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Cole has the last word in Newcastle title ambitions
By Henry Winter at St James' Park | |
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Newcastle (0) 0 Man Utd (0) 1 THE sounds of derision rained down on Andy Cole at St James' Park last night, real invective directed at a man Newcastle fans once lauded to the heavens. But all the taunts, all the abuse spilling from the Gallowgate must have been music to Cole's ears. It confirmed that he had scored, that he had finally severed Newcastle's lingering interest in the championship and that his United side were moving inexorably towards a fourth title in five years, writes Henry Winter. Cole's goal, the only one of a match that jitterbugged between the disjointed and the electrifying, arrived in the 66th-minute from a classic United counter, the cobra uncoiling in familiarly deadly fashion. Then, as the game drew to a tense climax, an incensed member of the Gallowgate jumped the railing and attempted to get at Cole. Steve Watson, not for the first time, anticipated the run and the angered fan was escorted away. This unsightly scene stood in stark contrast to last year's meeting, that famous 5-0 Newcastle win, when a fan knelt in worship of Kevin Keegan. Things are very different now. Kenny Dalglish's Newcastle stay ninth, 17 points behind yesterday's conquerors, and even the most one-eyed Toon supporter must acknowledge any hope of honours rests in cup combat. Cole coolly highlighted Newcastle's most obvious flaw, one chillingly reflected in a goal difference of minus two to United's plus 32. Alan Shearer cannot return quickly enough. And yet, for all the disappointment, this was an uplifting display by Newcastle, full of commitment encapsulated in the muscular endeavour of Stuart Pearce and David Batty. A draw would certainly not have flattered Dalglish's side, who were thwarted primarily by the agility of Peter Schmeichel as well as the precision of Cole. If championships are built on 1-0 victories and good goalkeepers, then United are rolling into the New Year in irresistible condition. Newcastle must wait another season, another year in which their youngsters will mature that bit more, another period in which Shearer will surely deserve some respite from the shadow of injury, another 12 months in which the club must free more significant sums for transfer activity. How the fans deserve reward. Hymns of hope had reverberated through this famous old ground before kick-off, the crowd whipped up into an almighty fervour by memories of last year and the possibility, eventually dashed, of tripping United up. The cheap seats - if these exist in this greedy era - kept up the decibel level. Even those in the priviliged positions, like Tony Blair, must have been caught up in the sheer occasion. "Today Newcastle take on the team who are at No 1 - And we all know who are at No 1," cried St James' DJ, promptly playing the Teletubbies' Christmas ditty. It carried a hollow ring: the footballing team at No 1, Alex Ferguson's champions, now lead the Premiership by four points and are picking up results, as Liverpool once did, without playing spectacularly well. They were often on the back foot yesterday against a Newcastle team running on adrenalin and the fans' ardour. The first half was too fast, too frenetic. Certain players rose above the storm. Faustino Asprilla offered a threat whenever the ball came close to those quick and clever feet. John Barnes, too, showed that touch can occasionally prevail amid the 100mph maelstrom that makes English football so exciting and flawed. For United, Paul Scholes, returning after suspension, kept it calm and neat. Yet, at times, this cultured triumvirate resembled men trying to cross a motorway. Such speed suited Batty, who hustled and bustled, harried and carried, forming an excellent central-midfield bulwark with John Beres- ford. Behind them stood Pearce, organising and exhorting, showing the hunger level required in a real ding-dong duel with Cole. Initially well-received but then increasingly regaled with "reject" and worse, Cole found that every yard of space, every gulp of air was contested by Pearce. Age withers some but clearly not Pearce, not yet anyway. Such commitment coursed through all Newcastle's players, though it sometimes blurred their judgment. Minutes after Philip Neville had escaped censure for catching Keith Gillespie, the Newcastle winger attempted to tattoo the ankles of his former team-mate. So much for the close-knit family theory. Newcastle's industry