PRIME MINISTER Gordon Brown committed the first major gaffe of the general election campaign after he was caught on microphone calling a pensioner "a bigoted woman".
Gillian Duffy, 65, had engaged Mr Brown in conversation during his visit to Rochdale over a range of issues, including immigration.
Speaking to his advisers in his car immediately afterwards, Mr Brown said he considered the encounter to be "a disaster" and that he thought Mrs Duffy was "a bigoted woman".
This could be clearly heard on a Sky news microphone which had been attached to his suit with his permission to pick up conversation with voters on his visit.
Of course, the mic should have been removed as soon as Mr Brown got in the car but the fact that it was not demonstrates a complete lack of organisation in the Labour campaign.
In fact, the exchange between Mrs Duffy and Mr Brown had not really been as disastrous as the PM first thought.
While they had clashed on some issues, Mr Brown seemed to deal with the matter politely to Mrs Duffy's face and, in turn, she praised the quality of her grandchildren's school.
The conversation ended amicably with Mr Brown telling Mrs Duffy that it was "very nice" to meet her before his furious and unexpected volte-face inside the car.
It was also notable that the PM was quick to blame other members of his team. He said: "They should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous."
After realising his comments had been heard, a "mortified" Mr Brown apologised live on Radio 2 but even his apology was laced with bitterness towards the broadcasters.
He said: "You've got to remember that this was me being helpful to the broadcasters, with my microphone on, rushing into the car because I had to get to another appointment and they have chosen to play my private conversation."
The conversation was technically private but a news organisation was never going to pass up the chance of exposing clear hypocrisy from the PM.
Mr Brown later returned to Rochdale to apologise to Mrs Duffy at her home but the wider damage had already been done.
Indeed, Mr Brown acknowledged as much, and said: "I am under no illusions as to how much scorn some in the media will want to heap upon me in the days ahead."
This was the low point of an already awful election campaign for Labour.
It is in no way similar to former deputy PM John Prescott's infamous punch in 2001 which gained the government as much support as it lost.
Certainly, Mr Brown will not have won over many undecided voters in the swing seats with that performance.
And, while Mrs Duffy was a critical voice, until today she was still a likely Labour voter in a seat won in 2005 by the Liberal Democrats by just 444 votes.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems' bounce in this campaign shows no signs of dying away with Labour languishing in third place in the polls.
As a result of their position, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg had come under more and more scrutiny and he will be relieved that Mr Brown's blunder has given him a little breathing space.
It had been a tough couple of days for Mr Clegg after the spotlight had switched to him and, specifically, what he would do in the case of a hung parliament.
With the result of the election not known, perhaps it was understandable that the answer was not particularly clear.
But, in a blow to Mr Brown, Mr Clegg confirmed he would not prop up a PM who had finished third in the popular vote but still had the most seats.
Instead, he said such a result would expose the ridiculous flaws of the first past the post system and strengthen the Lib Dems' call for proportional representation.
The odds on that scenario lengthened after today's events and the Conservatives will hit the campaign trail in the last week with an increased air of confidence of an outright majority.
A strong performance from Tory leader David Cameron in the final leaders' debate on the economy on BBC1 at 8.30pm will be further grounds for optimism among Conservative candidates.
Of course, the Lib Dems will hope that Mr Clegg remains a tough opponent to shrug off and the party can consolidate second place to cause a hung parliament.
But, for Labour, this debate and indeed the election could be an end game - or, at least, it looks that way for Mr Brown whose reputation now lies in tatters.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Sunday, 25 April 2010
World Snooker: Legendary Davis turns back the clock to reach last eight
CRUCIBLE LEGEND Steve Davis returned to his 1980s heyday to beat defending champion John Higgins 13-11 in the second round at the World Championships in Sheffield.
Six-time winner Davis dominated the early stages, taking a 6-2 lead after the first session after breaks of 72 and 102, his first competitive century of the season.
Back came Higgins at the start of session two with a 78 break in the ninth frame and a tight win in the 10th to reduce his arrears to 6-4.
But Davis responded with a break of 83 in the 11th frame and a win in the 12th to restore his four frame advantage.
Higgins then won the next three frames, including a 106 break, to close the gap back to a single frame before Davis again responded by taking the last frame of the day, leaving the score 9-7.
Higgins began the third session in his best form of the match with breaks of 98 and 115 to level the scores but once again Davis recovered his position by winning the next two.
The contest looked like it was heading all the way when Higgins restored parity at 11-11 by taking frames 21 and 22 with breaks of 59 and 56.
But Davis continued the run of winning two consecutive frames to get over the line and become the oldest man in the quarter finals since Australian Eddie Charlton in 1983.
In the last eight, Davis will face contemporary Aussie Neil Robertson after his stunning comeback win over Martin Gould.
Robertson's victory would have been the main headline on any other day, but for Davis' histrionics, after he beat qualifier Gould 13-12 having trailed all the way the through the match.
Gould hit breaks of 63, 70, 80 and 116 in winning the opening six frames before Robertson belatedly responded with breaks of 71, 53 and 84 to leave the score at 6-3.
But Robertson's mini-revival did not affect Gould who won five of the next seven frames for 11-5 at the end of the second session.
At this stage, the ninth seed was in real trouble but he began the third session in inspired form with breaks of 64 and 112 to win frames 17 and 18.
The next three frames also went the way of the Australian but a solitary Gould success in frame 22 left the qualifier 12-10 ahead and just one away from victory.
It could not stem the tide, though, and Robertson took the final three frames, capping a thrilling comeback with a 52 break to win.
Mark Allen was the first man through to the last eight after a comfortable 13-5 win over qualifier Mark Davis.
Davis took the first two frames but, from then on, Northern Ireland youngster Allen dominated with a series of high breaks to win seven of the next eight frames.
Allen hit 81, 80, 63 and the Crucible's first ever 146, putting him in pole position for the high break prize of £10,000.
Davis won frame 11 but 11th seed Allen took the next four with further breaks of 59, 73 and 74 to lead 11-4.
And, despite Davis winning the final frame of session two with a break of 72, Allen quickly wrapped up the match with two centuries in the first two frames of the final session.
Allen, who knocked out Ronnie O'Sullivan last year on the way to the quarter finals, will meet 2006 champion Graeme Dott in the last eight this time.
Unseeded Dott had just as convincing a win as Allen, beating fellow Scot Stephen Maguire 13-6.
After winning a tight opening frame, Dott went on a phenomenal run, scoring breaks of 94, 110, 99, 59, 130, 60, 127 and 50 to win 10 of next 11 frames and lead 11-1.
The contest was becoming embarrassing for Maguire but the third seed at least took frames 13 and 14 with breaks of 120 and 82 to reduce the score to 11-3.
The pair shared the last two frames of the second session to confirm Dott's position of superiority at 12-4, just one frame short of the last eight.
Breaks of 75 and 77 meant Maguire won the first two frames of the third session but any thoughts of a comeback were soon dispelled by Dott after his win in the 19th frame.
In the big clash in the bottom quarter of the draw, three-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated twice-winner Mark Williams 13-10 in a tight but fast-scoring match.
O'Sullivan threatened to blitz Williams with high scoring early on and, despite the Welshman winning the opening frame, the Rocket hit breaks of 67, 87, 83 and 78 to win the next four.
In those frames, Williams scored just two points but he responded with breaks of 103, 57 and 74 to level the contest at 4-4 at the end of the first session.
The second session was also shared but this time it was O'Sullivan on the back foot, although he won the opening frame after a break of 86.
Williams won four of the next five frames to lead 8-6 after breaks of 54 and 99, and a single-point win on the black ball in frame 11.
But O'Sullivan did not crack - instead, he made breaks of 66 and 72 to ensure the final session would begin with the scores level at 8-8.
The pair each hit a 53 break to share the opening two frames of the decisive session but, from then on, it was O'Sullivan's class which showed.
A break of 104 in frame 19 was the first of three centuries in the final five frames. The others - a 111 and a 106 - came in the last two frames as he eventually broke Williams' resistance.
That is not to say that Williams failed to continue his good form. Indeed, the Welshman's 121 in the 21st frame made the score 11-10 to O'Sullivan and a final frame decider looked possible.
But O'Sullivan's superior scoring prowess came to the fore and brought a standing ovation from the Crucible crowd.
The Rocket will meet 2010 Masters champion Mark Selby in the last eight after the Jester from Leicester completely dominated seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in 13-5 win.
Hendry, who struggled past Zhang Anda in the first round, actually held a 4-2 lead in the early stages of this contest.
But 2007 runner-up Selby won 11 frames out of 12 - including breaks of 87, 96, 72 twice, 117 and 99 - to leave his Scottish opponent rooted to his seat for long periods.
The thrashing brought to an end a poor season for Hendry who reached the quarter finals of a ranking event just once - but the dream of a first world crown for Selby lives on.
Allister Carter will also be having that dream after he beat Joe Perry 13-11 in another close match.
Fifth seed Carter hit an 88 break in the opening frame and a 72 in frame six while Perry's high break was 56 in a largely uneventful first session, which ended 4-4.
2008 runner up Carter stepped up his game at the start of the second session to take the first four frames, with breaks of 61 and 100 in frames nine and 11, to lead 8-4.
And the other four frames in the second part of the session were shared to leave Carter in a commanding position at 10-6.
Despite this, Perry launched a magnificent comeback and won five consecutive frames with four breaks over 50 to take a one-frame lead.
But breaks of 104 and 82 re-established Carter's control of the match, and a third frame followed straightaway to put him in a quarter final against 2005 champion Shaun Murphy.
Murphy ended Ding Junhui's hopes of Crucible glory for another year after a 13-10 win having spent most of the time playing catch up.
After the opening four frames were shared, Ding hit breaks of 103 and 78 to help him to three of the next four and a 5-3 lead after the opening session.
Back came Murphy with breaks of 72 and 100 to level the match at 5-5 before Ding restored his two frame advantage in frames 11 and 12.
Murphy again responded with breaks of 64 in the 13th frame and 51 in the 15th frame as well as a win in the 16th frame to level the match again at 8-8.
Ding took the lead twice again at the start of the third session with 58 in the frame 17 and 137 in frame 19 but Murphy continued to come back in the tight frames in between.
The Englishman then demonstrated perfect timing to take an 11-10 lead.
And another two frames, including a 128 break, made it four in a row for a victory which ensures his love affair with the Crucible continues.
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Steve Davis bt John Higgins (1) 13-11
Neil Robertson (9) bt Martin Gould 13-12
Allister Carter (5) bt Joe Perry (12) 13-11
Shaun Murphy (4) bt Ding Junhui (13) 13-10
Graeme Dott bt Stephen Maguire (3) 13-6
Mark Allen (11) bt Mark Davis 13-5
Mark Selby (7) bt Stephen Hendry (10) 13-5
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) bt Mark Williams (15) 13-10
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EARLIER ROUNDS/CENTURY BREAKS
First round (best of 19 frames)
Section 1:
John Higgins (1) bt Barry Hawkins 10-6
Steve Davis bt Mark King (16) 10-9
Martin Gould bt Marco Fu (8) 10-9
Neil Robertson (9) bt Fergal O'Brien 10-5
Defending champions Higgins overcame a wobble to beat Barry Hawkins and set up a second round tie with Steve Davis.
Higgins trailed 5-4 after the opening session but picked up his form in the second half of the match, hitting two century breaks to progress.
The Scot will meet six-time winner Steve Davis after his thrilling final frame win over Mark King.
King dominated the first session but Davis won the final frame of it to trail just 5-4. King soon made this 6-4 but then four successive frames for Davis gave him an 8-6 lead.
King, the 16th seed, levelled the score at 8-8 before Davis hit a 91 break to move within one frame of victory.
A tight 18th frame went in favour of King before Davis edged the final frame, winning when King inadvertently potted a pink in hoping to lay a snooker.
Martin Gould was another qualifier to taste final frame success in this quarter of the draw. He beat eighth seed Marcu Fu in another topsy-turvy game.
Fu took five of the opening seven frames, hitting a 112 break in the seventh, to build a commanding lead but Gould won the next three with two centuries of his own.
Fu restored a two frame advantage at 8-6 by winning three of the next four frames but Gould repeated his earlier achievement of three successive frames to lead 9-8.
A vital break of 51 ensured Fu forced a decider but Gould held his nerve and hit a break of 90 for a huge personal win.
Gould meets Neil Robertson in round two after the Australian overcame Fergal O'Brien without ever being at his best.
Robertson hit a break of 106 to win the ninth frame to lead 6-3 after the opening session, having won five in a row between the second and sixth frames.
O'Brien threatened a comeback, reducing the lead to 6-5 by taking the opening two frames of the second session.
But Robertson accelerated again, taking the final four frames to seal a place in the second round.
Section 2:
Allister Carter (5) bt Jamie Cope 10-4
Joe Perry (12) bt Michael Holt 10-4
Ding Junhui (13) bt Stuart Pettman 10-1
Shaun Murphy (4) bt Gerard Greene 10-7
Ding Junhui demonstrated his championship credentials, systematically destroying Stuart Pettman in his first round match at the Crucible.
At one stage, Ding led 6-0, having hit a 129 break in the sixth frame, and a first Crucible whitewash since 1993 looked very much on the cards.
But Pettman won a scrappy seventh frame to save face before Ding won another four frames with ease to meet Shaun Murphy.
2005 champion Murphy also looked set for a big first round win over Gerard Greene but the Northern Irishman made an unlikely comeback.
Murphy led 8-1 after the first session and the opening two frames of the second session were shared.
But Greene then won five frames in a row to reduce the lead to 9-7 before Murphy finally got over the line with a break of 87 in the 17th frame.
Allister Carter also benefited from a good start against his opponent Jamie Cope, and he will now face Joe Perry.
Carter led 7-2 at the end of the first session before sharing the first four frames of session two to lead 9-4.
Fifth seed Carter then wrapped up the win in the 14th frame as Cope realised he had left himself far too much to do.
Perry won his first round match against Michael Holt in identical fashion to Carter.
He also led 7-2 at the end of the first session before sharing the first four frames of the second session and completing the job in frame 14.
Section 3:
Mark Allen (11) bt Tom Ford 10-4
Mark Davis bt Ryan Day (6) 10-8
Stephen Maguire (3) bt Stephen Lee 10-4
Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon (14) 10-5
Graeme Dott played some stylish snooker to beat Peter Ebdon who has dropped out of the top 16 for the first time since 1994.
Ebdon won the opening frame but Dott was in better early form and a 105 break in the second frame sent him on his way to five in a row.
After Ebdon won the seventh frame to reduce his arrears to 5-2, Dott took the final two frames of the first session to restore the lead which his dominance deserved.
It was vital for Ebdon that he got a good start to the second session and, by winning the two first frames, he duly reduced his deficit to 7-4.
But 2006 champion Dott was not to be denied a repeat victory at the Crucible over Ebdon, and he won three out of four frames for a comfortable victory.
Dott faces fellow Scotsman Stephen Maguire in the second round after the number three eased past Stephen Lee.
