Copy from
Electronic Telegraph


Monday 1 December 1997
Issue 921


United's show of strength is total triumph
By Henry Winter at Old Trafford


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          Man Utd (1) 4 Blackburn (0) 0
          
          A PASSION play was predicted at the Theatre of Dreams
          yesterday. Instead Manchester United staged a variety show.
          Brimming with versatility, pace and commitment, Alex Ferguson's
          players swept aside Blackburn Rovers, who were two goals adrift
          even before Chris Sutton's dismissal.
          
          Everything came in pairs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struck twice,
          then Sutton made that long and lonely walk for a brace of
          bookable offences, before two own goals, from Stephane Henchoz
          and Jeff Kenna, had Old Trafford awash with songs of praise and
          defiance. Three points clear of second-placed Chelsea, United's
          Premiership lead is deceptively slim; in reality, a gulf in
          class exists.
          
          Their fluidity was thrillingly in evidence, the players'
          willingness to fill varying tasks impressive throughout.
          Solskjaer, lurking on the left as an inside-forward, still
          scored in classic centre-forward fashion, charging through to
          beat the goalkeeper as United's November goal collection rose
          to 23.
          
          United are in a class of their own. Their style is not Total
          Football, as made famous by those marvellously fluid Dutch
          sides. It is an English version, of technically talented
          players prepared to take on any responsibility. It is Gary or
          Philip Neville marauding down the flanks, yet remaining alert
          defensively.
          
          It is David Beckham and Ryan Giggs flanking Nicky Butt in
          central midfield and then, on Butt's departure, performing the
          holding duties themselves. What a spectacle this provided. Two
          of the country's finest footballers, such noted sources of
          creativity, were battling for the ball like latter- day
          Robsons.
          
          Their appetite for action, their refusal to allow Rovers to
          settle in possession, was awesome. Beckham harried and carried,
          giving Gary Croft constant problems on the right while also
          powering his way around the middle, bristling with
          determination to thwart Garry Flitcroft, Tim Sherwood and Billy
          McKinlay.
          
          And Beckham's passing, notably the arrowed cross-field
          delivery, matched his work-rate. Giggs, too, was hunger
          personified; occasionally careless, the Welshman made up for
          any concession of possession by sweating ceaselessly until
          atonement arrived.
          
          This blend of appetite and ability sets Ferguson's serial
          winners apart. Many managers can send out players who possess
          commitment and skill. But only Ferguson knows all his team will
          offer up such qualities as a starting point - and then push
          themselves a stage further. Such drive flows from the manager.
          
          Ferguson's recruiting, his nurturing of young talent, has
          allowed him to build a squad of accomplished players, so
          Solskjaer could replace the suspended Paul Scholes. Roy Keane
          is on the treadmill, Eric Cantona is treading the boards but
          the big red machine keeps rolling on, now over foreign fields
          too.
          
          Blackburn, we thought, might provide a test. Cleverly prepared
          this season by Roy Hodgson, with fitness and confidence at a
          high, Rovers were made to look distinct also-rans, not the
          decent side they really are.
          
          What should really have alarmed United's rivals was the sight
          of Beckham and Giggs, Cole and Solskjaer running around like
          athletes in the final minute while Tore Pedersen was riven with
          cramp.
          
          Few would have lived with United yesterday but tactically
          Blackburn made it hard for themselves. With Sutton on the
          field, the visitors enjoyed a focus but no support. Without
          him, but with Kevin Gallacher and Lars Bohinen introduced,
          Rovers had support but no focus.
          
          The heart went out to Sutton, a lone front-runner in desperate
          need of company. Closely marked by Henning Berg, his old
          team-mate, Sutton had little support from the referee early on,
          Alan Wilkie clearly deciding that Sutton was more guilty of
          backing in than being barged into.
          
          And so Sutton's frustration grew. Even when he won the aerial
          battles, sending the ball flying on in a neat para- bola, there
          was no one to exploit his work. Committed to their 4-5-1
          strategy, not even Blackburn's wingers ventured too far
          forward.
          