was admirable. But a 10th-minute cameo embodied their problems. Good work by Barnes allowed Alessandro Pistone to race away, the Italian immediately lifting in a cross which flew across the Gallowgate, across Schmeichel's goal but over the head of Beresford, not the most obvious of target-men. Newcastle were sweating, supporting each other diligently, but the finish lay up with Shearer in the Sky studio. Chances came and went, like glimpses of sun amid the darkening clouds. Avoiding a seven-man wall ranged like the Alps with Scholes and Pallister forming foothills and peaks, Pearce struck a free-kick low and hard but too close to Schmeichel. After 24 minutes of massed huffing and puffing, the game saw Schmeichel make the first of his remarkable saves. When Pearce's cross dropped towards the far post, Barnes rose athletically, meeting the ball with a firm downward header. The Gallowgate rose in salute as the ball arrowed towards the net. Then, throwing that frame across goal like a cat chasing a fly, Schmeichel stretched out one of those large paws to claw the ball to safety. A reminder of United's threat came just before the interval when Cole, cleverly sent through by Giggs, brought an excellent smothering stop from Shaka Hislop. Asprilla could have scored twice for Newcastle but then United struck. From the wreckage of a Newcastle attack, the champions slipped into overdrive, pouring into the spaces vacated by hosts momentarily hypnotised by their own chance of glory. The ball pinged from Philip Neville to Beckham, whose cross curled on to the head of Cole and the rest was hysteria. The champions showed their class for 15 minutes. Giggs brought matching stops from Hislop while Scholes, arriving late, shot over. But then Schmeichel had to leap to his left to deny Pearce what seemed a certain headed goal. As the pitch cut up, so did a few tempers, and Batty was deservedly booked for clattering into Gary Neville. As wave after black-and-white wave flooded forward, Newcastle's energy and expectations foundered on a rock called Gary Pallister. Asprilla did wriggle through, chasing Batty's pass, but lofted the ball over. It summed up Newcastle's fortunes. United march on. __________________________________________________________ Newcastle (0) 0 Man Utd (0) 1 Cole 66. Newcastle: Hislop, Watson, Beresford (Ketsbaia 75), Peacock, Pearce, Pistone, Albert (Barton 33), Batty, Barnes, Gillespie, Asprilla. Subs Not Used: Given, Rush, Tomasson. Booked: Gillespie, Pistone, Batty, Peacock. Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Johnsen, P. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Scholes (Solskjaer 72), Cole, Sheringham (McClair 83). Subs Not Used: Berg, Pilkington, Curtis. Booked: Butt, P. Neville, Cole. Att: 36,767 Ref: P Jones (Loughborough). __________________________________________________________ Ferguson grateful for a 'lucky' victory By Nicholas Spencer ANDY COLE'S first goal at St James' Park since November 1994 gave Manchester United a lucky victory, according to Alex Ferguson, who believes his side actually played better while being thrashed here last year. "We made 15 chances last season and ended up losing five bloody nil," said the United manager. "It was a careless performance in the second half - continually giving the ball away - and if it hadn't been for Gary Pallister and Peter Schmeichel we would have been beaten. "Newcastle were unfortunate and you can't put our victory down to anything other than a great goal. When you can produce a cross like David Beckham's and a header like Andy Cole's you have to say that we were always a threat." Cole's header, at the end of a six-man move which began in the Manchester penalty area, opens a 17-point advantage for United over the team who finished second behind them in the Premiership for the past two seasons. Ferguson was almost lost for words to describe Schmeichel, whose spectacular left-handed saves kept out powerful and perfectly-placed headers from John Barnes and Stuart Pearce. "The first was excellent, the second unbelievable," he said. Schmeichel's brilliance meant a third successive game without a goal for Newcastle at St James' Park, leaving them 150-1 outsiders for the title. "You could have us each way," said their manager, Kenny Dalglish, who agreed with the brilliance of Schmeichel but described Loughborough referee Peter Jones as "the worst person on the pitch." A booking for Alessandro Pistone - one of seven - for a challenge on Beckham irked Dalglish most. "He went down holding his head, yet the foot was nowhere near