Maguire took the first three frames before Lee hit back to take the next two, the latter with a fine 127 break.
Maguire then won three out of the next four frames to lead 6-3 overnight before Lee made another big break, a 95, to win the opening frame of session two.
A 114 break re-established Maguire's stranglehold on the game and he reeled off three further frames without reply to win 10-4.
That was also the score for talented Northern Irish player Mark Allen against Crucible debutant Tom Ford.
Ford appeared rather overawed by the grand venue as Allen established an 8-1 lead after the opening session.
At least Ford can console himself with the fact that he won his first Crucible frame with a century.
But, by then, Allen was already 7-0 up and indeed he replied to Ford's ton with one of his own in the ninth frame.
Ford rallied to take three of the first four frames the next day but Allen's win was never in much doubt, and was sealed with a 72 break in frame 14.
Allen will face Mark Davis in round two after his fine 10-8 win over number six seed Ryan Day.
Day took the first two frames but the unseeded Davis took five of the next six to establish an overnight lead.
Welshman Day had at least reduced his task by winning the last frame of the first session and he followed it up by taking the first two of the second session to lead 6-5.
Davis then won three of the next four frames to lead 8-7 before Day levelled it up again at 8-8.
But Davis was not to be denied only a second career win at the Crucible and composed breaks of 56 and 62 were enough to secure a two-frame triumph.
Section 4:
Mark Selby (7) bt Ken Doherty 10-4
Stephen Hendry (10) bt Zhang Anda 10-9
Mark Williams (15) bt Marcus Campbell 10-5
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) bt Liang Wenbo 10-7
Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry had to win the last three frames of his first round match against Zhang Anda to avoid becoming the victim of massive shock.
Hendry started well enough, outclassing debutant Zhang to take the first four frames but the Chinese teenager hit back to trail just 5-4 after the first session.
Zhang hit an 86 break to level the match at 5-5 at the start of session two but Hendry still showed no signs of panic, winning the next two frames to lead 7-5.
But then Zhang reeled off four successive frames to leave him just one short of a huge win before Hendry hit breaks of 89, 52 and 55 to complete his comeback.
Hendry will need to be on much sharper form in the second round against Mark Selby after the 2010 Masters champion beat Irish veteran Ken Doherty 10-4.
Selby and Doherty shared the opening four frames but, even at that point the Leicester man looked stronger, having scored two early centuries.
Selby confirmed his dominance by winning four out of the next five frames to lead 6-3 after the first session.
And in the following session, Selby repeated the streak of four frames from five to seal a place in the last 16 with a comfortable victory
Second seed Ronnie O'Sullivan was also comfortable for the most part despite a late rally by his first round opponent Liang Wenbo.
After the pair shared the first two frames, O'Sullivan struck successive centuries to lead 3-1.
Liang won the fifth frame but then four consecutive frames to O'Sullivan gave the three-time winner a commanding 7-2 lead overnight.
O'Sullivan stretched his lead further by winning two of the first three frames in session two and an early finish looked likely.
But Liang hit a fine patch form with two centuries in a run of four successive frames to reduce the deficit to 9-7 before a 73 break from O'Sullivan in frame 17 killed off the comeback.
O'Sullivan will meet Mark Williams in the last 16 after the Welshman's ultimately routine opening round victory over Marcus Campbell.
A tight first session saw Williams edge ahead 5-4 and Campbell looked set to be a real nuisance for the two-time winner when he won the opening frame of session two to make it 5-5.
But, from then, it was all about Williams who showed his class to shrug off his opponent's challenge by winning five successive frames for a 10-5 victory.
__________________________________________________
Previously on TheIntrepidReporter
*World Snooker Championship Preview
Six-time winner Davis dominated the early stages, taking a 6-2 lead after the first session after breaks of 72 and 102, his first competitive century of the season.
Back came Higgins at the start of session two with a 78 break in the ninth frame and a tight win in the 10th to reduce his arrears to 6-4.
But Davis responded with a break of 83 in the 11th frame and a win in the 12th to restore his four frame advantage.
Higgins then won the next three frames, including a 106 break, to close the gap back to a single frame before Davis again responded by taking the last frame of the day, leaving the score 9-7.
Higgins began the third session in his best form of the match with breaks of 98 and 115 to level the scores but once again Davis recovered his position by winning the next two.
The contest looked like it was heading all the way when Higgins restored parity at 11-11 by taking frames 21 and 22 with breaks of 59 and 56.
But Davis continued the run of winning two consecutive frames to get over the line and become the oldest man in the quarter finals since Australian Eddie Charlton in 1983.
In the last eight, Davis will face contemporary Aussie Neil Robertson after his stunning comeback win over Martin Gould.
Robertson's victory would have been the main headline on any other day, but for Davis' histrionics, after he beat qualifier Gould 13-12 having trailed all the way the through the match.
Gould hit breaks of 63, 70, 80 and 116 in winning the opening six frames before Robertson belatedly responded with breaks of 71, 53 and 84 to leave the score at 6-3.
But Robertson's mini-revival did not affect Gould who won five of the next seven frames for 11-5 at the end of the second session.
At this stage, the ninth seed was in real trouble but he began the third session in inspired form with breaks of 64 and 112 to win frames 17 and 18.
The next three frames also went the way of the Australian but a solitary Gould success in frame 22 left the qualifier 12-10 ahead and just one away from victory.
It could not stem the tide, though, and Robertson took the final three frames, capping a thrilling comeback with a 52 break to win.
Mark Allen was the first man through to the last eight after a comfortable 13-5 win over qualifier Mark Davis.
Davis took the first two frames but, from then on, Northern Ireland youngster Allen dominated with a series of high breaks to win seven of the next eight frames.
Allen hit 81, 80, 63 and the Crucible's first ever 146, putting him in pole position for the high break prize of £10,000.
Davis won frame 11 but 11th seed Allen took the next four with further breaks of 59, 73 and 74 to lead 11-4.
And, despite Davis winning the final frame of session two with a break of 72, Allen quickly wrapped up the match with two centuries in the first two frames of the final session.
Allen, who knocked out Ronnie O'Sullivan last year on the way to the quarter finals, will meet 2006 champion Graeme Dott in the last eight this time.
Unseeded Dott had just as convincing a win as Allen, beating fellow Scot Stephen Maguire 13-6.
After winning a tight opening frame, Dott went on a phenomenal run, scoring breaks of 94, 110, 99, 59, 130, 60, 127 and 50 to win 10 of next 11 frames and lead 11-1.
The contest was becoming embarrassing for Maguire but the third seed at least took frames 13 and 14 with breaks of 120 and 82 to reduce the score to 11-3.
The pair shared the last two frames of the second session to confirm Dott's position of superiority at 12-4, just one frame short of the last eight.
Breaks of 75 and 77 meant Maguire won the first two frames of the third session but any thoughts of a comeback were soon dispelled by Dott after his win in the 19th frame.
In the big clash in the bottom quarter of the draw, three-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated twice-winner Mark Williams 13-10 in a tight but fast-scoring match.
O'Sullivan threatened to blitz Williams with high scoring early on and, despite the Welshman winning the opening frame, the Rocket hit breaks of 67, 87, 83 and 78 to win the next four.
In those frames, Williams scored just two points but he responded with breaks of 103, 57 and 74 to level the contest at 4-4 at the end of the first session.
The second session was also shared but this time it was O'Sullivan on the back foot, although he won the opening frame after a break of 86.
Williams won four of the next five frames to lead 8-6 after breaks of 54 and 99, and a single-point win on the black ball in frame 11.
But O'Sullivan did not crack - instead, he made breaks of 66 and 72 to ensure the final session would begin with the scores level at 8-8.
The pair each hit a 53 break to share the opening two frames of the decisive session but, from then on, it was O'Sullivan's class which showed.
A break of 104 in frame 19 was the first of three centuries in the final five frames. The others - a 111 and a 106 - came in the last two frames as he eventually broke Williams' resistance.
That is not to say that Williams failed to continue his good form. Indeed, the Welshman's 121 in the 21st frame made the score 11-10 to O'Sullivan and a final frame decider looked possible.
But O'Sullivan's superior scoring prowess came to the fore and brought a standing ovation from the Crucible crowd.
The Rocket will meet 2010 Masters champion Mark Selby in the last eight after the Jester from Leicester completely dominated seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in 13-5 win.
Hendry, who struggled past Zhang Anda in the first round, actually held a 4-2 lead in the early stages of this contest.
But 2007 runner-up Selby won 11 frames out of 12 - including breaks of 87, 96, 72 twice, 117 and 99 - to leave his Scottish opponent rooted to his seat for long periods.
The thrashing brought to an end a poor season for Hendry who reached the quarter finals of a ranking event just once - but the dream of a first world crown for Selby lives on.
Allister Carter will also be having that dream after he beat Joe Perry 13-11 in another close match.
Fifth seed Carter hit an 88 break in the opening frame and a 72 in frame six while Perry's high break was 56 in a largely uneventful first session, which ended 4-4.
2008 runner up Carter stepped up his game at the start of the second session to take the first four frames, with breaks of 61 and 100 in frames nine and 11, to lead 8-4.
And the other four frames in the second part of the session were shared to leave Carter in a commanding position at 10-6.
Despite this, Perry launched a magnificent comeback and won five consecutive frames with four breaks over 50 to take a one-frame lead.
But breaks of 104 and 82 re-established Carter's control of the match, and a third frame followed straightaway to put him in a quarter final against 2005 champion Shaun Murphy.
Murphy ended Ding Junhui's hopes of Crucible glory for another year after a 13-10 win having spent most of the time playing catch up.
After the opening four frames were shared, Ding hit breaks of 103 and 78 to help him to three of the next four and a 5-3 lead after the opening session.
Back came Murphy with breaks of 72 and 100 to level the match at 5-5 before Ding restored his two frame advantage in frames 11 and 12.
Murphy again responded with breaks of 64 in the 13th frame and 51 in the 15th frame as well as a win in the 16th frame to level the match again at 8-8.
Ding took the lead twice again at the start of the third session with 58 in the frame 17 and 137 in frame 19 but Murphy continued to come back in the tight frames in between.
The Englishman then demonstrated perfect timing to take an 11-10 lead.
And another two frames, including a 128 break, made it four in a row for a victory which ensures his love affair with the Crucible continues.
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Steve Davis bt John Higgins (1) 13-11
Neil Robertson (9) bt Martin Gould 13-12
Allister Carter (5) bt Joe Perry (12) 13-11
Shaun Murphy (4) bt Ding Junhui (13) 13-10
Graeme Dott bt Stephen Maguire (3) 13-6
Mark Allen (11) bt Mark Davis 13-5
Mark Selby (7) bt Stephen Hendry (10) 13-5
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) bt Mark Williams (15) 13-10
__________________________________________________
EARLIER ROUNDS/CENTURY BREAKS
First round (best of 19 frames)
Section 1:
John Higgins (1) bt Barry Hawkins 10-6
Steve Davis bt Mark King (16) 10-9
Martin Gould bt Marco Fu (8) 10-9
Neil Robertson (9) bt Fergal O'Brien 10-5
Defending champions Higgins overcame a wobble to beat Barry Hawkins and set up a second round tie with Steve Davis.
Higgins trailed 5-4 after the opening session but picked up his form in the second half of the match, hitting two century breaks to progress.
The Scot will meet six-time winner Steve Davis after his thrilling final frame win over Mark King.
King dominated the first session but Davis won the final frame of it to trail just 5-4. King soon made this 6-4 but then four successive frames for Davis gave him an 8-6 lead.
King, the 16th seed, levelled the score at 8-8 before Davis hit a 91 break to move within one frame of victory.
A tight 18th frame went in favour of King before Davis edged the final frame, winning when King inadvertently potted a pink in hoping to lay a snooker.
Martin Gould was another qualifier to taste final frame success in this quarter of the draw. He beat eighth seed Marcu Fu in another topsy-turvy game.
Fu took five of the opening seven frames, hitting a 112 break in the seventh, to build a commanding lead but Gould won the next three with two centuries of his own.
Fu restored a two frame advantage at 8-6 by winning three of the next four frames but Gould repeated his earlier achievement of three successive frames to lead 9-8.
A vital break of 51 ensured Fu forced a decider but Gould held his nerve and hit a break of 90 for a huge personal win.
Gould meets Neil Robertson in round two after the Australian overcame Fergal O'Brien without ever being at his best.
Robertson hit a break of 106 to win the ninth frame to lead 6-3 after the opening session, having won five in a row between the second and sixth frames.
O'Brien threatened a comeback, reducing the lead to 6-5 by taking the opening two frames of the second session.
But Robertson accelerated again, taking the final four frames to seal a place in the second round.
Section 2:
Allister Carter (5) bt Jamie Cope 10-4
Joe Perry (12) bt Michael Holt 10-4
Ding Junhui (13) bt Stuart Pettman 10-1
Shaun Murphy (4) bt Gerard Greene 10-7
Ding Junhui demonstrated his championship credentials, systematically destroying Stuart Pettman in his first round match at the Crucible.
At one stage, Ding led 6-0, having hit a 129 break in the sixth frame, and a first Crucible whitewash since 1993 looked very much on the cards.
But Pettman won a scrappy seventh frame to save face before Ding won another four frames with ease to meet Shaun Murphy.
2005 champion Murphy also looked set for a big first round win over Gerard Greene but the Northern Irishman made an unlikely comeback.
Murphy led 8-1 after the first session and the opening two frames of the second session were shared.
But Greene then won five frames in a row to reduce the lead to 9-7 before Murphy finally got over the line with a break of 87 in the 17th frame.
Allister Carter also benefited from a good start against his opponent Jamie Cope, and he will now face Joe Perry.
Carter led 7-2 at the end of the first session before sharing the first four frames of session two to lead 9-4.
Fifth seed Carter then wrapped up the win in the 14th frame as Cope realised he had left himself far too much to do.
Perry won his first round match against Michael Holt in identical fashion to Carter.
He also led 7-2 at the end of the first session before sharing the first four frames of the second session and completing the job in frame 14.
Section 3:
Mark Allen (11) bt Tom Ford 10-4
Mark Davis bt Ryan Day (6) 10-8
Stephen Maguire (3) bt Stephen Lee 10-4
Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon (14) 10-5
Graeme Dott played some stylish snooker to beat Peter Ebdon who has dropped out of the top 16 for the first time since 1994.
Ebdon won the opening frame but Dott was in better early form and a 105 break in the second frame sent him on his way to five in a row.
After Ebdon won the seventh frame to reduce his arrears to 5-2, Dott took the final two frames of the first session to restore the lead which his dominance deserved.
It was vital for Ebdon that he got a good start to the second session and, by winning the two first frames, he duly reduced his deficit to 7-4.
But 2006 champion Dott was not to be denied a repeat victory at the Crucible over Ebdon, and he won three out of four frames for a comfortable victory.
Dott faces fellow Scotsman Stephen Maguire in the second round after the number three eased past Stephen Lee.