          Those who deploy caution against United invariably falter. The
          champions have so many attacking options, from dead-ball to
          high-speed, from collective to individual, that the best form
          of defence against them is really attack, not gung-ho but
          high-tempo up the park. Peter Schmeichel was not threatened
          until the hour-mark.
          
          As Sutton languished, like a boat caught out by low tide,
          United began to pick holes in Rovers' rearguard. Cole headed
          wide before a pass from Teddy Sheringham, brilliant in
          inception and execution, released Solskjaer down the
          inside-left channel, where he outstripped Kenna before shooting
          in.
          
          As the minutes grew in number, so did the temperature. Butt
          went in crudely on Sherwood. Sutton then clattered Berg with a
          nasty lunge. Such ill-will was also voiced by the rival fans.
          "One-season wonders," sang the home hordes. "Did you cry at
          Upton Park?" came the quick-fire response, alluding to the way
          in which they pipped United to the 1994-95 championship.
          
          United's players were letting their feet do the talking. After
          53 minutes Sheringham's headed flick played Solskjaer through
          and the Norwegian finished in emphatic style. When Sutton went
          in high on Butt, so ensuring he was alone in the dressing-room,
          as he had been on the pitch, more goals were inevitable.
          
          Bizarrely, Blackburn scored both. Philip Neville's hard drive
          from the left was turned in by Henchoz, under pressure from
          Cole. Schmeichel then blocked from Gallacher but the last word
          was inevitably United's, Brian McClair's centre being turned in
          by Kenna.
          __________________________________________________________
          
          Man Utd (1) 4 Blackburn (0) 0
          Solskjaer 18, 53, Henchoz 60 og, Kenna 85 og.

          Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister (Poborsky 70),
          Beckham, Butt (Johnsen 65), Cole, Sheringham (McClair 75),
          Giggs, P. Neville, Solskjaer, Berg. Subs Not Used: Van Der
          Gouw, Clegg. Booked: Butt.

          Blackburn: Flowers, Kenna, Sherwood, Pedersen, Ripley (Bohinen
          62), Sutton, Wilcox (Duff 75), Flitcroft, McKinlay (Gallacher
          60), Croft, Henchoz. Subs Not Used: Fettis, Broomes. Sent Off:
          Sutton (56). Booked: Sutton.

          Att: 55,175
          Ref: A B Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
      _______________________________________________________________
   
     Soccer showcase-Solskjaer double as Man Utd romp home
     
     (Adds quotes, details)
     By Alan Baldwin
     MANCHESTER, England, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Norwegian striker Ole
     Gunnar Solskjaer scored twice while Blackburn contributed two own
     goals and had striker Chris Sutton sent off on Sunday as Manchester
     United romped to a 4-0 win in the premier league.

     The victory sent league leaders United three points clear of
     Chelsea with 34 points to 31. Blackburn, previously unbeaten away
     this season, are third on 30 points. "We will have to learn once
     again to suck on the bitter pill of defeat," said their manager Roy
     Hodgson. "It's been a huge defeat."

     Blackburn had not won in the league at Old Trafford in more than 30
     years and any hopes they harboured died when their lone striker and
     top scorer Sutton was sent off in the 57th minute for his second
     booking of a hard-fought clash.

     By then United were already 2-0 up after Solskjaer, in for the
     suspended Paul Scholes, had scored in the 17th and 52nd minutes.
     The double made it five goals in five starts for the Norwegian,
     United's top scorer last season, who was injured at the start of
     the season and then left out of the team.

     He linked with England's Teddy Sheringham for the first, playing a
     neat one-two before chesting down and lashing in a crashing
     left-footed shot past Tim Flowers.

     His second was a perfect example of straightforward attacking, a
     long ball down the middle finding Sheringham who again passed to
     Solskjaer to finish off the job with a confident strike.