his head." There were words of support for Dalglish from the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who watched the game with Irish premier Bertie Aherne. Mr Blair felt that Dalglish's men had been unlucky: "He has the basis of a very good side. We're missing Alan Shearer but we still had good chances and Peter Schmeichel made two excellent saves. "Alex Ferguson has built one of the great sides of the century and Manchester United are pretty awesome, even when they aren't playing well." Each team lost a player to suspension under the totting-up process. Newcastle's David Batty and Manchester United's Phil Neville will both miss two games, starting with their clubs' FA Cup third-round ties. __________________________________________________________ Sunday December 21 1:21 PM EDT Cole celebrates victorious return to Newcastle By Mitch Phillips LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Andy Cole shrugged off the jeers of the fans who used to adore him to give Manchester United a 1-0 English premier league victory at Newcastle on Sunday. Cole, who left St James' Park in a 7 million pounds ($11.7 million) deal almost three years ago, headed the only goal of the game in the 67th minute to restore the champions' four point lead at the top of the league. But just as important was the display of goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who made two brilliant saves to foil a generally disappointing Newcastle. United now have 43 points and are clear of Blackburn, who beat West Ham 3-0 on Saturday. A further point back are Chelsea, who won 4-1 at Sheffield Wednesday. Newcastle won this fixture 5-0 last season but never looked likely to repeat that incredible scoreline in the absence of Alan Shearer. John Barnes, one of the men drafted in by Kenny Dalglish to replace the England striker, went close in the first half, only for Schmeichel to make a great stop from his header. The goal came with a typically sharp United break. Stuart Pearce sent a poorly-struck free-kick into the United box and when the ball was cleared, United poured forward. With the home defenders struggling to get back, David Beckham swung over a cross from the right and Cole, unmarked six metres from goal, planted his header firmly past Shaka Hislop. The Newcastle keeper came to his side's rescue soon after with a sharp save from Ryan Giggs but it was Schmeichel who caught the eye with another full stretch dive to tip away a powerful Pearce header. In injury time Faustino Asprilla had a wonderful chance to save the game for Newcastle but lifted his lob way over the bar. Newcastle have now gone five games without a win and trail United by 18 points but Dalglish was happy with his team's performance. ``I think we more than matched them and if we had been a bit more fortunate we could have got at least a draw,'' he said. ``The level of performance for us was very good but it is something we have to sustain.'' United boss Alex Ferguson described the result as ``three points we didn't really deserve. ``Without Peter Schmeichel and Gary Pallister I think we would have been beaten. We can do a lot better than that.'' __________________________________________________________ December 22 1997 FOOTBALL Champions ride luck on way to undeserved victory Cole extinguishes Newcastle NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 By Oliver Holt, football correspondent SOMEHOW, now that he is scoring freely again, Andy Cole has become the personification of everything that Newcastle United have lost. Yesterday, barracked and abused by the supporters who once worshipped him, battered and bruised by the players he once ran with, the Manchester United striker gave St James' Park a cruel reminder of past glories when he condemned the home side to a morale-sapping defeat they hardly deserved. Denied twice by world-class saves from Peter Schmeichel, Newcastle had more than countered the threat of their visitors until they were undone by Cole's powerful and accurate header midway through the second half. It was the first goal he had scored at the Geordie shrine since November 1994, a couple of months before Kevin Keegan shocked Tyneside by selling him to United for £7 million. The goal, Cole's sixteenth of the season, was the final confirmation of his recovery of the predatory form that made him such a cult hero in the North East. It began to erase the memory of the 5-0 drubbing United suffered there last season and took the champions four points clear of the chasing pack at the top of the FA Carling Premiership, apparent proof