Maguire took the first three frames before Lee hit back to take the next two, the latter with a fine 127 break.
Maguire then won three out of the next four frames to lead 6-3 overnight before Lee made another big break, a 95, to win the opening frame of session two.
A 114 break re-established Maguire's stranglehold on the game and he reeled off three further frames without reply to win 10-4.
That was also the score for talented Northern Irish player Mark Allen against Crucible debutant Tom Ford.
Ford appeared rather overawed by the grand venue as Allen established an 8-1 lead after the opening session.
At least Ford can console himself with the fact that he won his first Crucible frame with a century.
But, by then, Allen was already 7-0 up and indeed he replied to Ford's ton with one of his own in the ninth frame.
Ford rallied to take three of the first four frames the next day but Allen's win was never in much doubt, and was sealed with a 72 break in frame 14.
Allen will face Mark Davis in round two after his fine 10-8 win over number six seed Ryan Day.
Day took the first two frames but the unseeded Davis took five of the next six to establish an overnight lead.
Welshman Day had at least reduced his task by winning the last frame of the first session and he followed it up by taking the first two of the second session to lead 6-5.
Davis then won three of the next four frames to lead 8-7 before Day levelled it up again at 8-8.
But Davis was not to be denied only a second career win at the Crucible and composed breaks of 56 and 62 were enough to secure a two-frame triumph.
Section 4:
Mark Selby (7) bt Ken Doherty 10-4
Stephen Hendry (10) bt Zhang Anda 10-9
Mark Williams (15) bt Marcus Campbell 10-5
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) bt Liang Wenbo 10-7
Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry had to win the last three frames of his first round match against Zhang Anda to avoid becoming the victim of massive shock.
Hendry started well enough, outclassing debutant Zhang to take the first four frames but the Chinese teenager hit back to trail just 5-4 after the first session.
Zhang hit an 86 break to level the match at 5-5 at the start of session two but Hendry still showed no signs of panic, winning the next two frames to lead 7-5.
But then Zhang reeled off four successive frames to leave him just one short of a huge win before Hendry hit breaks of 89, 52 and 55 to complete his comeback.
Hendry will need to be on much sharper form in the second round against Mark Selby after the 2010 Masters champion beat Irish veteran Ken Doherty 10-4.
Selby and Doherty shared the opening four frames but, even at that point the Leicester man looked stronger, having scored two early centuries.
Selby confirmed his dominance by winning four out of the next five frames to lead 6-3 after the first session.
And in the following session, Selby repeated the streak of four frames from five to seal a place in the last 16 with a comfortable victory
Second seed Ronnie O'Sullivan was also comfortable for the most part despite a late rally by his first round opponent Liang Wenbo.
After the pair shared the first two frames, O'Sullivan struck successive centuries to lead 3-1.
Liang won the fifth frame but then four consecutive frames to O'Sullivan gave the three-time winner a commanding 7-2 lead overnight.
O'Sullivan stretched his lead further by winning two of the first three frames in session two and an early finish looked likely.
But Liang hit a fine patch form with two centuries in a run of four successive frames to reduce the deficit to 9-7 before a 73 break from O'Sullivan in frame 17 killed off the comeback.
O'Sullivan will meet Mark Williams in the last 16 after the Welshman's ultimately routine opening round victory over Marcus Campbell.
A tight first session saw Williams edge ahead 5-4 and Campbell looked set to be a real nuisance for the two-time winner when he won the opening frame of session two to make it 5-5.
But, from then, it was all about Williams who showed his class to shrug off his opponent's challenge by winning five successive frames for a 10-5 victory.
__________________________________________________
Previously on TheIntrepidReporter
*World Snooker Championship Preview
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Election 2010: Clegg comes under attack from Tory press
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS leader Nick Clegg has come under fire from Tory-supporting newspapers in the run-up to the second leaders debate tonight on Sky at 8pm.
Mr Clegg's impressive performance in the first debate last week on ITV produced an unexpected shift change in the British political scene ahead of the general election on 6th May.
The Lib Dems, so long considered as the third-placed party, even took the lead in a couple of opinion polls conducted after the contest.
And, although the Conservatives still hold a narrow lead in most of the polls, none of them suggests David Cameron's party will win an overall majority.
The Tories are worried that, despite opposing a deeply unpopular government, the presence of Mr Clegg and a strong third party further reduces the chances of them getting that majority.
So it is no surprise to see attacks mauling the Lib Dem leader from the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail have been released on the day of the second debate.
The Telegraph accuses Mr Clegg of receiving payments from party donors into his personal bank account, a potentially damaging headline.
But Mr Clegg has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the money helped pay for a researcher. He says he had declared the donations to the parliamentary authorities and that he would publish the figures to prove it.
Meanwhile, the Mail laughably falls foul of Godwin's Law, an observation first made by Mike Godwin in 1990.
Godwin's Law states, "As an (online) discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
In their article, the Mail criticises Mr Clegg - in what they describe as a "Nazi slur" - for his suggestion back in 2002 that Britain holds "a misplaced sense of superiority" over Germany since World War II.
But, despite the Mail's insinuation, Mr Clegg holds a legitimate opinion which does not denigrate the magnificent achievement of the British forces in WW2. Those two views are not mutually exclusive.
The fact that the Mail seems to have trawled through every statement from Mr Clegg going back years shows how far the Tory press is willing to go in trying to discredit his campaign.
It also shows how concerned the Conservatives are - surely Mr Cameron should be racing ahead in the polls against a tired and unpopular government of 13 years?
The uncomfortable fact for the Tories is that their own popularity has never recovered by a large enough extent to make this election an easy win.
Of course, the mathematics are also against the Conservatives. Mr Cameron's party needs to win no fewer than 116 seats in addition to those which they already hold under the first past the post system.
But it is the same system which has provided the Conservatives - and Labour - with huge majorities in the past, and one which the Conservatives have no plans to change.
After 13 years in power with those big majorities, incumbent Gordon Brown has promised a referendum on voting reform in the Labour manifesto in a bid to woo the Lib Dems.
Mr Clegg has so far rejected any advances from Mr Brown, and he seems unlikely to prop up the ailing Labour administration, calling Mr Brown "a desperate politician".
But advisers claim the Labour leader is confident ahead of the second debate on foreign affairs as he believe it will allow him to expose both of his opponents' inexperience on the world stage.
The second half of the 90 minutes is an open forum and that could prove more troublesome for Mr Brown.
Continued high petrol prices contributed to inflation rising to 3.4% this week, while the latest unemployment data show a rise of 43,000 to 2.5million, 8% of the workforce.
Mr Brown will be consoled that figures from the British Crime Survey and police records show a 7% year-on-year fall in all crimes in 2009.
But those statistics will be of little comfort to shadow defence spokesman Liam Fox whose laptop and car were stolen after a burglary at his central London home.
It caps a bad couple of days on a personal level for the Conservatives, coming after Mr Cameron had an egg thrown at him by a student in a college in Cornwall.
Mr Cameron laughed off the incident with good grace but he must be left wondering why the country's clear desire for change has not yet decisively swung in his party's direction.
Mr Clegg's impressive performance in the first debate last week on ITV produced an unexpected shift change in the British political scene ahead of the general election on 6th May.
The Lib Dems, so long considered as the third-placed party, even took the lead in a couple of opinion polls conducted after the contest.
And, although the Conservatives still hold a narrow lead in most of the polls, none of them suggests David Cameron's party will win an overall majority.
The Tories are worried that, despite opposing a deeply unpopular government, the presence of Mr Clegg and a strong third party further reduces the chances of them getting that majority.
So it is no surprise to see attacks mauling the Lib Dem leader from the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail have been released on the day of the second debate.
The Telegraph accuses Mr Clegg of receiving payments from party donors into his personal bank account, a potentially damaging headline.
But Mr Clegg has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the money helped pay for a researcher. He says he had declared the donations to the parliamentary authorities and that he would publish the figures to prove it.
Meanwhile, the Mail laughably falls foul of Godwin's Law, an observation first made by Mike Godwin in 1990.
Godwin's Law states, "As an (online) discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
In their article, the Mail criticises Mr Clegg - in what they describe as a "Nazi slur" - for his suggestion back in 2002 that Britain holds "a misplaced sense of superiority" over Germany since World War II.
But, despite the Mail's insinuation, Mr Clegg holds a legitimate opinion which does not denigrate the magnificent achievement of the British forces in WW2. Those two views are not mutually exclusive.
The fact that the Mail seems to have trawled through every statement from Mr Clegg going back years shows how far the Tory press is willing to go in trying to discredit his campaign.
It also shows how concerned the Conservatives are - surely Mr Cameron should be racing ahead in the polls against a tired and unpopular government of 13 years?
The uncomfortable fact for the Tories is that their own popularity has never recovered by a large enough extent to make this election an easy win.
Of course, the mathematics are also against the Conservatives. Mr Cameron's party needs to win no fewer than 116 seats in addition to those which they already hold under the first past the post system.
But it is the same system which has provided the Conservatives - and Labour - with huge majorities in the past, and one which the Conservatives have no plans to change.
After 13 years in power with those big majorities, incumbent Gordon Brown has promised a referendum on voting reform in the Labour manifesto in a bid to woo the Lib Dems.
Mr Clegg has so far rejected any advances from Mr Brown, and he seems unlikely to prop up the ailing Labour administration, calling Mr Brown "a desperate politician".
But advisers claim the Labour leader is confident ahead of the second debate on foreign affairs as he believe it will allow him to expose both of his opponents' inexperience on the world stage.
The second half of the 90 minutes is an open forum and that could prove more troublesome for Mr Brown.
Continued high petrol prices contributed to inflation rising to 3.4% this week, while the latest unemployment data show a rise of 43,000 to 2.5million, 8% of the workforce.
Mr Brown will be consoled that figures from the British Crime Survey and police records show a 7% year-on-year fall in all crimes in 2009.
But those statistics will be of little comfort to shadow defence spokesman Liam Fox whose laptop and car were stolen after a burglary at his central London home.
It caps a bad couple of days on a personal level for the Conservatives, coming after Mr Cameron had an egg thrown at him by a student in a college in Cornwall.
Mr Cameron laughed off the incident with good grace but he must be left wondering why the country's clear desire for change has not yet decisively swung in his party's direction.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
The Season 2009/10 - April: Manchester United leave it late again
Premier League
Table
MANCHESTER UNITED scored yet another late derby winner to close the gap to one behind behind leaders Chelsea as the race for the Premier League reaches its climax.
Paul Scholes' header 20 seconds from time was the third occasion this season that United had delivered such a sucker blow to rivals Manchester City.
It followed a 97th-minute goal in a 4-3 league win at Old Trafford and a last-gasp aggregate win in the League Cup semi finals.
Better still for United, the pressure immediately told on Chelsea who lost to Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to stay on 77 points.
City's loss and Spurs' win allowed the North London club to move into the final Champions League spot, capping a brilliant week for Harry Redknapp's men.
Spurs had begun the week four points behind City in the battle for fourth place with a set of daunting fixtures.
But a brilliant Danny Rose debut goal set them on their way to a first North London derby win in the league since 1999.
Gareth Bale added a second early in the second half with a neat finish in the bottom corner before Nicklas Bendtner pulled one back late on.
Spurs survived the nervy finish and entered their contest with Chelsea in great spirits.
Jermian Defoe gave Spurs the ideal start, converting a penalty in front of a packed house at White Hart Lane, after John Terry's handball.
Tottenham dominated the match and got a deserved second goal when Bale scored for the second time in four days.
Chelsea's Terry was then sent off for a second booking and, while Frank Lampard pulled a goal back in stoppage time, it was not enough to prevent Spurs from their second big win in the week.
To Tottenham's further delight no doubt, Arsenal then failed to take advantage of Chelsea's slip up, suffering a second league defeat of the week - at Wigan Athletic, of all places.
It never looked likely as the Gunners held a comfortable 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre.
But a dramatic final 10 minutes turned the game on its head and effectively ended Arsenal's title challenge.
First, boyhood Arsenal fan Ben Watson scored from Victor Moses' pull back on 80 minutes for what looked like nothing more than mere consolation.
Then, with just one minute left, Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski dropped the ball right on to Titus Bramble's head for the easiest of equalisers.
And finally, Charles N'Zogbia struck a great shot from outside the box in-off the post for a dramatic winner, which should be enough to keep the Latics in the top flight for another season.
That is mainly because the bottom three continue to struggle.
Portsmouth were officially relegated the day before their incredible FA Cup semi final win after fourth-bottom West Ham United beat Sunderland 1-0.
But Steve Bruce's Sunderland were able to beat second-bottom Burnley 2-0 at home on Saturday to leave the Clarets four points adrift with three games left.
Hull City occupy the last relegation spot and look likely to stay there after a shocking 4-1 home loss to Burnley gave Brian Laws' men a first win on the road all season.
A drab 0-0 with Birmingham City means the Tigers retain some hope. Iain Dowie's men are just three points behind West Ham with a game in hand after the Hammers' meek 3-0 surrender at Anfield.
That win maintains Liverpool's slim chances of a top four finish. But with one fewer game than Spurs and City, and five points to make up, Rafa Benitez's guarantee of Champions League football is set to fail.
Despite also having a game in hand on the Reds, Aston Villa look even less likely to challenge Spurs and City to fourth place.
A Carling Cup final defeat, coupled with another Wembley loss in the FA Cup semi finals, has unsurprisingly dispirited Martin O'Neill's men who look set to settle for seventh.
The Championship
Table
NEWCASTLE UNITED sealed the Championship title with a 2-0 win at relegated Plymouth Argyle to cap their immediate return to the Premier League in some style.
The Magpies had already won promotion as early as Easter Monday, beating Sheffield United 2-1 after third-placed Nottingham Forest failed to beat Cardiff City.
And Chris Hughton's men have consistently shown themselves to be a step above much of the division, especially at home where they remain unbeaten.
This win at Plymouth, thanks to goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge, was United's seventh in succession and it puts them on 98 points, nine clear of West Bromwich Albion.
The Baggies will join Newcastle back in the Premier League after winning a fourth promotion in nine seasons with a 3-2 win at Doncaster Rovers.
Roberto di Matteo's men have finished the season strongly, going 10 games unbeaten, eight of which have been wins.
But the same cannot be said for Nottingham Forest who were right in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot before falling away in March.
Forest were the last Championship side to lose their unbeaten away record but they have taken just one point from their last nine matches on the road.
At least their 19-match unbeaten run in the middle of the season has been enough to confirm a spot in the playoffs, alongside Cardiff City and Leicester City.
With two matches left, the final playoff spot remains up for grabs, though Swansea City are the favourites.
The Swans looked set to blow it after a poor run of six matches without a win but two home wins against Scunthorpe United and Barnsley have settled nerves somewhat.
It means that the only side who can now overhaul Swansea are Blackpool. The Tangerines are two points behind having maintained their surprising form throughout the season.
