| Osieck wants his boys to attack ATTACK: it's a word the Socceroos used more in two months under Holger Osieck than they did in two years under Pim Verbeek. foxsports.com.au |
Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth Strange times on the south coast. With the region's supposed top dogs, Portsmouth and Southampton, struggling in their respective divisions, Brighton and Bournemouth met in a clash of the upwardly mobile upstarts. It took place amid a suitably odd atmosphere and featured a perfectly ridiculous conclusion.The Withdean Stadium is an alienating venue for football, with the fans parked in rinky-dink seats that are separated from the action by an eight-track running lane. Next season, after 14 years of nomadism, Brighton will take up residence in their swanky new 22,500 all-seat home in Falmer, funded in its ÂŁ93m entirety by the club's chairman and lifelong fan, Tony Bloom. The Seagulls fans who are turned off by the current arena are expected to flock to Falmer – 1,900 of the 2,000 corporate tickets for next season have already been sold and the 14 executive boxes were bought within a week of going on sale last March.As a proportion of the presumed fanbase, then, attendances at the Withdean are quite paltry, though the 7,348 who turned up today made for a season-high. The result kept their team on course for an improbable promotion, but it was not clear whether the fans were happy with what they were seeing.The home fans were outraged by the stoppage-time penalty that gave Bournemouth a share of the points. A punt forwards hit the hand of the visiting striker Steve Fletcher yet the referee, Darren Sheldrake, who was only yards away, awarded Bournemouth the free-kick – and then, to even more amazed anger, one of the official's assistants, John Farries, flagged and advised, wrongly, that the handball had been inside the area. Marc Pugh converted the spot-kick."Why did he [Farries] get involved?" Poyet wondered. "He was six or seven yards forward, at the wrong angle, he cannot see the line. But now he's going to go home and say: 'Have a look on television, I'm famous.'"Poyet had already been upset by the officials' handling of a first-half incident, when the Bournemouth striker Michael Symes caught Tommy Elphick in the face with an elbow. Symes was booked. "It was either a red or nothing," Poyet said. "I don't accept yellow. That's something that referees give thinking they can make everyone happy. Bollocks!"Poyet himself was not beyond criticism during the game. The Uruguayan has cultivated a patient, passing style of play since he took charge 11 months ago. Four wins and one draw in September helped propel the Seagulls to the top and earned him the manager of the month award but many fans seem unconvinced.After a first half in which the only really promising chance for either side was a weak 10-yard shot from Glenn Murray, fans became restless at the home team's circuitous build-up. Backwards passes were booed and cries of "launch it" were frequent. Those jeers turned to cheers in the 61st minute when Gary Dicker rolled a free-kick short to Kazenga Lualua and the Newcastle loanee crashed in a low shot from 25 yards.The frustration returned, however, as Bournemouth gained the ascendancy by hitting long balls towards Fletcher, who had arrived as substitute straight after Brighton's goal. "If the fans want Brighton to change our style of play when we're at the top, then they need another manager," Poyet said."The team will play the way I want them to play, it's my team and my decision. If somebody starts panicking and kicking long because the fans shout, he's going to be out of the team. That's very clear."Brighton & Hove AlbionBournemouthLeague OnePaul Doyleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
7 soccer fans die in Kenyan stampede The Kenya Red Cross says seven people were killed in a stampede while trying to gain access to a soccer match between two of Kenya's most popular teams. cbc.ca |
Stoke City 1-2 Man Utd At the end of a tumultuous week at Old Trafford it seemed fitting that Javier Hernández, the man whose place Wayne Rooney would most likely have taken had he been fit, should score the two goals that secured Manchester United's first away victory in the Premier League this season.Tuncay Sanli threatened to make this yet another uncomfortable away trip for Sir Alex Ferguson when he curled in a splendid equaliser eight minutes from time, but Hernández showed his predatory instincts four minutes later to restore United's lead. It was a victory that the visitors deserved but Stoke will be bitterly aggrieved that the referee, Andre Marriner, failed to dismiss Gary Neville in the first half after a second poor tackle on Matthew Etherington.While it was no surprise Ferguson withdrew Neville at the interval, it seemed rather odd the United manager should wait until the full-back lined up on the pitch for the start of the second half before making his decision. Booked for a clumsy challenge on Etherington, Neville should have received a second yellow card when, three minutes before the interval, he brought the winger down again."If he plays for Stoke, you send him off," the furious home fans chanted.United were a goal to the good at that point, having given Stoke a taste of their own medicine at a set piece. The build-up was simple as Nani played a short corner to Patrice Evra before curling the ball towards the back post for Nemanja Vidic to head back across goal, but the finish was quite breathtaking. Hernández had his back to goal but, jumping and twisting in the air, he managed to send a bullet header past Thomas Sorensen.Stoke had barely troubled Edwin van der Sar but with eight minutes to go they drew level after Paul Scholes gave away possession. The substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen swept the ball out to the left flank, where Tuncay cut inside Evra before curling a wonderful shot into the top corner. It was the first goal Stoke have scored against United in the Premier League.Premier LeagueStoke CityManchester UnitedStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
World Cup 2018: former Fifa official Michel Zen-Ruffinen offers himself as a '£210k' fixer World Cup 'votes for hire' crisis takes new twist with allegations emerging against the former Fifa general secretary. telegraph.co.uk |