     Earlier Andy Cole had the ball in the net in the 31st minute after
     a cross from Solskjaer but was ruled offside.

     Sutton had been booked in the 34th for a late tackle and picked up
     the red card for another on Nicky Butt.

     United Manager Alex Ferguson, whose team is unbeaten at Old
     Trafford and on a high after this week qualifying for the
     quarter-finals of the European Cup, praised the Norwegian but was
     quick to play down the significance of the crushing result.

     "He's got the instinct allright," he said of Solskjaer. "But it's
     early season, the league's not really started yet. We're in a good
     position, its an important win."

     Hodgson, who surprised many, including Ferguson, when he started
     with a packed five-man midfield with Sutton as the lone frontman,
     said United never looked like losing but condemned Sutton's sending
     off.

     He saw only "manly tackles" rather than fouls and said Sutton, who
     last week signed a new six-year contract with Rovers, had been
     treated "remarkably harshly".

     Blackburn's misery continued in the 60th minute when Swiss
     international defender Stephane Henchoz scored an own goal under
     pressure from Andy Cole.

     The goal might have been credited to Cole by some but the striker
     did not claim it and Ferguson later confirmed his player had not
     got in a touch.

     Blackburn, whose former defender Henning Berg was doing an
     excellent job for United after joining this season, completed the
     4-0 defeat for themselves five minutes from time when Jeff Kenna
     sidefooted past Flowers for the second own goal.

     United, with a three-man attacking formation and Welsh
     international Ryan Giggs in midfield, could have scored more and
     Cole, with five goals in five Champions' League matches so far, was
     particularly unlucky to stay off the scoresheet.

     Hodgson said captain Tim Sherwood was lucky to have escaped serious
     injury after one tackle by Butt and said several other players had
     picked up troubling injuries. However, he said he would not be
     rushing out to the transfer market.

     United have now scored 27 goals in eight home league matches,
     leaving Ferguson a happy Scot on St Andrew's Day. "God looks after
     the Scotsmen, don't worry about that," he said.

                           © Reuters Limited 1997
      _______________________________________________________________

   Man Utd 4-0 Blackburn 
   Solskjaer 17,53   Sutton s/o 56
   Henchoz 59 og
   Kenna 85 og

   Half-Time: 1-0
   
   Att: 55,175
   
   Ref: G Poll (Tring)
   
   Manchester United proved that Europe is no distraction to their
   Premiership ambitions as they outclassed title hopefuls Blackburn at
   Old Trafford this afternoon.
   
   Once the champions' performances used to dip after European matches
   not any more. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer marked his first start since the
   beginning of the month with two goals, before Stephane Henchoz and
   Jeff Kenna put through their own net.
   
   Alex Ferguson's side were in control from start to finish as they won
   at a canter to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership.
   United have now scored 30 goals in their last seven games and on this
   form a fifth championship in six years is beginning to look
   inevitable. For Blackburn, who had gone into the weekend second in the
   table and were being talked about as title contenders, it was their
   first away defeat of the campaign and, to add to their problems, they
   had Chris Sutton sent off after 56 minutes.
   
   Rovers were in trouble from the first whistle when they began with
   Sutton playing as the lone striker, after Kevin Gallacher, who had
   been dogged by an Achilles injury, was named among the substitutes. As
   a consequence, their attacking threat was muted, while United deployed
   a three-pronged attack, with Solskjaer replacing the suspended Paul
   Scholes. United's attacking trio nearly broke the deadlock after nine
   minutes, when Cole headed wide from David Beckham's right-wing
   freekick.
   
   But the United faithful in a packed Old Trafford were soon rewarded
   with a goal when Solskjaer netted after 16 minutes. Solskjaer laid the
   ball to Teddy Sheringham and he knocked it back over the Rovers'
   defence into the path of the Norwegian, who fired past Tim Flowers.
   Andy Cole thought he had scored a second on the half-hour, but it was
   ruled out for offside.
   