Indeed, Ian Holloway's men have won five out of their last six games, including a 5-1 win against Swansea and, most recently, a 3-1 win against Forest.
They face Peterborough United away and Bristol City at home in their last two games, while Swansea play Sheffield United away and Doncaster Rovers at home.
At the bottom, Peterborough have long since been relegated, a testament to appointing four managers in a season after a lack of investment in a League One-standard squad.
Posh were officially demoted after a 2-2 draw with Barnsley was not enough even though this is their only point from their last eight matches.
Gary Johnson is the latest man to take the helm at London Road and if he did not know the size of the task ahead, it became pretty clear in a 6-0 loss at Reading on Saturday.
At least second-bottom Plymouth Argyle have shown some fight with recent away wins at Ipswich Town and Doncaster prolonging their Championship status.
But, after such a poor start, the Pilgrims were always fighting an uphill battle and they have fallen well short in the end.
The battle to avoid the third relegation spot will go to the wire. Sheffield Wednesday currently occupy third-bottom after they could only manage one point from the Sheffield derby.
Wednesday have 46 points from 44 games, one behind Crystal Palace who they meet at Hillsborough on the final day.
That clash looks likely to be the one which reveals the identity of the third relegated side but Watford, on 48 points, certainly cannot be excluded after a meek loss to Queens Park Rangers in their game in hand.
League One
Table
NORWICH CITY gained an instant return to the Championship after a 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic concluded a wonderful recovery.
The Canaries were relegated on the last day of last season at the Valley but their visit this year will provide much happier memories.
Norwich suffered a nightmare start to life in League One, losing 7-1 on the opening day at home against Colchester United.
But, after appointing the winning manager from that day, Paul Lambert, City have never looked back.
A mid-season run of 14 wins and two draws overhauled Leeds United at the top in January and ever since Lambert's men seem to have been extending their lead.
Norwich are nine points clear of second-placed Leeds with three games left, and the East Anglian club will be confirmed as champions by winning just one more point.
Leeds' future is less certain after their dramatic collapse in the second half of the season.
Simon Grayson's men even dropped out of the automatic promotion places after Swindon Town condemned them to a fourth successive loss earlier this month.
Three wins in a row against bottom half sides steadied the ship but another loss at Gillingham on Saturday showed just how vulnerable Leeds are.
Fortunately for them, all of their promotion rivals also suffered the jitters.
Millwall lost at Huddersfield Town for their first defeat in 12, Swindon made it just two points from a possible nine in their 1-1 draw with Walsall, and Charlton lost to Norwich.
With three matches left, Leeds are on 80 points, Millwall are on 79, Swindon are on 78 and Charlton are on 77.
Leeds travel to Charlton on May 1 while Millwall and Swindon meet on the last day.
Huddersfield's win against Millwall ensured that Norwich are still the only away team to win at the Galpharm Stadium, and that home record looks like it will be enough to grab the Terriers the last playoff spot.
Lee Clark's men are six points clear of Colchester with three matches left though eighth-placed Southampton still have an outside chance.
The Saints would have been in sixth place if they had not been deducted 10 points but, as it is, they are seven points behind with three matches left.
Just two points from a possible 33 have confirmed Stockport County's position as the worst team in League One, albeit one with severe financial difficulties.
The Hatters have won just 25 points all season, 14 adrift of second-bottom Southend United who also look in deep trouble on and off the pitch.
The Shrimpers have won just once in their last 19 league games and that run has put them seven points adrift of safety with three games left.
Third-bottom Wycombe Wanderers have been in trouble all season long but three successive wins have suddenly given the Chairboys hope of pulling off a great escape.
It is still looks an unlikely task, though. Despite the recent upturn in their form, the Adams Park club are still five points adrift of safety.
Of all the teams currently in the relegation zone, Tranmere Rovers look the most likely to escape after a vital win in their most recent home game.
The 3-1 success at Prenton Park over Exeter City closed the gap on the Grecians to just two points.
Meanwhile, Gillingham, in 19th on 47 points, and Leyton Orient, in 18th on 48 points, still need at least another win to be safe.
League Two
Table
NOTTS COUNTY took a step closer to the League Two championship after beating Rochdale 1-0 in a top-of-the-table clash at Meadow Lane.
Lee Hughes scored his 31st goal of the season on the half-hour mark with a delicate lob to put the Magpies four points clear.
The win extended County’s run to 12 wins and two draws in the 14 games since Steve Cotterill became the third manager of a turbulent, but ultimately successful, season.
Both clubs had already sealed promotion allowing them to focus fully on going for the league.
But, while County look set to take the honours, this current Rochdale team is still rightfully proud of achieving the club’s first promotion in 41 years.
Bournemouth will join the pair in League One this season with one more win, and that will also be quite some achievement for the youngest manager in the Football League, Eddie Howe.
Howe is just 32 years old but has led the Cherries to 77 points despite operating under a transfer embargo. They are eight points clear of fourth-placed Rotherham United with three games left.
The Millers are more likely to be concerned with securing a playoff place, having just emerged from a poor run of four successive losses to take four points from their last two games.
That puts them on 69 points, one ahead of Bury in fifth place with the Shakers also struggling somewhat to get over the line.
Aldershot Town and Dagenham & Redbridge, both on 66 points, complete the top seven places at present but the race remains wide open.
Chesterfield, in eighth, also have 66 points while Port Vale and Morecambe are both on 64 points.
Even Northampton Town, on 63 points, and Shrewsbury Town, on 62 points, cannot be totally discounted from a top-seven finish.
The bottom of the table is much more clear-cut, as it has been for some time.
After a season-long struggle, Darlington were finally put out their misery, despite producing a stunning result to beat Rochdale.
That win and a subsequent draw with Cheltenham Town have at least given the Quakers’ points total of 27 an air of respectability, though they remain 11 points adrift of second-bottom Grimsby Town.
The Mariners look likely to join Darlington in the Blue Square Premier after a crushing 3-0 home loss to fellow strugglers Torquay United.
The loss left Neil Woods’ side seven points adrift of safety with just three games left.
Barnet, on 45 points, and Lincoln, on 46 points, are most in danger of an unlikely comeback after both suffered four losses in their last five games to end already-poor seasons miserably.
Blue Square Premier
Table
STEVENAGE BOROUGH will play in the Football League for the first time in their history after proving to be the strongest link in the Blue Square Premier this season.
Boro had won the Conference previously in 1995-96 but were denied entry to the league because their ground did not match certain criteria.
But that is not an issue this time and Boro’s form in the run-in – 13 wins from the last 14 matches – has given Graham Westley’s men a deserved championship.
Luton Town also produced a fine run in the final stretch, scoring for fun in a 12-match unbeaten run but the Hatters’ February form is only good enough for the playoffs.
There, they will meet long-time leaders Oxford United who must be the most disappointed of the top sides as to how this season has panned out.
Rushden & Diamonds and York City complete a quartet of former Football League clubs aiming to get back there the hard way.
Following Chester City’s expulsion, there are only three relegation spots.
Grays Athletic have long since reserved one of them, though at least their fans gained the consolation of seeing a first win in 21 games against AFC Wimbledon.
With just one game left, the other two places are currently occupied by Ebbsfleet United, on 41 points, and Gateshead, on 42 points.
Looking over their shoulders are Eastbourne Borough, on 43 points, and Histon and Forest Green Rovers who are both on 45 points.
In those final matches, Ebbsfleet travel to Tamworth Town while Gateshead host AFC Wimbledon.
Eastbourne and Histon have home matches against Oxford and Barrow respectively while Forest Green should secure safety by beating Grays away.
Table
MANCHESTER UNITED scored yet another late derby winner to close the gap to one behind behind leaders Chelsea as the race for the Premier League reaches its climax.
Paul Scholes' header 20 seconds from time was the third occasion this season that United had delivered such a sucker blow to rivals Manchester City.
It followed a 97th-minute goal in a 4-3 league win at Old Trafford and a last-gasp aggregate win in the League Cup semi finals.
Better still for United, the pressure immediately told on Chelsea who lost to Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to stay on 77 points.
City's loss and Spurs' win allowed the North London club to move into the final Champions League spot, capping a brilliant week for Harry Redknapp's men.
Spurs had begun the week four points behind City in the battle for fourth place with a set of daunting fixtures.
But a brilliant Danny Rose debut goal set them on their way to a first North London derby win in the league since 1999.
Gareth Bale added a second early in the second half with a neat finish in the bottom corner before Nicklas Bendtner pulled one back late on.
Spurs survived the nervy finish and entered their contest with Chelsea in great spirits.
Jermian Defoe gave Spurs the ideal start, converting a penalty in front of a packed house at White Hart Lane, after John Terry's handball.
Tottenham dominated the match and got a deserved second goal when Bale scored for the second time in four days.
Chelsea's Terry was then sent off for a second booking and, while Frank Lampard pulled a goal back in stoppage time, it was not enough to prevent Spurs from their second big win in the week.
To Tottenham's further delight no doubt, Arsenal then failed to take advantage of Chelsea's slip up, suffering a second league defeat of the week - at Wigan Athletic, of all places.
It never looked likely as the Gunners held a comfortable 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre.
But a dramatic final 10 minutes turned the game on its head and effectively ended Arsenal's title challenge.
First, boyhood Arsenal fan Ben Watson scored from Victor Moses' pull back on 80 minutes for what looked like nothing more than mere consolation.
Then, with just one minute left, Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski dropped the ball right on to Titus Bramble's head for the easiest of equalisers.
And finally, Charles N'Zogbia struck a great shot from outside the box in-off the post for a dramatic winner, which should be enough to keep the Latics in the top flight for another season.
That is mainly because the bottom three continue to struggle.
Portsmouth were officially relegated the day before their incredible FA Cup semi final win after fourth-bottom West Ham United beat Sunderland 1-0.
But Steve Bruce's Sunderland were able to beat second-bottom Burnley 2-0 at home on Saturday to leave the Clarets four points adrift with three games left.
Hull City occupy the last relegation spot and look likely to stay there after a shocking 4-1 home loss to Burnley gave Brian Laws' men a first win on the road all season.
A drab 0-0 with Birmingham City means the Tigers retain some hope. Iain Dowie's men are just three points behind West Ham with a game in hand after the Hammers' meek 3-0 surrender at Anfield.
That win maintains Liverpool's slim chances of a top four finish. But with one fewer game than Spurs and City, and five points to make up, Rafa Benitez's guarantee of Champions League football is set to fail.
Despite also having a game in hand on the Reds, Aston Villa look even less likely to challenge Spurs and City to fourth place.
A Carling Cup final defeat, coupled with another Wembley loss in the FA Cup semi finals, has unsurprisingly dispirited Martin O'Neill's men who look set to settle for seventh.
The Championship
Table
NEWCASTLE UNITED sealed the Championship title with a 2-0 win at relegated Plymouth Argyle to cap their immediate return to the Premier League in some style.
The Magpies had already won promotion as early as Easter Monday, beating Sheffield United 2-1 after third-placed Nottingham Forest failed to beat Cardiff City.
And Chris Hughton's men have consistently shown themselves to be a step above much of the division, especially at home where they remain unbeaten.
This win at Plymouth, thanks to goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge, was United's seventh in succession and it puts them on 98 points, nine clear of West Bromwich Albion.
The Baggies will join Newcastle back in the Premier League after winning a fourth promotion in nine seasons with a 3-2 win at Doncaster Rovers.
Roberto di Matteo's men have finished the season strongly, going 10 games unbeaten, eight of which have been wins.
But the same cannot be said for Nottingham Forest who were right in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot before falling away in March.
Forest were the last Championship side to lose their unbeaten away record but they have taken just one point from their last nine matches on the road.
At least their 19-match unbeaten run in the middle of the season has been enough to confirm a spot in the playoffs, alongside Cardiff City and Leicester City.
With two matches left, the final playoff spot remains up for grabs, though Swansea City are the favourites.
The Swans looked set to blow it after a poor run of six matches without a win but two home wins against Scunthorpe United and Barnsley have settled nerves somewhat.
It means that the only side who can now overhaul Swansea are Blackpool. The Tangerines are two points behind having maintained their surprising form throughout the season.
Indeed, Ian Holloway's men have won five out of their last six games, including a 5-1 win against Swansea and, most recently, a 3-1 win against Forest.
They face Peterborough United away and Bristol City at home in their last two games, while Swansea play Sheffield United away and Doncaster Rovers at home.
At the bottom, Peterborough have long since been relegated, a testament to appointing four managers in a season after a lack of investment in a League One-standard squad.
Posh were officially demoted after a 2-2 draw with Barnsley was not enough even though this is their only point from their last eight matches.
Gary Johnson is the latest man to take the helm at London Road and if he did not know the size of the task ahead, it became pretty clear in a 6-0 loss at Reading on Saturday.
At least second-bottom Plymouth Argyle have shown some fight with recent away wins at Ipswich Town and Doncaster prolonging their Championship status.
But, after such a poor start, the Pilgrims were always fighting an uphill battle and they have fallen well short in the end.
The battle to avoid the third relegation spot will go to the wire. Sheffield Wednesday currently occupy third-bottom after they could only manage one point from the Sheffield derby.
Wednesday have 46 points from 44 games, one behind Crystal Palace who they meet at Hillsborough on the final day.
That clash looks likely to be the one which reveals the identity of the third relegated side but Watford, on 48 points, certainly cannot be excluded after a meek loss to Queens Park Rangers in their game in hand.
League One
Table
NORWICH CITY gained an instant return to the Championship after a 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic concluded a wonderful recovery.
The Canaries were relegated on the last day of last season at the Valley but their visit this year will provide much happier memories.
Norwich suffered a nightmare start to life in League One, losing 7-1 on the opening day at home against Colchester United.
But, after appointing the winning manager from that day, Paul Lambert, City have never looked back.
A mid-season run of 14 wins and two draws overhauled Leeds United at the top in January and ever since Lambert's men seem to have been extending their lead.
Norwich are nine points clear of second-placed Leeds with three games left, and the East Anglian club will be confirmed as champions by winning just one more point.
Leeds' future is less certain after their dramatic collapse in the second half of the season.
Simon Grayson's men even dropped out of the automatic promotion places after Swindon Town condemned them to a fourth successive loss earlier this month.
Three wins in a row against bottom half sides steadied the ship but another loss at Gillingham on Saturday showed just how vulnerable Leeds are.
Fortunately for them, all of their promotion rivals also suffered the jitters.
Millwall lost at Huddersfield Town for their first defeat in 12, Swindon made it just two points from a possible nine in their 1-1 draw with Walsall, and Charlton lost to Norwich.
With three matches left, Leeds are on 80 points, Millwall are on 79, Swindon are on 78 and Charlton are on 77.
Leeds travel to Charlton on May 1 while Millwall and Swindon meet on the last day.
Huddersfield's win against Millwall ensured that Norwich are still the only away team to win at the Galpharm Stadium, and that home record looks like it will be enough to grab the Terriers the last playoff spot.
Lee Clark's men are six points clear of Colchester with three matches left though eighth-placed Southampton still have an outside chance.