of the old adage that the team that wins the title is the one that picks up points even when they do not merit them. "I think we were very lucky today," Alex Ferguson, the United manager, said. "If it had not been for Gary Pallister and Peter Schmeichel, we would have been beaten. It was a careless performance. We were continually giving the ball away and Newcastle were very unfortunate. We played better when we lost 5-0." Kenny Dalglish, the Newcastle manager, was delighted with the commitment his team had shown, but said his enjoyment of the game had been spoilt by the antics of the United players. He singled out David Beckham for play-acting and getting Alessandro Pistone booked for an apparent kick to the United midfielder's face. "It was nowhere near his face," Dalglish said, "and that is not fair is it? It might improve his looks I suppose. The pictures do not lie, though, and if someone has done that, it will just have to be on their conscience." There were seven bookings in a game that was bad-tempered at times but never really sank into genuine unpleasantness. It was atavistic, certainly, and Pearce and Batty, in particular, strove like men possessed, aggressive and unyielding, to try to humble the team that are now 17 points clear of them in the race for the championship. Keith Gillespie, too, seemed intent on making United pay for selling him to Newcastle as part of the deal that took Cole the other way, and his early runs, coupled with the industry and control of Batty at the heart of midfield, left United looking as uncomfortable as they have at any time since Derby County ran them ragged for a 20-minute period at Pride Park earlier this season. When John Barnes, a player not renowned for his tackles, dispossessed Nicky Butt, someone who is justly famous for his, midway through the first half, it was the clearest indication possible that this was a Newcastle side itching to prove its mettle. After 24 minutes, they seemed to have taken the lead when Barnes guided a cross from Pearce inside Schmeichel's post but the United goalkeeper somehow flung himself to his left and clawed the header away. The first half was relentless. Every free kick was taken quickly, every tackle was full-blooded, every Newcastle attack was roared on by thousands of frantic voices. United weathered it all, though. Pallister was superb at the centre of defence, the rock on which the invention of Asprilla and Barnes always foundered. Gradually, Newcastle began to allow United back into the game. Hislop saved well from Cole after the United striker had escaped from Pearce for the first time and then Giggs struck a fierce right-foot volley that dipped just over the crossbar. The second half continued in the same vein, Newcastle pressing but hindered by lack of attacking firepower, United attempting what counter-attacks they could. Their goal came from one in the 68th minute. Giggs broke out from a Newcastle corner and slipped the ball to Phil Neville, who passed it to Scholes. Scholes laid it out to Beckham on the right wing and his cross eluded Barton and found Cole at the back post. His header, across Hislop, nestled in the bottom left-hand corner of the net. United could have put the game out of reach two minutes later, but Hislop blocked Giggs's low shot with his knee. Scholes had another chance to seal victory but he sidefooted a cross from Giggs just over the bar. In the eightieth minute, Schmeichel repeated his heroics when he hurled himself through the air to turn a bullet header from Pearce round the post. In the dying seconds, Asprilla wasted his team's best opportunity when he ran on to Batty's volleyed pass but lobbed his shot over Schmeichel and the crossbar. He held his head in his hands and, when the final whistle went, the United players rushed to congratulate Schmeichel. "His first save was in the excellent category," Ferguson said afterwards. "The second was unbelievable." NEWCASTLE UNITED (3-5-1-1): S Hislop - D Peacock, S Pearce, P Albert (sub: W Barton, 34min) - S Watson, K Gillespie, D Batty, J Beresford (sub: T Ketsbaia, 75), A Pistone - J Barnes - F Asprilla. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - G Neville, G Pallister, R Johnsen, P Neville - D Beckham, N Butt, P Scholes (sub: O G Solskjaer, 72), R Giggs - E Sheringham (sub: B McClair, 84), A Cole. Referee: P Jones. Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited. __________________________________________________________ DALGLISH BLAST FOR BECKHAM By Martin Lipton, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer Furious Kenny Dalglish angrily accused golden boy David Beckham of feigning injury to get Alessandro Pistone booked after Andy Cole's first St James' goal in three years put Manchester United four points clear of the pack. England ace Beckham went down clutching his face after being caught by a raised boot from the Italian, who was one of seven players cautioned by referee Peter Jones. But television replays showed Pistone's raised boot had caught Beckham no higher than his chest, and Dalglish raged: "That's not fair. "Pistone's foot was high but Beckham went and held his face, even though he was nowhere near it. "If he had been hit in the face that would've been fine, but he didn't. The pictures don't lie. He shouldn't have held his face. "You've got to look at the referee - he was the worst man on the pitch. But the players have the opportunity to avoid getting fellow professionals booked. "We can lie in our beds and sleep tonight. We didn't try to get anybody in trouble. If somebody does that, it's up to their conscience." Dalglish said that United chief Alex Ferguson agreed with him about the poor performance of the Loughborough-based official, although the Old Trafford boss demurred. "I don't know why he's upset," said Ferguson. "The referee was very good for Newcastle. Everybody's entitled to a bad game." But Ferguson was less than happy with his own team, despite the win that buried the memory of last season's 5-0 drubbing. "We played better last season when we lost, much better," claimed Ferguson. "We made 15 chances and lost 5-0. "That's why we had the plan today - don't play well, don't make any chances and win 1-0! "We were very lucky, and if it hadn't been for Peter Schmeichel and Gary Pallister we would've been beaten. "It was a careless performance. We continually gave the ball away and Newcastle were very unfortunate. We can play a lot better than that." The moment that proved the difference between the teams was Cole's 16th of the season in the 67th minute, an emphatic header past Shaka Hislop from Beckham's right-wing centre. "It was a fantastic goal, and when you know you can see a cross and header like that then you're always a threat," said Ferguson. Ferguson was once again talking admiringly of his great Dane, after Schmeichel's flying leaps to foil John Barnes and Stuart Pearce. "Peter was fantastic, phenomenal," he said. "The save from Barnes was excellent, the one from Pearce unbelievable." And Dalglish did for once agree with his long-term managerial nemesis on that. "They were a couple of magnificent saves - but if you're good enough you've always got a chance of saving them. "I said before the game that United were the best side in the league, and nothing I saw today has made me change my mind. "But we more than matched them, and with a little bit of fortune we'd have come away with a point. "That's the level of performance we're looking for - now we've got to ensure we keep it there for the rest of the season." © PA Sporting Life __________________________________________________________ Newcastle v Man United 21/12/97 4.00 Newcastle (0) 0 Man United (0) 1 FT Cole 66 Andy Cole returned in triumph to torture the fans who once idolised him and give Alex Ferguson the revenge he wanted for last season's Magpie mauling. Kevin Keegan had famously gone out onto the steps outside St James' to explain his reasons for allowing the striker to go to Old Trafford in January 1995 after `Cole the goal' had scored 68 goals in 84 appearances in black and white. For many months the Toon Army has begun to believe Keegan got the better of the deal after all, taking every opportunity to taunt their erstwhile hero, even in his absence from the 5-0 thrashing last term. But it was Cole who had the last laugh as he scored his first goal at St James' since netting against Ipswich in a 1-1 draw on November 26 1994 to move the champions back four points clear at Christmas. Three years had been a long wait for Cole to make the sort of return he had dreamed of, although 15 goals this term - including 13 in his last 12 games - proved he was in the mood. And he showed that to deadly effect mid-way through the second half of a passionate afternoon. When David Beckham picked up possession on the United right, Cole sensed the moment had come as he peeled away off Darren Peacock. The delivery was perfect, and so was the response from the Old Trafford hit-man, the firmest of headers back across Shaka Hislop and emphatically into the corner of the net. Cole knew where the game - perhaps the title - was heading, and he had only