   Blackburn mustered a rare counter-attack through Jason Wilcox, only
   for the impressive Henning Berg to rob Sutton and snuff out the
   danger. But United duly doubled their advantage on 51 minutes, when
   Sheringham fed Solskjaer, who darted between the two central defenders
   to rifle home his fifth goal of the season. Tim Flowers then produced
   a great save to deny Solskjaer a hat-trick, parrying his shot after
   the striker had cut inside, and the Rovers goalkeeper also blocked
   Sheringham's effort from the rebound.
   
   Blackburn's slim hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Sutton
   (pictured walking off) was sent off after he received a second yellow
   card for going over the top on Butt. Rovers added to their woes when
   Henchoz got the final touch to Phil Neville's low, left-wing cross
   just ahead of Cole.
   
   Gary Pallister came off midway through the half, after he appeared to
   suffer a recurrence of his back problem, to be replaced by Karel
   Poborsky. But it was not until the 68th minute that Blackburn
   eventually mustered their first real chance, only for Peter Schmeichel
   to save KevinGallacher's shot. Cole found the back of the net again
   soon afterwards, but once more he was offside.
   
   Still United piled forward and Flowers parried Cole's drive, before
   Kenna produced a superb tackle to deny the United striker a minute
   later. Kenna blundered, though, six minutes from time when he knocked
   McClair's pass past Flowers and into his own net for what was an
   appropriate ending to Rovers' miserable afternoon.
   
   Man Utd
   Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister (Poborsky 70), Beckham, Butt
   (Johnsen 65), Cole, Sheringham (McClair 75), Giggs, P.Neville,
   Solskjaer, Berg.
   Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Clegg.
   Booked: Butt 
   
   Blackburn
   Flowers, Kenna, Sherwood, Pedersen, Ripley (Bohinen 62), Sutton,
   Wilcox (Duff 75), Flitcroft, McKinlay (Gallacher 60), Croft, Henchoz.
   Subs Not Used: Fettis, Broomes.
   Sent Off: Sutton (56).
   Booked: Sutton 
      _______________________________________________________________

United find an extra gear
Manchester Utd - 4 Blackburn Rovers - 0

   By David Lacey

   Soccer: Visitors to Old Trafford tend to employ one of two strategies.
   Either they try to take on Manchester United in a shooting match or
   they settle for containment in the hope of grabbing a goal here and
   there. The way United are playing at the moment it really makes little
   difference. Blackburn Rovers yesterday arrived full of solid defensive
   intentions but eventually went the way of others, roundly defeated 4-0
   and grateful not to have lost by more.

   It seems that no sooner do teams come within striking distance of the
   champions than Alex Ferguson's players slip into an extra gear. Just
   over a week earlier Blackburn's 1-0 win against Chelsea had
   established them as United's closest pursuers. Now their first defeat
   of the season away from Ewood Park has left them behind Chelsea in
   third place, while Manchester United have opened up a three-point
   lead.

   Chelsea, the only side so far to have taken a point from Old Trafford
   this season, must be glad they are not having to face Manchester
   United in their present free-scoring mood. United have scored 34 goals
   in their last nine games and 23 times in November alone.

   At least Blackburn entered the spirit of things yesterday by
   contributing two own goals after their lone striker, Chris Sutton, had
   been sent off by Alan Wilkie for bookable fouls on Henning Berg in the
   first half and Nicky Butt in the second.

   Roy Hodgson, the Blackburn manager, considered Sutton's dismissal
   "remarkably harsh" but the reality was that the player could have been
   shown a red card for the way he went over the top as Butt challenged
   for a 50-50 ball. Then again the earlier lunge from Butt which caught
   Tim Sherwood amidships was not the afternoon's friendliest gesture.

   For those hoping to deny Old Trafford its fifth Premier League title
   in six seasons, or at least keep the championship open until the
   spring, the most ominous aspect of United's victory lay in the fact
   that it was achieved without Paul Scholes, Ferguson's most in-form
   player, who was starting a threematch suspension.