The Saints would have been in sixth place if they had not been deducted 10 points but, as it is, they are seven points behind with three matches left.
Just two points from a possible 33 have confirmed Stockport County's position as the worst team in League One, albeit one with severe financial difficulties.
The Hatters have won just 25 points all season, 14 adrift of second-bottom Southend United who also look in deep trouble on and off the pitch.
The Shrimpers have won just once in their last 19 league games and that run has put them seven points adrift of safety with three games left.
Third-bottom Wycombe Wanderers have been in trouble all season long but three successive wins have suddenly given the Chairboys hope of pulling off a great escape.
It is still looks an unlikely task, though. Despite the recent upturn in their form, the Adams Park club are still five points adrift of safety.
Of all the teams currently in the relegation zone, Tranmere Rovers look the most likely to escape after a vital win in their most recent home game.
The 3-1 success at Prenton Park over Exeter City closed the gap on the Grecians to just two points.
Meanwhile, Gillingham, in 19th on 47 points, and Leyton Orient, in 18th on 48 points, still need at least another win to be safe.
League Two
Table
NOTTS COUNTY took a step closer to the League Two championship after beating Rochdale 1-0 in a top-of-the-table clash at Meadow Lane.
Lee Hughes scored his 31st goal of the season on the half-hour mark with a delicate lob to put the Magpies four points clear.
The win extended County’s run to 12 wins and two draws in the 14 games since Steve Cotterill became the third manager of a turbulent, but ultimately successful, season.
Both clubs had already sealed promotion allowing them to focus fully on going for the league.
But, while County look set to take the honours, this current Rochdale team is still rightfully proud of achieving the club’s first promotion in 41 years.
Bournemouth will join the pair in League One this season with one more win, and that will also be quite some achievement for the youngest manager in the Football League, Eddie Howe.
Howe is just 32 years old but has led the Cherries to 77 points despite operating under a transfer embargo. They are eight points clear of fourth-placed Rotherham United with three games left.
The Millers are more likely to be concerned with securing a playoff place, having just emerged from a poor run of four successive losses to take four points from their last two games.
That puts them on 69 points, one ahead of Bury in fifth place with the Shakers also struggling somewhat to get over the line.
Aldershot Town and Dagenham & Redbridge, both on 66 points, complete the top seven places at present but the race remains wide open.
Chesterfield, in eighth, also have 66 points while Port Vale and Morecambe are both on 64 points.
Even Northampton Town, on 63 points, and Shrewsbury Town, on 62 points, cannot be totally discounted from a top-seven finish.
The bottom of the table is much more clear-cut, as it has been for some time.
After a season-long struggle, Darlington were finally put out their misery, despite producing a stunning result to beat Rochdale.
That win and a subsequent draw with Cheltenham Town have at least given the Quakers’ points total of 27 an air of respectability, though they remain 11 points adrift of second-bottom Grimsby Town.
The Mariners look likely to join Darlington in the Blue Square Premier after a crushing 3-0 home loss to fellow strugglers Torquay United.
The loss left Neil Woods’ side seven points adrift of safety with just three games left.
Barnet, on 45 points, and Lincoln, on 46 points, are most in danger of an unlikely comeback after both suffered four losses in their last five games to end already-poor seasons miserably.
Blue Square Premier
Table
STEVENAGE BOROUGH will play in the Football League for the first time in their history after proving to be the strongest link in the Blue Square Premier this season.
Boro had won the Conference previously in 1995-96 but were denied entry to the league because their ground did not match certain criteria.
But that is not an issue this time and Boro’s form in the run-in – 13 wins from the last 14 matches – has given Graham Westley’s men a deserved championship.
Luton Town also produced a fine run in the final stretch, scoring for fun in a 12-match unbeaten run but the Hatters’ February form is only good enough for the playoffs.
There, they will meet long-time leaders Oxford United who must be the most disappointed of the top sides as to how this season has panned out.
Rushden & Diamonds and York City complete a quartet of former Football League clubs aiming to get back there the hard way.
Following Chester City’s expulsion, there are only three relegation spots.
Grays Athletic have long since reserved one of them, though at least their fans gained the consolation of seeing a first win in 21 games against AFC Wimbledon.
With just one game left, the other two places are currently occupied by Ebbsfleet United, on 41 points, and Gateshead, on 42 points.
Looking over their shoulders are Eastbourne Borough, on 43 points, and Histon and Forest Green Rovers who are both on 45 points.
In those final matches, Ebbsfleet travel to Tamworth Town while Gateshead host AFC Wimbledon.
Eastbourne and Histon have home matches against Oxford and Barrow respectively while Forest Green should secure safety by beating Grays away.
Monday, 19 April 2010
F1 2010: Button takes an early lead
DEFENDING champion Jenson Button heads the standings after the opening four races of an already fascinating F1 season.
Wins in Australia and China have helped McLaren driver Button to 60 points. He is 10 clear of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, and 11 clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and team mate Lewis Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel lies fifth in the standing on 45 points but the German really would be doing better than that if his Red Bull was more reliable.
Vettel has qualified in pole position in three of the four races so far, and the only time he missed out - in Malaysia - team mate Mark Webber took the honours.
But, except for an excellent 1-2 in Malaysia, it has been a feature of the season that the Red Bulls have failed to turn strong positions into more points.
The season had an inauspicious start in Bahrain which, not for the first time, produced a dreadfully drab race. It was won eventually by Alonso in a Ferrari 1-2 after a surprise twist.
Bahrain was definitely a race that Vettel should have won and the German led from the start and looked set for a comfortable win.
But a spark plug failure hampered him midway through the race, and Alonso and his team mate Felipe Massa passed the Red Bull driver with ease.
Vettel eventually finished fourth, behind 2008 champions Lewis Hamilton, but holding off Mercedes pair Rosberg and returning seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in fifth and sixth.
That sixth place represents Schumacher's best result of the season and the excitement generated in the build-up to his comeback has so far not been matched on the track.
At least, F1 recovered from the slow start in Bahrain with a typically dramatic Australian GP around Melbourne's Albert Park.
The scene of Button’s first win in his championship season last year returned more happy memories for him this year.
With rain falling, Button crucially opted for slick tyres in an early tactical pit stop.
His decision to pit was vindicated as he scythed through the field and into second place behind Vettel who had qualified on pole.
Red Bull’s Vettel had once again controlled the early stages of the race, having stayed out of trouble.
But, again his challenge ended prematurely as he suffered brake failure and slid off into the gravel on lap 26
As a result, Button gained a precious lead and, with a clear track ahead, he was able to build a clear gap ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica and Ferrari pair Massa and Alonso.
Alonso’s fourth-place finish was a major feat after the Spaniard fell to the back of the grid following contact with Button but the glory was with the Briton.
In Malaysia, Red Bull finally delivered. This time, it was Vettel’s Australian team mate Webber who provided the pole position.
But, at the very first corner, Vettel forged ahead before both cars cruised to the chequered flag.
The Red Bulls were aided by strategic errors by McLaren and Ferrari who misjudged the wet weather in qualifying, leaving Button, Hamilton Alonso and Massa well down the grid.
The race proved to be just as frustrating for the quartet who all had their problems.
Alonso suffered a broken clutch and eventually retired on lap 54, while Hamilton and Massa could not find a way past Force India's Adrian Sutil. Button struggled with his tyres to eighth place.
But Button's disappointment and Red Bull's delight were short-lived as the Briton hit the top of the standings for the first time this season with victory in a tough race in China.
He described the win as his best yet and it will have been even sweeter that he finished just ahead of team mate Hamilton.
There were many who doubted the wisdom of Button's move to McLaren where Hamilton was recognised as the team's number one last season.
But Button has more than held his own in the early stages of this year and again he made the better tyre choice in another unpredictable wet race.
Over the course of the most dramatic race so far in 2010, he made two pit stops, as compared to Hamilton's four.
Indeed most of the field pitted twice early on to change to intermediate and then slick tyres.
Button had already chosen slicks and, along with Kubica and Rosberg, he secured a commanding early advantage.
In the second half of the race, Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel tore through the field to finish among the leading drivers while Russian Vitaly Petrov gained a credible seventh in his Renault.
Webber, who had started on the front row, eventually had to settle for eighth ahead of Ferrari's Massa and Mercedes' Schumacher who disappointed once again.
The F1 circuit takes a three week break before moving to Europe for three races in May, including the Monaco GP on 16 May - volcano ash clouds permitting, of course.
PODIUMS
Bahrain GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari
2 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
Australian GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
2 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault
3 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari
Malaysian GP (Pole: Mark Webber)
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault
2 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault
3 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP
Chinese GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
3 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP
STANDINGS
Drivers' Championship
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes 60 (2 wins)
2 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 50
3 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 49 (1 win)
4 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes 49
5 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 45 (1 win)
6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 41
7 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault 40
8 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 28
9 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Mercedes 10
9 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes 10
11 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India-Mercedes 8
12 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 6
13 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams-Cosworth 5
14 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2
15 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Williams-Cosworth 1
Nine drivers have yet to score
Constructors' Championship
1 McLaren-Mercedes 109
2 Ferrari 90
3 Red Bull-Renault 73
4 Mercedes GP 60
5 Renault 46
6 Force India-Mercedes 18
7 Williams-Cosworth 6
8 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2
Four teams have yet to score
Wins in Australia and China have helped McLaren driver Button to 60 points. He is 10 clear of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, and 11 clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and team mate Lewis Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel lies fifth in the standing on 45 points but the German really would be doing better than that if his Red Bull was more reliable.
Vettel has qualified in pole position in three of the four races so far, and the only time he missed out - in Malaysia - team mate Mark Webber took the honours.
But, except for an excellent 1-2 in Malaysia, it has been a feature of the season that the Red Bulls have failed to turn strong positions into more points.
The season had an inauspicious start in Bahrain which, not for the first time, produced a dreadfully drab race. It was won eventually by Alonso in a Ferrari 1-2 after a surprise twist.
Bahrain was definitely a race that Vettel should have won and the German led from the start and looked set for a comfortable win.
But a spark plug failure hampered him midway through the race, and Alonso and his team mate Felipe Massa passed the Red Bull driver with ease.
Vettel eventually finished fourth, behind 2008 champions Lewis Hamilton, but holding off Mercedes pair Rosberg and returning seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in fifth and sixth.
That sixth place represents Schumacher's best result of the season and the excitement generated in the build-up to his comeback has so far not been matched on the track.
At least, F1 recovered from the slow start in Bahrain with a typically dramatic Australian GP around Melbourne's Albert Park.
The scene of Button’s first win in his championship season last year returned more happy memories for him this year.
With rain falling, Button crucially opted for slick tyres in an early tactical pit stop.
His decision to pit was vindicated as he scythed through the field and into second place behind Vettel who had qualified on pole.
Red Bull’s Vettel had once again controlled the early stages of the race, having stayed out of trouble.
But, again his challenge ended prematurely as he suffered brake failure and slid off into the gravel on lap 26
As a result, Button gained a precious lead and, with a clear track ahead, he was able to build a clear gap ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica and Ferrari pair Massa and Alonso.
Alonso’s fourth-place finish was a major feat after the Spaniard fell to the back of the grid following contact with Button but the glory was with the Briton.
In Malaysia, Red Bull finally delivered. This time, it was Vettel’s Australian team mate Webber who provided the pole position.
But, at the very first corner, Vettel forged ahead before both cars cruised to the chequered flag.
The Red Bulls were aided by strategic errors by McLaren and Ferrari who misjudged the wet weather in qualifying, leaving Button, Hamilton Alonso and Massa well down the grid.
The race proved to be just as frustrating for the quartet who all had their problems.
Alonso suffered a broken clutch and eventually retired on lap 54, while Hamilton and Massa could not find a way past Force India's Adrian Sutil. Button struggled with his tyres to eighth place.
But Button's disappointment and Red Bull's delight were short-lived as the Briton hit the top of the standings for the first time this season with victory in a tough race in China.
He described the win as his best yet and it will have been even sweeter that he finished just ahead of team mate Hamilton.
There were many who doubted the wisdom of Button's move to McLaren where Hamilton was recognised as the team's number one last season.
But Button has more than held his own in the early stages of this year and again he made the better tyre choice in another unpredictable wet race.
Over the course of the most dramatic race so far in 2010, he made two pit stops, as compared to Hamilton's four.
Indeed most of the field pitted twice early on to change to intermediate and then slick tyres.
Button had already chosen slicks and, along with Kubica and Rosberg, he secured a commanding early advantage.
In the second half of the race, Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel tore through the field to finish among the leading drivers while Russian Vitaly Petrov gained a credible seventh in his Renault.
Webber, who had started on the front row, eventually had to settle for eighth ahead of Ferrari's Massa and Mercedes' Schumacher who disappointed once again.
The F1 circuit takes a three week break before moving to Europe for three races in May, including the Monaco GP on 16 May - volcano ash clouds permitting, of course.
PODIUMS
Bahrain GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari
2 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
Australian GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
2 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault
3 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari
Malaysian GP (Pole: Mark Webber)
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault
2 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault
3 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP
Chinese GP (Pole: Sebastian Vettel)
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes
3 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP
STANDINGS
Drivers' Championship
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes 60 (2 wins)
2 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 50
3 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 49 (1 win)
4 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes 49
5 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 45 (1 win)
6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 41
7 Robert Kubica (Pol) Renault 40
8 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 28
9 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Mercedes 10
9 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes 10
11 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Force India-Mercedes 8
12 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 6
13 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams-Cosworth 5
14 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2
15 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Williams-Cosworth 1
Nine drivers have yet to score
Constructors' Championship
1 McLaren-Mercedes 109
2 Ferrari 90
3 Red Bull-Renault 73
4 Mercedes GP 60
5 Renault 46
6 Force India-Mercedes 18
7 Williams-Cosworth 6
8 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2
Four teams have yet to score
Saturday, 17 April 2010
World Snooker preview: Crucible crown as open as ever
JOHN HIGGINS begins his defence today of the World Snooker Championship, hoping to become the first man to retain the title in 14 years.
Higgins' compatriot Stephen Hendry was the last person to achieve back-to-back wins when he won his fifth in a row in 1996.
Since then, there have been eight different winners at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with three wins each for Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan, and two wins for Mark Williams.
After a period of six different winners in six years from 1997 to 2002, Higgins and O'Sullivan emerged as the dominant forces of the last decade.
But the championship is nothing like as predictable as during the 1980s and 1990s when Steve Davis and then Hendry ruled the roost.
And it is this unpredictability as well as the unique intense atmosphere at the Crucible Theatre which makes the next 17 days' action a fascinating spectacle.
As usual, the 16 first round ties have been divided into four separate sections. Here is the full draw and a few things to look out for in each section:
FIRST ROUND DRAW
Section 1
John Higgins (1) v Barry Hawkins
Mark King (16) v Steve Davis
Neil Robertson (9) v Fergal O'Brien
Marcu Fu (8) v Martin Gould
Defending champion Higgins is not the biggest name in this first section.