one destination in his own mind, racing away to the far end of the ground to pledge his allegiance to the Reds cause to the travelling fans. Alex Ferguson's men, who had soaked up all Newcastle could throw at them, could have won by more, Ryan Giggs twice denied by Hislop and Paul Scholes missing a sitter. Peter Schmeichel, who brilliantly denied John Barnes in the first half, repeated the medicine to sicken Stuart Pearce, and when Tino Asprilla lobbed over three minutes into added time, there was no way back. That game 14 months ago had represented the ultimate high-water mark of the Keegan era, and with only 11 of last season's starters on display only the real Tyneside romantics could have hoped for a repeat. With Rob Lee ruled out, Kenny Dalglish fielded six nominal defenders, although there was an intensity about the Newcastle display, with John Beresford the unlikely choice to play as a free floater. There was precious little room for thought, let alone creativity, in the furiously-competitive opening, as Scholes returned in midfield for the champions at the expense of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Skirmishes between Philippe Albert and Teddy Sheringham and Cole and Pearce reflected the passions off the pitch, the watching Tony Blair and Irish Premier Bertie Aherne involved in the only peace discussions of the day. At times Newcastle were too anxious, not picking their passes, but they showed what might be when Asprilla and Barnes linked to find the raiding Alessandro Pistone on the left, his cross a fraction too high for Beresford. United's response was instant, Beckham's low skimmer was turned aside by Hislop, but it was the home side who then took a measure of command. Barnes and Asprilla combined again to square for Keith Gillespie, ruled to have been brought down inches outside the box by Nicky Butt, with Pearce drilling through the wall and Schmeichel hanging on. Then, in the 25th minute, Beresford's corner was only half cleared, and when Pearce returned the ball with interest, Barnes and the rest of St James' was celebrating a header when Schmeichel somehow managed to paw the ball aside. But the balance changed after a moment of sheer petulance in the 32nd minute. Albert clearly fouled Cole from behind, and then, when the one-time £7million man took the free-kick quickly, kicked out at his former team-mate. Yet it was the Belgian who suffered, pulling his hamstring, which meant Warren Barton came on as right-back with Steve Watson moving into the back three. Now Giggs had a target to go at, with only Watson's brave block denying Cole after the winger had roasted the substitute. Ferguson's side came again before the break and went closer still two minutes from the interval. Giggs and Butt combined on the left and when the ball was played in to Cole, he left Peacock for dead only to be foiled by the on-rushing Hislop. Barton's weak header should have been punished by Giggs but the break came with it still all level, and all to play for. Batty almost found a way through eight minutes into the second half, intercepting Butt, and exchanging with Barnes, before Butt made amends for his own error. Then Cole headed weakly after being picked out by a searching Beckham delivery, and while Asprilla rose well to meet Barton's cross after the excellent Batty had spread wide, he could not keep his effort down. Beresford's tackle on Butt allowed another run at goal from the spindle-legged Colombian, although Ronny Johnsen, again preferred to Henning Berg, did enough. Bad news for Ferguson came when Phil Neville joined the earlier-cautioned Gillespie, Butt and Pistone - he will now miss the FA Cup trip to Chelsea. But all that was forgotten as Cole struck to devastating effect in the 67th minute, superbly putting away the opportunity he had squandered a few minutes earlier. Hislop had been left flat-footed then, but he kept his team in the contest a couple of minutes later, throwing out his limbs to deny Giggs after he had again got into the space Barton should have been defending. Giggs was again bested by the keeper as Ferguson's men threatened to finish it off, before Scholes side-footed over a gaping target after Giggs had again embarrassed Barton. That was Scholes' last contribution, Solskjaer coming on with 17 minutes left, and Newcastle, relieved to still be in it, came again. Schmeichel, however, would not be beaten, surpassing his first-half stop with a flying leap to keep out Pearce's diving header. Batty's otherwise impeccable display was spoiled with a foul on Gary Neville that means he also misses the third round of the FA Cup. Barnes was a fraction wide with another header before Pearce's quick reaction saved Newcastle from potentially serious repercussions after one so-called fan ran from his seat headed for Cole. He did not get there, fortunately, and Ferguson and his men were willing to forget all about it, especially when Asprilla missed the target. They had what they really, really wanted for Christmas. Newcastle: Hislop, Watson, Beresford (Ketsbaia, 75), Peacock, Pearce, Pistone, Albert (Barton, 33), Batty, Barnes, Gillespie, Asprilla. Subs not used: Given, Rush, Tomasson. Booked: Gillespie, Pistone, Batty, Peacock. Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Johnsen, P. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Scholes (Solskjaer, 72), Cole, Sheringham (McClair, 83). Subs not used: Berg, Pilkington, Curtis. Booked: Butt, P. Neville, Cole. Attendance: 36,767. Referee: P Jones (Loughborough). ______________________________________________________________________ Blackburn and Chelsea close on Man United By Mitch Phillips LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Blackburn and Chelsea made ground on leaders Manchester United on Saturday with convincing English premier league victories over West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday respectively. Eighteen-year-old Damien Duff hit two as Blackburn thumped West Ham 3-0 to move within a point of United, who visit Newcastle on Sunday. A further point back are Chelsea, who became the league's top scorers with a 4-1 thrashing of Wednesday at Hillsborough. Tottenham finally found some form, albeit against bottom club Barnsley, winning 3-0 and Everton clinched their first away win in a year as an 89th minute Gary Speed penalty beat Leicester 1-0. Blackburn are keeping up a determined chase of Manchester United and produced another solid performance to smother West Ham on Saturday. In the absence of suspended striker Chris Sutton, the opening goal came in the 21st minute from the unlikely source of Stuart Ripley -- his first since April 1994. Sutton's replacement Duff then stepped into the limelight with two poached goals in the second half. West Ham had Steve Lomas sent off for dissent between Duff's double but even at full compliment the Londoners were outclassed. Last week Chelsea failed to score against nine-man Leeds but on Saturday were back to their creative best against a lacklustre Sheffield Wednesday. Dan Petrescu, Gianluca Vialli and a Frank Leboeuf penalty had the visitors comfortably in control before Mark Pembridge scored for Wednesday in the 71st minute. It was only a brief setback as Norway's Tore-Andre Flo calmly curled-in Chelsea's fourth to complete an impressive victory. They have now scored 45 goals in 19 games -- one more than Manchester United -- and coach Ruud Gullit was a happy man. "Where ever we go we have the opportunity of scoring -- and it's not always the same players," he said. "And we can defend too." Wednesday manager Ron Atkinson was furious after what he described as "a spanking." "Considering we played at home the Chelsea boys will think they've had a practice match," he said. "I want to see more will-to-win than that." Tottenham, who had lost six of their last seven games, raced into a 3-0 lead in the first 17 minutes against bottom club Barnsley and held on comfortably. Dane Allan Nielsen tucked in the first after six minutes and then Frenchman David Ginola got two -- the second a great header. Everton were without a goal in their last four games and without an away win since December 16 last year but scrambled a dramatic victory at Leicester. Home keeper Kasey Keller brought down pacey striker Danny Cadamarteri and Speed, who missed from the spot against Leeds two weeks ago, kept his cool to earn three precious points. "It's been a long time coming," said Everton manager Howard Kendall, whose next away game is at Old Trafford on December 26. The victories were not enough to move either Spurs or Everton out of the bottom three as fourth-from-bottom Southampton grabbed a point at Aston Villa. Ian Taylor had Villa ahead in the 64th minute but it lasted only six minutes as Egil Ostenstad equalised for the visitors. Elsewhere, teenager Michael Owen scored Liverpool's goal in an uninspired 1-0 home win over Coventry and Leeds overcame Bolton 2-0 with second half goals by Bruno Ribeiro and Jimmy Hasselbaink. Derby against Crystal Palace ended goalless while Arsenal visit Wimbledon on Monday. REUTERS |
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