   The United manager responded to Scholes's absence by playing Ole
   Solskjaer as a third striker with Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole.
   Solskjaer responded with two excellent goals. A similar approach had
   destroyed Sheffield Wednesday 6-1 at the beginning of the month and
   Cole, while he produced another excellent performance in the van of
   the attack, might have extended yesterday's winning margin to a
   similar length.

   Almost as a matter of routine Ferguson shrugged aside any attempt to
   award United the championship before Christmas. "It's still early
   season," he said, "and I don't think the league has really started
   yet." Try telling that to David Pleat and Gerry Francis.

   Hodgson's approach to the match was that of a manager who did not
   believe his side could win an open contest. Certainly this was not the
   Blackburn that had won 4-0 at Aston Villa in the first week of the
   season.

   With the wings furled, a five-man midfield shielding a four-man
   defence and nine players frequently withdrawn behind the ball Sutton
   never threatened United. And Berg's efficiency in marking him released
   Gary Pallister to support the United attack.

   For a time Manchester United found themselves caught up in a crowded
   midfield with no obvious avenues of approach. Gradually, however, the
   regularity with which Ryan Giggs and Solskjaer were taking it in turns
   to run wide on the left, often supported by Phil Neville, unsettled
   Blackburn's stifling cover.

   The first chance arrived when Tim Flowers failed to reach a centre
   from Gary Neville on the opposite flank, Cole's header bouncing just
   wide of an empty net, but when Manchester United went ahead just past
   the quarter-hour it followed a more likely build-up. One of Gary
   Pallister's long passes found Solskjaer in the inside-left position,
   he played the ball inside to Sheringham, who then bemused the defence
   with an insolent chip of a return, leaving the Norwegian to beat
   Flowers with a firm left-footed shot.

   After that Blackburn were undone. Hodgson had Kevin Gallacher, who
   usually partners Sutton in attack, on the bench but declined to bring
   the Scot on until his team were three down.

   Manchester United's second goal, nine minutes into the second half,
   followed another long ball, this time one of Schmeichel's huge
   clearances which Sheringham flicked on to send Solskjaer surging clear
   of the centre-backs for another emphatic finish.

   Sutton departed three minutes later and two minutes after that Phil
   Neville's hard, low centre was diverted past Flowers by Stephane
   Henchoz. That was bad luck but Jeff Kenna had less excuse for the
   aberrant back pass which caught Flowers out of position to complete
   the scoring six minutes from the end.

      Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Pallister (Poborsky 70),
      Beckham, Butt (Johnsen 65), Cole, Sheringham (McClair 75), Giggs, P
      Neville, Solskjaer, Berg. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Clegg. Booked:
      Butt. Goals: Solskjaer 18, 53, Henchoz 60 og, Kenna 85 og.

      Blackburn Rovers: Flowers, Kenna, Sherwood, Pedersen, Ripley (Bohinen
      62), Sutton, Wilcox (Duff 75), Flitcroft, McKinlay (Gallacher 60), Croft,
      Henchoz. Subs Not Used: Fettis, Broomes. Sent Off: Sutton (56). Booked:
      Sutton.

      Referee: A B Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
      _______________________________________________________________
   
                    Man United v Blackburn 30/11/97 3.00
                                      
Man United              (1) 4 Blackburn               (0) 0 FT
Solskjaer 18,53
Henchoz 60 (og)
Kenna 85 (og)

   Manchester United proved that Europe is no distraction to their FA
   Carling Premiership ambitions as they outclassed title hopefuls
   Blackburn at Old Trafford this afternoon. United may be feasting on
   the champagne and caviar of the Champions' League this season, but
   they demonstrated that had not diminished their appetite for the bread
   and butter of the League.
   
   Once the champions' performances used to dip after European matches
   not any more.
   