That honour still rests with Steve Davis who qualified for the World Championships for a record 30th time at the age of 52, a simply brilliant feat.
Davis could have been given a tougher draw - Mark King is the lowest of the 16 seeds - but any progress by the six-time champion would be considered a surprise.
2010 Welsh Open winner Higgins might have a few problems against Barry Hawkins who has qualified for four of the six ranking events this season.
But the Scotsman should have enough to progress, as should Australian Neil Robertson, winner of the 2009 Grand Prix.
Hong Kong's Marcu Fu is a much improved player of recent years and he should win comfortably against Martin Gould, for whom this is the first finals stage of a ranking tournament all season.
Section 2
Allister Carter (5) v Jamie Cope
Joe Perry (12) v Michael Holt
Ding Junhui (13) v Stuart Pettman
Shaun Murphy (4) v Gerard Greene
After suffering a dip in form following two devastating defeats to O'Sullivan in 2007, including a first round loss at the Crucible, Ding Junhui has enjoyed a season of recovery.
The Chinese player won the UK Championship and has finished runner-up in two other ranking events, the Grand Prix and the China Open.
Ding's form promises much for a breakthrough at the World Championships where his best result is two second round appearances, both ended by Stephen Hendry.
He will be pleased then that Hendry is in the other half of the draw this time, and indeed he should make light work of this section which is not the strongest.
Fifth seed Ali Carter reached the Welsh Open final this season but the 2008 world finalist will be pushed all the way by battling Jamie Cope.
Meanwhile, 2005 champion Shaun Murphy, and the other seed in this quarter, Joe Perry, have just one quarter final appearance and one semi final appearance between them all season.
Section 3
Stephen Maguire (3) v Stephen Lee
Peter Ebdon (14) v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen (11) v Tom Ford
Ryan Day (6) v Mark Davis
Stephen Maguire begins his quest for a first Crucible crown with match-fixing allegations still hanging over him.
His 9-3 victory over Jamie Burnett in the 2008 UK Championship has been subject to a 17-month investigation by Strathclyde Police who have now passed the case to prosecutors.
And, in a separate incident, Maguire's opponent, Stephen Lee, is currently on bail after being arrested by West Midlands police on 11th February on suspicion of cheating.
It all goes to make this a fascinating match-up, though it is difficult to believe that neither man will be affected by the allegations.
Also in this section, 2002 winner Peter Ebdon takes on 2006 champion Graeme Dott.
Ebdon, seeded 14, is favourite with Dott enduring a tough time with depression which has severely affected his form since his win four years ago.
Meanwhile, Mark Allen made a huge impression at the Crucible last year, knocking out Ronnie O'Sullivan to reach the quarter finals in a stylish match between two quick players.
The young Ulsterman faces debutant Tom Ford this year and the draw has been kind enough to suggest Allen will enjoy another good run.
Sixth seed Ryan Day is currently the highest-ranked player not to have won a ranking event.
Welshman Day will be desperate to go better than his World Championship best of the quarter finals.
But he will have to be wary against Mark Davis, who has qualified for four out of six events this season.
Section 4
Mark Selby (7) v Ken Doherty
Stephen Hendry (10) v Zhang Anda
Mark Williams (15) v Marcus Campbell
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) v Liang Wenbo
Easily the most fascinating of all the sections, the combined number of world championships from these players totals 13.
Stephen Hendry has more than half of those and, while the Scotsman is not as formidable an opponent as in his 1990s heyday, he will surely progress against Zhang Anda.
Zhang has actually done remarkably well to reach this stage, having already had to win four qualifiers to make him one of the two Crucible debutants this year.
Three-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan also faces a Chinese qualifier in Liang Wenbo, though Liang is much more experienced than Zhang.
Indeed, Liang reached the final of the Shanghai Masters ranking event at the start of this season, only to lose to O'Sullivan and it would only be fair to expect a similar result.
Welshman Mark Williams, who won this title in 2000 and 2003, dropped out of the top 16 in 2007-08 but regained his place in the elite for 2009-10.
Williams has done well on his return, winning the recent China Open and reaching the semi finals of the Grand Prix. On that form, he will have too much for Marcus Campbell.
Another former champion, Ken Doherty, has also seen a recovery in his form, though perhaps not to extent of Williams.
1997 winner Doherty fell as low as 44 in the provisional rankings after dropping out of the top 16 in 2008-09.
But, this season, the Irishman showed he can still compete at the top by reaching the quarter finals of the Shanghai Masters and hammering Joe Swail 10-1 in the qualifiers for Sheffield.
Masters winner Mark Selby is Doherty's opponent and, despite that win at Wembley, the Leicester man has failed to get beyond the last eight of a ranking event this season.
Higgins' compatriot Stephen Hendry was the last person to achieve back-to-back wins when he won his fifth in a row in 1996.
Since then, there have been eight different winners at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with three wins each for Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan, and two wins for Mark Williams.
After a period of six different winners in six years from 1997 to 2002, Higgins and O'Sullivan emerged as the dominant forces of the last decade.
But the championship is nothing like as predictable as during the 1980s and 1990s when Steve Davis and then Hendry ruled the roost.
And it is this unpredictability as well as the unique intense atmosphere at the Crucible Theatre which makes the next 17 days' action a fascinating spectacle.
As usual, the 16 first round ties have been divided into four separate sections. Here is the full draw and a few things to look out for in each section:
FIRST ROUND DRAW
Section 1
John Higgins (1) v Barry Hawkins
Mark King (16) v Steve Davis
Neil Robertson (9) v Fergal O'Brien
Marcu Fu (8) v Martin Gould
Defending champion Higgins is not the biggest name in this first section.
That honour still rests with Steve Davis who qualified for the World Championships for a record 30th time at the age of 52, a simply brilliant feat.
Davis could have been given a tougher draw - Mark King is the lowest of the 16 seeds - but any progress by the six-time champion would be considered a surprise.
2010 Welsh Open winner Higgins might have a few problems against Barry Hawkins who has qualified for four of the six ranking events this season.
But the Scotsman should have enough to progress, as should Australian Neil Robertson, winner of the 2009 Grand Prix.
Hong Kong's Marcu Fu is a much improved player of recent years and he should win comfortably against Martin Gould, for whom this is the first finals stage of a ranking tournament all season.
Section 2
Allister Carter (5) v Jamie Cope
Joe Perry (12) v Michael Holt
Ding Junhui (13) v Stuart Pettman
Shaun Murphy (4) v Gerard Greene
After suffering a dip in form following two devastating defeats to O'Sullivan in 2007, including a first round loss at the Crucible, Ding Junhui has enjoyed a season of recovery.
The Chinese player won the UK Championship and has finished runner-up in two other ranking events, the Grand Prix and the China Open.
Ding's form promises much for a breakthrough at the World Championships where his best result is two second round appearances, both ended by Stephen Hendry.
He will be pleased then that Hendry is in the other half of the draw this time, and indeed he should make light work of this section which is not the strongest.
Fifth seed Ali Carter reached the Welsh Open final this season but the 2008 world finalist will be pushed all the way by battling Jamie Cope.
Meanwhile, 2005 champion Shaun Murphy, and the other seed in this quarter, Joe Perry, have just one quarter final appearance and one semi final appearance between them all season.
Section 3
Stephen Maguire (3) v Stephen Lee
Peter Ebdon (14) v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen (11) v Tom Ford
Ryan Day (6) v Mark Davis
Stephen Maguire begins his quest for a first Crucible crown with match-fixing allegations still hanging over him.
His 9-3 victory over Jamie Burnett in the 2008 UK Championship has been subject to a 17-month investigation by Strathclyde Police who have now passed the case to prosecutors.
And, in a separate incident, Maguire's opponent, Stephen Lee, is currently on bail after being arrested by West Midlands police on 11th February on suspicion of cheating.
It all goes to make this a fascinating match-up, though it is difficult to believe that neither man will be affected by the allegations.
Also in this section, 2002 winner Peter Ebdon takes on 2006 champion Graeme Dott.
Ebdon, seeded 14, is favourite with Dott enduring a tough time with depression which has severely affected his form since his win four years ago.
Meanwhile, Mark Allen made a huge impression at the Crucible last year, knocking out Ronnie O'Sullivan to reach the quarter finals in a stylish match between two quick players.
The young Ulsterman faces debutant Tom Ford this year and the draw has been kind enough to suggest Allen will enjoy another good run.
Sixth seed Ryan Day is currently the highest-ranked player not to have won a ranking event.
Welshman Day will be desperate to go better than his World Championship best of the quarter finals.
But he will have to be wary against Mark Davis, who has qualified for four out of six events this season.
Section 4
Mark Selby (7) v Ken Doherty
Stephen Hendry (10) v Zhang Anda
Mark Williams (15) v Marcus Campbell
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) v Liang Wenbo
Easily the most fascinating of all the sections, the combined number of world championships from these players totals 13.
Stephen Hendry has more than half of those and, while the Scotsman is not as formidable an opponent as in his 1990s heyday, he will surely progress against Zhang Anda.
Zhang has actually done remarkably well to reach this stage, having already had to win four qualifiers to make him one of the two Crucible debutants this year.
Three-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan also faces a Chinese qualifier in Liang Wenbo, though Liang is much more experienced than Zhang.
Indeed, Liang reached the final of the Shanghai Masters ranking event at the start of this season, only to lose to O'Sullivan and it would only be fair to expect a similar result.
Welshman Mark Williams, who won this title in 2000 and 2003, dropped out of the top 16 in 2007-08 but regained his place in the elite for 2009-10.
Williams has done well on his return, winning the recent China Open and reaching the semi finals of the Grand Prix. On that form, he will have too much for Marcus Campbell.
Another former champion, Ken Doherty, has also seen a recovery in his form, though perhaps not to extent of Williams.
1997 winner Doherty fell as low as 44 in the provisional rankings after dropping out of the top 16 in 2008-09.
But, this season, the Irishman showed he can still compete at the top by reaching the quarter finals of the Shanghai Masters and hammering Joe Swail 10-1 in the qualifiers for Sheffield.
Masters winner Mark Selby is Doherty's opponent and, despite that win at Wembley, the Leicester man has failed to get beyond the last eight of a ranking event this season.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Election 2010: Clegg claims the honours in historic first debate
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS leader Nick Clegg rammed home his unprecedented advantage in the first ever television debate between Prime Minister candidates.
Never before in British politics had the Lib Dems been allowed equal footing with Labour and the Conservatives.
But Mr Clegg's assured performance on ITV can only make a hung parliament more likely, a result which would put his party in the powerful position of potential kingmakers.
Indeed, an exit poll of 4,000 people immediately after the debate by ITV/ComRes showed Mr Clegg as the debate winner on 43%.
Conservative leader David Cameron was in second place on 26% with Labour leader Gordon Brown on 20%. 11% of those polled thought no one had won.
In fairness to Mr Brown and Mr Cameron, the Lib Dem leader was able to go into the contest with the pressure off.
Many viewers would have been unaware of him or his policies and previous elections show that the usual increased exposure benefits the Lib Dems by up to 5%.
But no Lib Dems leader has previously had this golden opportunity to engage in direct election sparring with his political opponents.
And if Mr Clegg had been nervous at the prospect, he did not need to have worried as the bickering between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron aided him immensely.
There had been concerns in the Lib Dems' camp in the run-up to the election that their vote might be squeezed by the two main parties' core support solidifying.
On a similar note, Mr Clegg may have feared that he would be ignored during these historic debates.
But, if anything, the contradictory exchanges between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron will have helped him - even though, at times, he seemed like a headteacher rebuking two unruly pupils.
The incumbent PM, Mr Brown, came across as particularly uncomfortable, though this was widely forecast based upon previous media performances.
Unlike Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron, he rarely addressed the audience member who posed the question - or indeed the public at home, preferring instead to reel off a set of meaningless 'facts'.
He also took notes profusely while the other speakers had their turn, giving an impression that he cared little for what they said.
And when he did lift his head, Mr Brown could be found smirking at opposing arguments, despite massive holes in the running of his government being exposed.
Comfortably ahead in the polls, Mr Cameron undoubtedly had most to lose from the debate, and he will probably just be glad to have avoided a game-changing gaffe.
Of course, the format made such a singular moment unlikely with no fewer than 76 rules governing the discussion.
Nevertheless, the quality of debate was better than I had anticipated and this was a worthy 90 minutes of broadcasting in the run-up to an incredibly important election.
The unenviable job of moderation by Alastair Stewart was managed by the ITV anchor pretty well.
He interrupted regularly to cut out any sign of waffle and moved on the debate in a sensible fashion.
He gave all of the leaders ample time to state their case on seven domestic issues - immigration, law and order, political reform, education, defence, health and elderly care.
Mr Brown warned twice of the Conservatives causing a double dip recession though the PM was mainly forced to defend 13 years of government.
Mr Cameron tried to make hay by emphasising the effect that Labour's planned National Insurance rise would have on employing teachers in schools and nurses in hospitals.
It was not a surprising line of attack by Mr Cameron. The issue over National Insurance has dominated the early days of an unremarkable election campaign, which began 10 days ago.
The Tories attracted the support of dozens of business leaders and they enjoyed a slight boost in the polls.
But even the swing to the Tories in the marginals is not enough for them to gain a majority and ensure Mr Cameron is Britain's next PM.
Despite this, the polls still suggest that Mr Cameron will be the leader with the largest party after the election on 6th May.
And so it was perhaps surprising that Mr Clegg clashed with the Conservative leader quite so often tonight, most notably on the retention of Trident and their respective proposed tax cuts.
After all, it seems unthinkable that the country would accept the Lib Dems using their power in a hung parliament to prop up Mr Brown.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg did agree on some matters such as the need for urgent reviews on the allocation of defence spending and on the deficit by the main players in the economy.
Taken as a whole, the first debate leaves the election still all to play for.
But while it was hardly decisive, at least it was better than I thought it might be.
Never before in British politics had the Lib Dems been allowed equal footing with Labour and the Conservatives.
But Mr Clegg's assured performance on ITV can only make a hung parliament more likely, a result which would put his party in the powerful position of potential kingmakers.
Indeed, an exit poll of 4,000 people immediately after the debate by ITV/ComRes showed Mr Clegg as the debate winner on 43%.
Conservative leader David Cameron was in second place on 26% with Labour leader Gordon Brown on 20%. 11% of those polled thought no one had won.
In fairness to Mr Brown and Mr Cameron, the Lib Dem leader was able to go into the contest with the pressure off.
Many viewers would have been unaware of him or his policies and previous elections show that the usual increased exposure benefits the Lib Dems by up to 5%.
But no Lib Dems leader has previously had this golden opportunity to engage in direct election sparring with his political opponents.
And if Mr Clegg had been nervous at the prospect, he did not need to have worried as the bickering between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron aided him immensely.
There had been concerns in the Lib Dems' camp in the run-up to the election that their vote might be squeezed by the two main parties' core support solidifying.
