez (ankle, 2 Jan), McCann (knee, 9 Jan), Paterson (knee, 9 Jan),Suspended NoneForm guide LDDLLDDisciplinary record Y24 R1Leading scorers Alexander, S Fletcher 5BoltonSubs from Al Habsi, Ricketts, Elmander, Gardner, Ward, Robinson, Hunt, M Davies, Samuel, A O'Brien, Shittu, RigaDoubtful Riga (hamstring), Shittu (hamstring)Injured McCann (ankle, 2 Jan), Davis (knee, May), J O'Brien (knee, unknown)Suspended NoneForm guide WDLDLLDisciplinary record Y38 R2Leading scorer Klasnic 5Match pointers• These sides have not met in the top flight of English football since their 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in March 1964• Bolton have never won away from home in the Premier League on Boxing Day, losing four times and drawing once• Burnley are the only Premier League side not to have scored a goal from a corner this season• Bolton have kept just one clean sheet in their last 20 away league matches• Burnley have allowed their opponents 114 shots on target against them, the most in the divisionBurnleyBolton WanderersPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Lippi keeping a close eye on Roma AS Roma will be one of the Serie A clubs that Italian national team coach Marcello Lippi will be following closely as he assembles his squad for South Africa. cbc.cacbc.ca |
Togo attack: Africa's dream is in tatters after devastating events in Cabinda The African Nations Cup tournament must go on despite devastating attack in Cabinda. telegraph.co.uk |
Allardyce cries foul after Villa defeat • 'The players grew up tonight' says Aston Villa manager• Allardyce says referee 'major part of us not going through'Martin O'Neill hailed Aston Villa's first appearance in a major final for a decade by claiming that their 6-4 second-leg victory over Blackburn Rovers was the evening his young team "grew up", after they had allowed two early goals.But the Blackburn Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce, was furious, claiming that Stephen Warnock's opener for Villa should not have been allowed. Allardyce strongly criticised the referee, Martin Atkinson, for failing to award a foul on Ryan Nelsen by Gabriel ÂAgbonlahor. According to Allardyce, Atkinson was a "major part of us not getting through to the final".O'Neill preferred to focus on his team's effort. Following their 7-4 aggregate win, the Ulsterman said: "It was an Âamazing game, no doubt. We started Ânervously and Âconceded two. All the great plans of Âclosing the game down lasted about a minute and a half." O'Neill had hoped simply to protect James Milner's goal at Ewood Park last week, which had given Villa the lead going into this second leg.O'Neill continued: "But we finally got a bit of life and when we got it back to 2-1 I always thought we could score more, I knew we were capable of getting back into the game. I'm genuinely delighted for the players. I think they grew up tonight. We made a lot of mistakes, even at 5-2, but I think it was the euphoria of the position. But this will give the players an enormous boost – we have some very good players, but very few have actually been in this position."Not too many nights like this have come along in the last 28 years," O'Neill said, referring to the time elapsed since Villa's European Cup Âtriumph in 1982.Nikola Kalinic's 10th- and 26th-minute strikes had hushed the home crowd, putting Blackburn 3-2 ahead on aggregate and giving them one foot in next month's final at ÂWembley, before Villa produced five goals in a row."They fought back brilliantly. ÂMilner was sensational," O'Neill said, referring to the man of the match, who scored a 40th-minute penalty and was influential in his new central-midfield berth. "He's a character and a half. His game's reached a new level, no doubt. He's seeing the pass. That's definitely his position."Milner said: "Obviously getting to a final's fantastic, we're moving Âforward. The fans were fantastic tonight, I don't know what they were thinking when we were 2-0 down but they kept shouting and it's great for them and for us as a Âfootball club – and hopefully we can go and win it."Allardyce admitted that he had to be careful of his words when Âcriticising Atkinson's performance. "It's a bit difficult to take that we scored four goals and we're not going to the final. The referee allowed a blatant foul on Ryan Nelsen to go unpunished," he said.Allardyce was also unhappy about Agbonlahor's goal, Villa's fourth, which arrived after Milner's shot appeared to brush his arm. But O'Neill countered by claiming that Villa had been denied "two penalty kicks" at Ewood Park in the first leg.Carling CupAston VillaMartin O'NeillBlackburn RoversSam AllardyceRefereesJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Gold Coast, Mariners sanctioned by FFA Gold Coast United and Central Coast Mariners have been charged with team misconduct by Football Federation Australia for their melee during their clash at Bluetongue Stadium. foxsports.com.au |