   Ole Gunnar Solskjaer marked his first start since the beginning of the
   month with two goals, before Stephane Henchoz and Jeff Kenna put
   through their own net.
   
   Alex Ferguson's side were in control from start to finish as they won
   at a canter to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership.
   
   United have now scored 30 goals in their last seven games and on this
   form a fifth championship in six years is beginning to look
   inevitable.
   
   For Blackburn, who had gone into the weekend second in the table and
   were being talked about as title contenders, it was their first away
   defeat of the campaign and, to add to their problems, they had Chris
   Sutton sent off after 56 minutes.
   
   Rovers were in trouble from the first whistle when they began with
   Sutton playing as the lone striker, after Kevin Gallacher, who had
   been dogged by an Achilles injury, was named among the substitutes.
   
   As a consequence, their attacking threat was muted, while United
   deployed a three-pronged attack, with Solskjaer replacing the
   suspended Paul Scholes.
   
   United's attacking trio nearly broke the deadlock after nine minutes,
   when Cole headed wide from David Beckham's right-wing freekick.
   
   But the United faithful in a packed Old Trafford were soon rewarded
   with a goal when Solskjaer netted after 16 minutes.
   
   Solskjaer laid the ball to Teddy Sheringham and he knocked it back
   over the Rovers' defence into the path of the Norwegian, who fired
   past Tim Flowers.
   
   Cole thought he had scored a second on the half-hour, but it was ruled
   out for offside.
   
   The match between these old rivals then became scrappy and Nicky Butt
   was booked for a foul on Tim Sherwood, before Sutton was also shown
   the yellow card for a late tackle on former Rovers team-mate Henning
   Berg.
   
   United maintained their ascendancy and they won a freekick just
   outside the box, but Ryan Giggs curled it straight into Flowers' arms.
   
   Blackburn mustered a rare counter-attack through Jason Wilcox, only
   for the impressive Berg to rob Sutton and snuff out the danger.
   
   Three minutes before the interval Sheringham shot weakly at Flowers
   from Solskjaer's pass.
   
   But United duly doubled their advantage on 51 minutes, when Sheringham
   fed Solskjaer, who darted between the two central defenders to rifle
   home his fifth goal of the season.
   
   Flowers then produced a great save to deny Solskjaer a hat-trick,
   parrying his shot after the striker had cut inside, and the Rovers
   goalkeeper also blocked Sheringham's effort from the rebound.
   
   Blackburn's slim hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Sutton was
   sent off after he received a second yellow card for going over the top
   on Butt.
   
   Rovers added to their woes when Henchoz got the final touch to Phil
   Neville's low, left-wing cross just ahead of Cole.
   
   Blackburn responded by belatedly bringing on Gallacher for Billy
   McKinlay and then Lars Bohinen for Stuart Ripley.
   
   Gary Pallister came off midway through the half, after he appeared to
   suffer a recurrence of his back problem, to be replaced by Karel
   Poborsky.
   
   But it was not until the 68th minute that Blackburn eventually
   mustered their first real chance, only for Peter Schmeichel to save
   Gallacher's shot.
   
   Cole found the back of the net again soon afterwards, but once more he
   was offside.
   
   Rovers played their final card when Damien Duff came on for Wilcox,
   while Brian McClair replaced Sheringham at the same time.
   
   Still United piled forward and Flowers parried Cole's drive, before
   Kenna produced a superb tackle to deny the United striker a minute
   later.
   
   Kenna blundered, though, six minutes from time when he knocked
   McClair's pass past Flowers and into his own net for what was an
   appropriate ending to Rovers' miserable afternoon.
   
   Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister (Poborsky, 70), Beckham,
   Butt (Johnsen, 65), Cole, Sheringham (McClair, 75), Giggs, P. Neville,
   Solskjaer, Berg.
   Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, Clegg.
   Booked: Butt.
   