On a similar note, Mr Clegg may have feared that he would be ignored during these historic debates.
But, if anything, the contradictory exchanges between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron will have helped him - even though, at times, he seemed like a headteacher rebuking two unruly pupils.
The incumbent PM, Mr Brown, came across as particularly uncomfortable, though this was widely forecast based upon previous media performances.
Unlike Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron, he rarely addressed the audience member who posed the question - or indeed the public at home, preferring instead to reel off a set of meaningless 'facts'.
He also took notes profusely while the other speakers had their turn, giving an impression that he cared little for what they said.
And when he did lift his head, Mr Brown could be found smirking at opposing arguments, despite massive holes in the running of his government being exposed.
Comfortably ahead in the polls, Mr Cameron undoubtedly had most to lose from the debate, and he will probably just be glad to have avoided a game-changing gaffe.
Of course, the format made such a singular moment unlikely with no fewer than 76 rules governing the discussion.
Nevertheless, the quality of debate was better than I had anticipated and this was a worthy 90 minutes of broadcasting in the run-up to an incredibly important election.
The unenviable job of moderation by Alastair Stewart was managed by the ITV anchor pretty well.
He interrupted regularly to cut out any sign of waffle and moved on the debate in a sensible fashion.
He gave all of the leaders ample time to state their case on seven domestic issues - immigration, law and order, political reform, education, defence, health and elderly care.
Mr Brown warned twice of the Conservatives causing a double dip recession though the PM was mainly forced to defend 13 years of government.
Mr Cameron tried to make hay by emphasising the effect that Labour's planned National Insurance rise would have on employing teachers in schools and nurses in hospitals.
It was not a surprising line of attack by Mr Cameron. The issue over National Insurance has dominated the early days of an unremarkable election campaign, which began 10 days ago.
The Tories attracted the support of dozens of business leaders and they enjoyed a slight boost in the polls.
But even the swing to the Tories in the marginals is not enough for them to gain a majority and ensure Mr Cameron is Britain's next PM.
Despite this, the polls still suggest that Mr Cameron will be the leader with the largest party after the election on 6th May.
And so it was perhaps surprising that Mr Clegg clashed with the Conservative leader quite so often tonight, most notably on the retention of Trident and their respective proposed tax cuts.
After all, it seems unthinkable that the country would accept the Lib Dems using their power in a hung parliament to prop up Mr Brown.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg did agree on some matters such as the need for urgent reviews on the allocation of defence spending and on the deficit by the main players in the economy.
Taken as a whole, the first debate leaves the election still all to play for.
But while it was hardly decisive, at least it was better than I thought it might be.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Double-chasing Chelsea face Pompey fairytale after Cup Semi Finals
THE Cup winners from the last two seasons will meet in this year's Final at Wembley on 15 May after Portsmouth beat Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea eased past Aston Villa.
Relegated Pompey beat Spurs 2-0 in extra time after a titanic struggle despite the London team dominating long periods of the contest.
Frederic Piquionne scored the first goal, nine minutes into extra time, sliding the ball home from six yards after Spurs defender Michael Dawson slipped on the frankly inadequate surface.
Spurs almost responded immediately but luck was definitely not on their side this afternoon and Peter Crouch had a good goal ruled out by referee Alan Wiley.
Wiley blew after substitute Niko Kranjcar collided with Pompey goalkeeper David James off one of Tottenham's 20 corners.
There was little in the incident and James could not hide his relief that his side had retained their slender advantage.
Undeterred, Tottenham continued to press forward as former Pompey forward Crouch hit the post and Vedran Corluka fluffed when well-placed.
But Spurs received a forewarning of what was to come when John Utaka failed to send Piquionne through on goal in the first half of the extra period.
After yet more stout Pompey defending, the sucker punch duly arrived with the match drawing to a close.
A rare Pompey foray into Spurs territory by Aruna Dindane drew a foul from Wilson Palacios.
Wiley pointed to the spot and Kevin-Prince Boateng did the honours with a confident low penalty to Heurelho Gomes' right to double the lead with three minutes left.
Pompey's magnificent fans at last have something to celebrate from this season. Their relegation was confirmed on Saturday after West Ham United beat Sunderland.
But after a wretched start of seven successive losses and then a nine-point deduction in February, demotion had been coming from a long way off.
Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp - facing the team with whom he won the Cup in 2008 - will wonder how exactly this game even went into extra time.
Spurs started brightly, winning a succession of corners, though their best chance came when James' punch hit his own defender Aaron Mokoena, and the ball went narrowly wide.
Pompey defended deep but forwards Piqiuonne and Dindane were enterprising on the break and the former really should have done better than miscue his volley on 28 minutes.
The Frenchman was again at fault 10 minutes later when he shot straight at Gomes despite being in the clear but Spurs finished the half stronger.
Tom Huddlestone's controlled volley was heading for the top corner until James clawed it away then Crouch had a shot blocked.
It was typical of Pompey's brave back line for whom former Spurs centre-back Ricardo Rocha was man of the match.
Rocha made another block early in the second half as Jermain Defoe threatened before Piquionne missed another good chance at the other end, heading straight at Gomes from eight yards out.
The ineffective Defoe was then replaced by Russian Roman Pavlyuchenko who has somewhat resurrected his Tottenham career.
But the chances continued to fall to strike partner Crouch. First, he headed wide from yet another corner after James had missed his punch.
Then, he was denied twice in succession by two more excellent blocks by Mokoena before hitting the post with a header from an acute angle.
And the final chance of the normal 90 minutes again fell to the gangly England forward.
The industrious young Welshman Gareth Bale fired in a cross from the left, Crouch diverted it towards goal only for James to scramble it once again to safety.
There was a sense of disbelief among the Tottenham players and fans as the match went into extra time.
Pompey fans loudly urged their team forward and, though they continued for the most part to defend, the sucker punches were far too much for Spurs to take.
Looking ahead, it is appropriate that Portsmouth will be led out in the Final at Wembley by Avram Grant against double-chasing Chelsea.
Grant was the manager deemed not good enough in 2008, despite having finished runners up in the Premier League and Champions League to Manchester United.
Now he has the perfect chance to prove his talent to the Blues after Chelsea enjoyed an ultimately more straightforward win against Villa.
For Villa, it was a second unhappy appearance at Wembley in two months following their Carling Cup final defeat to Man United.
Then, as Nemanja Vidic escaped red for a last man challenge, Martin O'Neill felt his side was on the wrong end of a crucial refereeing decision.
And O'Neill can feel aggrieved again after Gabriel Agbonlahor was denied a clear penalty having fallen under Jon Obi Mikel's tackle while the match was 0-0.
Indeed, Villa put their recent 7-1 league defeat against the Blues behind them to shade a poor spectacle in the first half.
Players on both teams were not helped by a woeful Wembley pitch which cut up making it difficult to play passing football.
But James Milner dealt with the surface better than most and his low shot on 15 minutes was the first threatening effort of the game.
Shortly afterwards, the Villains should have been given that penalty but, rather than being downhearted, they continued to press as John Terry denied John Carew with a last-ditch header.
But, as the half drew to a close, Chelsea enjoyed their first concerted spell. First, Didier Drogba was denied by an excellent block from Stephen Warnock after Florent Malouda's through-ball.
Then Drogba turned provider and almost played Frank Lampard clean through.
Joe Cole had the final chance of the 45 minutes but his instinctive shot hardly troubled Brad Friedel.
The momentum was with Chelsea going into the break and so it continued into the second period with only one early Carew effort in response from Villa.
Cole was again at the heart of the Blues' best efforts, just failing to connect with Drogba's cross before attempting a mazy run against the Villa defence.
Eventually the pressure told on the backline though only after Richard Dunne had brilliantly blocked a Drogba shot.
From the resultant corner, Dunne this time failed to cover himself in glory, heading the ball straight to the feet of Terry on 18 yards.
His first-time shot was then redirected into the net from six yards by the predatory Drogba.
Chelsea were content with their lead and Villa struggled to impose themselves back on the game.
But they can feel once again embittered with England's World Cup referee Howard Webb after Terry escaped with just a booking for a crude challenge on Milner.
Nevertheless, Villa's final charge did not amount to much, though Ashley Young should have done better with a header from Stewart Downing's cross.
Martin O'Neill's men simply ran out of steam - not helped by him only using one substitute - and the latter part of this match was thoroughly controlled by Chelsea.
Carlo Ancelotti's men finally got their just desserts on 89 minutes when Malouda volley home an inch-perfect cross from substitute Michael Ballack.
And then the score received a somewhat harsher reflection in stoppage time as Lampard finished neatly in the bottom corner after Villa had been caught up field.
Chelsea will barely believe how well this weekend has gone for them. Their own cup success was comfortable while Portsmouth's win gives them a final tie against the top flight's bottom team.
Meanwhile, Manchester United dropped points in a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.
That means the Blues can go four points clear with four games left with a home win against Bolton Wanderers.
Taking all this into account, it is no surprise to see Chelsea are now odds-on for a first ever League and Cup double.
FA CUP SEMI FINAL RESULTS/SCORERS
Aston Villa (0) 0
Chelsea (0) 3 Drogba 68, Malouda 89, Lampard 90+5
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey 82).
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Zhirkov, Deco (Ballack 76), Mikel, Lampard, Joe Cole (Kalou 65), Drogba (Anelka 80), Malouda.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
Tottenham Hotspur (0) 0
Portsmouth (0) 2 Piquionne 99, Boateng (pen) 117
After extra time
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Bale, Bentley (Kranjcar 79), Huddlestone (Gudjohnsen 102), Palacios, Modric, Crouch, Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 59).
Portsmouth: James, Finnan, Rocha, Mokoena, Mullins (Hughes 119), Brown, Wilson, Yebda (Utaka 87), Dindane, Piquionne (Diop 112), Boateng.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Relegated Pompey beat Spurs 2-0 in extra time after a titanic struggle despite the London team dominating long periods of the contest.
Frederic Piquionne scored the first goal, nine minutes into extra time, sliding the ball home from six yards after Spurs defender Michael Dawson slipped on the frankly inadequate surface.
Spurs almost responded immediately but luck was definitely not on their side this afternoon and Peter Crouch had a good goal ruled out by referee Alan Wiley.
Wiley blew after substitute Niko Kranjcar collided with Pompey goalkeeper David James off one of Tottenham's 20 corners.
There was little in the incident and James could not hide his relief that his side had retained their slender advantage.
Undeterred, Tottenham continued to press forward as former Pompey forward Crouch hit the post and Vedran Corluka fluffed when well-placed.
But Spurs received a forewarning of what was to come when John Utaka failed to send Piquionne through on goal in the first half of the extra period.
After yet more stout Pompey defending, the sucker punch duly arrived with the match drawing to a close.
A rare Pompey foray into Spurs territory by Aruna Dindane drew a foul from Wilson Palacios.
Wiley pointed to the spot and Kevin-Prince Boateng did the honours with a confident low penalty to Heurelho Gomes' right to double the lead with three minutes left.
Pompey's magnificent fans at last have something to celebrate from this season. Their relegation was confirmed on Saturday after West Ham United beat Sunderland.
But after a wretched start of seven successive losses and then a nine-point deduction in February, demotion had been coming from a long way off.
Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp - facing the team with whom he won the Cup in 2008 - will wonder how exactly this game even went into extra time.
Spurs started brightly, winning a succession of corners, though their best chance came when James' punch hit his own defender Aaron Mokoena, and the ball went narrowly wide.
Pompey defended deep but forwards Piqiuonne and Dindane were enterprising on the break and the former really should have done better than miscue his volley on 28 minutes.
The Frenchman was again at fault 10 minutes later when he shot straight at Gomes despite being in the clear but Spurs finished the half stronger.
Tom Huddlestone's controlled volley was heading for the top corner until James clawed it away then Crouch had a shot blocked.
It was typical of Pompey's brave back line for whom former Spurs centre-back Ricardo Rocha was man of the match.
Rocha made another block early in the second half as Jermain Defoe threatened before Piquionne missed another good chance at the other end, heading straight at Gomes from eight yards out.
The ineffective Defoe was then replaced by Russian Roman Pavlyuchenko who has somewhat resurrected his Tottenham career.
But the chances continued to fall to strike partner Crouch. First, he headed wide from yet another corner after James had missed his punch.
Then, he was denied twice in succession by two more excellent blocks by Mokoena before hitting the post with a header from an acute angle.
And the final chance of the normal 90 minutes again fell to the gangly England forward.
The industrious young Welshman Gareth Bale fired in a cross from the left, Crouch diverted it towards goal only for James to scramble it once again to safety.
There was a sense of disbelief among the Tottenham players and fans as the match went into extra time.
Pompey fans loudly urged their team forward and, though they continued for the most part to defend, the sucker punches were far too much for Spurs to take.
Looking ahead, it is appropriate that Portsmouth will be led out in the Final at Wembley by Avram Grant against double-chasing Chelsea.
Grant was the manager deemed not good enough in 2008, despite having finished runners up in the Premier League and Champions League to Manchester United.
Now he has the perfect chance to prove his talent to the Blues after Chelsea enjoyed an ultimately more straightforward win against Villa.
For Villa, it was a second unhappy appearance at Wembley in two months following their Carling Cup final defeat to Man United.
Then, as Nemanja Vidic escaped red for a last man challenge, Martin O'Neill felt his side was on the wrong end of a crucial refereeing decision.
And O'Neill can feel aggrieved again after Gabriel Agbonlahor was denied a clear penalty having fallen under Jon Obi Mikel's tackle while the match was 0-0.
Indeed, Villa put their recent 7-1 league defeat against the Blues behind them to shade a poor spectacle in the first half.
Players on both teams were not helped by a woeful Wembley pitch which cut up making it difficult to play passing football.
But James Milner dealt with the surface better than most and his low shot on 15 minutes was the first threatening effort of the game.
Shortly afterwards, the Villains should have been given that penalty but, rather than being downhearted, they continued to press as John Terry denied John Carew with a last-ditch header.
But, as the half drew to a close, Chelsea enjoyed their first concerted spell. First, Didier Drogba was denied by an excellent block from Stephen Warnock after Florent Malouda's through-ball.
Then Drogba turned provider and almost played Frank Lampard clean through.
Joe Cole had the final chance of the 45 minutes but his instinctive shot hardly troubled Brad Friedel.
The momentum was with Chelsea going into the break and so it continued into the second period with only one early Carew effort in response from Villa.
Cole was again at the heart of the Blues' best efforts, just failing to connect with Drogba's cross before attempting a mazy run against the Villa defence.
Eventually the pressure told on the backline though only after Richard Dunne had brilliantly blocked a Drogba shot.
From the resultant corner, Dunne this time failed to cover himself in glory, heading the ball straight to the feet of Terry on 18 yards.
His first-time shot was then redirected into the net from six yards by the predatory Drogba.
Chelsea were content with their lead and Villa struggled to impose themselves back on the game.
But they can feel once again embittered with England's World Cup referee Howard Webb after Terry escaped with just a booking for a crude challenge on Milner.