   Blackburn: Flowers, Kenna, Sherwood, Pedersen, Ripley (Bohinen, 62),
   Sutton, Wilcox (Duff, 75), Flitcroft, McKinlay (Gallacher, 60), Croft,
   Henchoz.
   Subs not used: Fettis, Broomes.
   Booked: Sutton.
   Sentoff: Sutton 56.
   
   Attendance: 55,175.
   Referee: A B Wilkie (Chester-le-Street). 
      _______________________________________________________________
   
     Zola hat-trick underlines Chelsea's title challenge
     
     (writes through, adding detail)
     By Mike Collett
     LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Gianfranco Zola scored his first
     hat-trick in English soccer, leading Chelsea to a 4-0 win over
     Derby County on Saturday which put the London side level with
     Manchester United at the top of the premier league.

     Zola, England's reigning Footballer of the Year, fired Chelsea
     ahead after 12 minutes. Mark Hughes added a second in the 35th and
     Zola wrapped up the victory with two more in the 66th and 77th
     minutes.

     The win put Ruud Gullit's men on 31 points, the same as leaders
     Manchester United who play Blackburn at Old Trafford on Sunday.
     United stay top with a goal difference of plus 24 while Chelsea's
     is plus 18.

     Zola's first was a stunning 20-metre shot after Hughes had created
     the chance. Hughes scored the second himself and helped create
     Zola's second when Derby's Estonian goalkeeper Mart Poom failed to
     hold Hughes' shot and Zola followed up to score.

     Zola's third, and Chelsea's fourth was a goal stamped "Made in
     Italy" all over it with Roberto di Matteo linking with Zola who
     picked his spot perfectly to give Poom no chance.

     Leeds continued their climb up the table to fourth place, and also
     continued their astonishing powers of recovery by beating Barnsley
     3-2 after trailing 2-0 in only 28 minutes. The home team had scored
     through Andy Liddell and Ashley Ward.

     Leeds, who have come back from 3-0 down to beat Derby 4-3 and from
     1-0 down to beat West Ham 2-1 in their last two matches, repeated
     the trick with goals from Norwegian Alf-Inge Haaland (35), Rod
     Wallace (79) and Derek Lilley (82).

     The result was a major disappointment for Barnsley who won 1-0 at
     Liverpool last week and meant they stayed 19th -- just a point
     clear of bottom-placed Everton who lost 2-0 at home to Tottenham
     Hotspur for their fifth successive setback.

     The result was an enormous relief to Spurs, playing under new Swiss
     coach Christian Gross for the first time following the departure of
     Gerry Francis two weeks ago.

     These two members of English soccer's Big Five have fallen on hard
     times this season with Spurs starting the match in 17th place and
     Everton bottom, but Tottenham halted their run of four straight
     defeats with a munch improved display.

     Their opener after 72 minutes came when Swiss international Ramon
     Vega stooped low to head home and a second goal from French
     international David Ginola, rounding off an outstanding Tottenham
     build-up after 76 minutes, gave Spurs their first away win in the
     league this season.

     Angry Everton fans, whose club have been in the top flight since
     1954, demonstrated for 45 minutes after the match, calling for the
     resignation of chairman Peter Johnson.

     Relegation fears appear to be receding at Sheffield Wednesday where
     manager Ron Atkinson, in his second game in charge back at the
     club, saw his team win 3-2 at Southampton with two late goals from
     Wayne Collins and Paolo di Canio.

     It was Wednesday's third successive win since David Pleat was
     sacked three weeks ago and took Wednesday up to 14th. They were
     bottom at the beginning of the month.

     Newcastle bounced back from their European Champions' League defeat
     at Barcelona on Wednesday with a 2-1 triumph at Crystal Palace, who
     have yet to win a home league match this season, having drawn three
     and lost four.

     Nathan Blake scored an 89th minute goal to give Bolton a 1-0
     victory over Wimbledon while John Hartson scored twice as West Ham
     bounced back to form with a 2-1 defeat of Aston Villa.
     
                           © Reuters Limited 1997


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