Nevertheless, Villa's final charge did not amount to much, though Ashley Young should have done better with a header from Stewart Downing's cross.
Martin O'Neill's men simply ran out of steam - not helped by him only using one substitute - and the latter part of this match was thoroughly controlled by Chelsea.
Carlo Ancelotti's men finally got their just desserts on 89 minutes when Malouda volley home an inch-perfect cross from substitute Michael Ballack.
And then the score received a somewhat harsher reflection in stoppage time as Lampard finished neatly in the bottom corner after Villa had been caught up field.
Chelsea will barely believe how well this weekend has gone for them. Their own cup success was comfortable while Portsmouth's win gives them a final tie against the top flight's bottom team.
Meanwhile, Manchester United dropped points in a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.
That means the Blues can go four points clear with four games left with a home win against Bolton Wanderers.
Taking all this into account, it is no surprise to see Chelsea are now odds-on for a first ever League and Cup double.
FA CUP SEMI FINAL RESULTS/SCORERS
Aston Villa (0) 0
Chelsea (0) 3 Drogba 68, Malouda 89, Lampard 90+5
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Ashley Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey 82).
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Zhirkov, Deco (Ballack 76), Mikel, Lampard, Joe Cole (Kalou 65), Drogba (Anelka 80), Malouda.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
Tottenham Hotspur (0) 0
Portsmouth (0) 2 Piquionne 99, Boateng (pen) 117
After extra time
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Bale, Bentley (Kranjcar 79), Huddlestone (Gudjohnsen 102), Palacios, Modric, Crouch, Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 59).
Portsmouth: James, Finnan, Rocha, Mokoena, Mullins (Hughes 119), Brown, Wilson, Yebda (Utaka 87), Dindane, Piquionne (Diop 112), Boateng.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Saturday, 10 April 2010
The Grand National 2010: McCoy gains Aintree absolution
TONY McCOY finally removed a huge weight from his shoulders after tasting success for the first time in the Grand National at Aintree yesterday afternoon.
McCoy had never won the race in 15 previous attempts despite having been champion jockey 14 times with more than 3,000 career wins.
But, much to his relief, this year he delivered at last on Don't Push It in front of a crowd of 70,000.
McCoy is a man who rarely shows his emotions but the 35-year-old could not hide his elation after this win.
He said: "I'm the biggest dreamer in the world. I dream every day, and for the past five or six years I've dreamt that I would win the National."
This was also a first win in the National for the horse's trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, and his owner JP MacManus.
Don't Push It began the day as a dark horse but, by the time the race started, he had become much fancied.
As the biggest market mover, his odds halved from 20/1 on Friday to a start price of 10/1 joint favourite.
The other favourite, Big Fella Thanks, had been well backed all week but he required a shock late change of jockey after Ruby Walsh suffered a broken arm having fallen badly in the 14.50.
Barry Geraghty took the reins and guided him to a commendable fourth place behind Black Apalachi in second and State of Play in third.
The race began in confusion as a false start brought back memories of the National that never was in 1993.
Then, as the starter lined up the horses for a second start, fancied grey King Johns Castle showed little interest in getting ready for the restart.
When jockey Paul Carberry finally mounted his horse after several attempts, the silly grey remained stubborn and refused to move.
And so, it was a field of 39 that approached the first of 30 fences.
But the race was short-lived for the likes of Eric's Charm, Pablo du Charmil, My Will and Made in Taipan who all fell at the opening few hurdles.
By the time they reached fence six, Conna Castle, Black Apalachi and Hello Bud had emerged as the frontrunners with Don't Push It well back in the field.
Conna Castle took a wide bearing around the Canal Turn but retained the lead ahead of Black Apalachi and Hello Bud, ridden by 17-year-old A-level student Sam Twiston-Davies.
This remained the running order until the first few fences of the second circuit.
Then, at fence 20, Black Apalachi took over the lead from Conna Castle who was sucked back into the field and eventually pulled up two from home.
As they approached the Canal Turn for the second time, Don't Push It began to make some headway and was in the chasing pack alongside Hello Bud and Big Fella Thanks.
Still, Black Apalachi held onto the lead. But it was soon clear that nothing would take the win away from McCoy this time.
Demonstrating perfect timing, Don't Push It approached the final fence almost level with Black Apalachi for the first time.
A brilliant leap put Don't Push It in the lead as Black Apalachi gave a tired jump by contrast.
Then, the gap in energy levels showed as McCoy rode around The Elbow into an ever-more comfortable lead, eventually winning by five lengths.
This was a huge win for McCoy, the biggest of his career. And, after almost two decades of trying, few can say he did not deserve it.
FOR THE RECORD - WHERE THEY FINISHED
Finishers:
1st Don't Push It 10/1jf
2nd Black Apalachi 14/1
3rd State of Play 16/1
4th Big Fella Thanks 10/1jf
5th Hello Bud, 6th Snowy Morning, 7th Character Building, 8th Cloudy Lane, 9th Tricky Trickster, 10th Joe Lively, 11th Cerium, 12th Comply or Die, 13th Piraya, 14th Preists Leap
Non-finishers:
FENCE 1 Eric's Charm (f)
FENCE 2 Pablo du Charmil (f)
FENCE 4 My Will (f)
FENCE 5 Made in Taipan (f)
FENCE 8 Can't Buy Time (ur)
FENCE 14 Irish Raptor (f), Royal Rosa (ur)
FENCE 15 Arbor Supreme (ur)
FENCE 17 Beat The Boys (pu)
FENCE 19 Madison du Berlais (ur), The Package (ur)
FENCE 20 Backstage (bd), Vic Venturi (f), Flintoff (pu), Nozic (pu)
FENCE 22 Ballyfitz (f), Maljimar (f)
FENCE 23 Dream Alliance (pu), Ellerslie George (ur)
FENCE 26 Mon Mome (f)
FENCE 27 Ballyholland (pu), Palypso de Creek (f)
FENCE 28 Niche Market (pu), Conna Castle (pu), Ollie Magern (pu)
DID NOT START King Johns Castle
(f)=fell, (ur)=unseated rider, (pu)=pulled up, (bd)=brought down
---
PREVIEW
THE world's greatest steeplechase takes place at Aintree later today with an eager field of 40 all hoping to be this year's hero at the John Smith's Grand National.
Runners and riders must overcome 30 fences over the two circuits of the famous course which totals a truly gruelling 4 miles and 856 yards in length.
The race attracts even the most casual punters, often with spurious reasons for backing a particular horse such as its name or colours.
And this guide identifies some of the stories likely to produce the most media interest. Coverage on BBC1 begins at 1pm with the race scheduled to start at 4.15pm.
Front runner
Favourite Big Fella Thanks (10/1) gives Jockey Ruby Walsh a big chance to win his third National after past successes on Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005.
In contrast to Walsh, victory would be champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ first win in this race.
Of course, the National is the race where anything can happen and a lack of experience could count against Big Fella Thanks - no seven-year-old horse has won this race for 70 years.
But, if any jockey can be trusted to deliver under pressure, Irishman Walsh can be, having won on Hedgehunter at 7/1.
Repeat success
The winners from the last two years, Mon Mome (12/1) and Comply or Die (16/1), are both in this year’s race. If either horse wins, it will become the first horse since the great Red Rum to win the National on more than one occasion.
Last year, Mon Mome became the first 100/1 winner of the National since Foinavon in 1967. Foinavon has since had a fence on the Aintree course named after his success which was attributed to a huge pile-up.
Mon Mome’s shock win was no such fluke and the French thoroughbred has proved its worth again in recent times – finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at 50/1.
Comply or Die, the 2008 winner, was strongly fancied for back-to-back wins. He almost achieved it but had to settle for second place, some 12 lengths behind Mon Mome, despite a valiant attempt.
This year, jockey Timmy Murphy and trainer David Pipe will hope to go one better again.
Galloping greys
No grey horse has won the National since Nicolaus Silver in 1961 but the Carberry family hopes that will change this year.
Paul Carberry mounts 2008 runner-up King Johns Castle (28/1) as this year’s oldest rider while his sister Nina Carberry, on Character Building (20/1), hopes to become the first woman to ride the winner of this great race.
Two other grey horses, Beat the Boys (100/1) and Piraya (150/1), have made the cut but both of those will be running as rank outsiders.
Still waiting
Fourteen-time champion jockey Tony McCoy may have ridden more than 3,000 winners in a sparkling career but, incredibly, he has never won the biggie at Aintree.
This year, McCoy is in good company having chosen Don’t Push It (20/1) as his ride. Trainer Jonjo O’Neill and owner JP McManus have never won the National either.
McCain magic
No Grand National aficionado will forget the glorious Red Rum and his three victories in the 1970s.
And, although he had to wait quite some time, trainer Ginger McCain oversaw a fourth success when Amberleigh House galloped home in 2004.
Ginger is now retired but handed over control of his Cheshire stables to his son, Donald, who will hope to continue the McCains’ legacy at Aintree with Cloudy Lane (40/1), ridden by Jason Maguire.
Young gun
Teenager Sam Twiston-Davies was granted special dispensation by the British Horseracing Authority to ride Hello Bud (40/1).
Grand National rules prevent jockeys with fewer than 15 career wins taking part but 17-year-old Twiston-Davies has made the cut on account of the capability which he has already shown at his tender age.
Hello Bud is one of five entries from Sam's trainer father Nigel Twiston-Davies who enjoyed a shock win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, courtesy of Imperial Commander.
Dream ticket
The fairytale story of this year’s National could be Dream Alliance (40/1).
A 23-strong syndicate bred the horse on a slagheap allotment and paid £10 a week to fund revolutionary stem-cell treatment after he suffered a career-threatening injury at Aintree.
Now, back at the famous course, Welsh National winner ‘Dream’ hopes to provide a finish appropriate to his name for jockey Tom O’Brien.
Name game
Certain horses are likely to be backed regardless of odds, given the open nature of the race.
Casual punters looking for a reason to lay money on a horse will often look for a personal connection with the horses’ names.
And so, this year, expect Vic Venturi (25/1), Joe Lively (80/1), Ellerslie George (100/1), Eric’s Charm (40/1), Ollie Magern (150/1) and Royal Rosa (100/1) to be backed by Victors/Victorias, Joes/Joannas, Georges, Erics, Ollies and Rosas respectively.
King Johns Castle (28/1) will not only attract interest by grey fans (see above) but also Johns, while keen cricketers are sure to have their ears pricked at the Venetia Williams-trained horse, Flintoff (50/1).
The Flintoff name is not a coincidence – double Ashes hero Andrew part-owns the horse.
FULL LIST OF RUNNERS AND RIDERS
No Form Name (Trainer) Jockey
1 01-3244 MADISON DU BERLAIS (David Pipe) Tom Scudamore
2 1-P3463 MON MOME (Venetia Williams) Aidan Coleman
3 211501 VIC VENTURI (Dessie Hughes) Paddy Flood
4 151U-02 BLACK APALACHI (Dessie Hughes) Denis O'Regan
5 5-50030 JOE LIVELY (Colin Tizzard) Joe Tizzard
6 01-423P DON'T PUSH IT (Jonjo O'Neill) AP McCoy
7 P002-00 COMPLY OR DIE (David Pipe) Timmy Murphy
8 121-210 TRICKY TRICKSTER (Paul Nicholls) Barry Geraghty
9 1-03520 NICHE MARKET (Bob Buckler) Harry Skelton
10 2404P2 MADE IN TAIPAN (Tom Mullins) Niall Madden
11 UPP/-21P DREAM ALLIANCE (Philip Hobbs) Tom O'Brien
12 FU-3644 CLOUDY LANE (Donald McCain) Jason Maguire
13 1P00-60 NOZIC (Paul Nicholls) Liam Treadwell
14 53-2057 MY WILL (Paul Nicholls) Nick Scholfield
15 3606-4F PABLO DU CHARMIL (David Pipe) Danny Cook
16 P6-51110 BALLYHOLLAND (Colin McBratney IRE) Andrew McNamara
17 0112313 BACKSTAGE (Gordon Elliott IRE) Davy Condon
18 FP-1P1PP BEAT THE BOYS (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Brian Hughes
19 100-000U0 PREISTS LEAP (Tom O'Leary IRE) Philip Enright
20 1103223 SNOWY MORNING (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend
21 314F-016 CAN'T BUY TIME (Jonjo O'Neill)
22 2U136-2U1 BIG FELLA THANKS (Paul Nicholls) Ruby Walsh
23 60/144-P STATE OF PLAY (Evan Williams) Paul Moloney
24 143301-00 CHARACTER BUILDING (John Quinn) Nina Carberry
25 00-12100 ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) (Nick Mitchell) Christian Williams
26 02P5-011 ERIC'S CHARM (Oliver Sherwood) Wayne Hutchinson
27 212/0-0000 KING JOHNS CASTLE (Arthur Moore IRE) Paul Carberry
28 043545U CONNA CASTLE (IRE) (Jimmy Mangan IRE)
29 2P-4P1540 BALLYFITZ (Nigel Twiston-Davies) David England
30 F2-305467 OLLIE MAGERN (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Tom Molloy
31 330-30U2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend
32 02P-253 MALJIMAR (IRE) (Nick Williams) Daryl Jacob
33 03-02312 THE PACKAGE (David Pipe) Graham Lee
34 000-33010 PIRAYA (David Pipe) Johnny Farrelly
35 U01-4U5 IRISH RAPTOR (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Paddy Brennan
36 50PP/05-0 CERIUM (FR) (Paul Murphy)
37 1P6-1420 PALYPSO DE CREEK (Charlie Longsdon) Tom Siddall
38 11-035U00 HELLO BUD (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Sam Twiston-Davies
39 P63/52-P FLINTOFF (Venetia Williams) Andrew Tinkler
40 56/-33P5 ROYAL ROSA (FR) (Howard Johnson)
Expected Going: Good to soft
Weather forecast: Sunshine, 16 deg C
Full list of odds at Ladbrokes.com
A note on reading form:
1 = 1st, 2 = 2nd, up to 6 = 6th, 0 = Lower than 6th, P = Pulled Up, U = Unseated Rider, F = Fell, / = Change in season, - = Change in calendar year. Latest results to the right.
McCoy had never won the race in 15 previous attempts despite having been champion jockey 14 times with more than 3,000 career wins.
But, much to his relief, this year he delivered at last on Don't Push It in front of a crowd of 70,000.
McCoy is a man who rarely shows his emotions but the 35-year-old could not hide his elation after this win.
He said: "I'm the biggest dreamer in the world. I dream every day, and for the past five or six years I've dreamt that I would win the National."
This was also a first win in the National for the horse's trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, and his owner JP MacManus.
Don't Push It began the day as a dark horse but, by the time the race started, he had become much fancied.
As the biggest market mover, his odds halved from 20/1 on Friday to a start price of 10/1 joint favourite.
The other favourite, Big Fella Thanks, had been well backed all week but he required a shock late change of jockey after Ruby Walsh suffered a broken arm having fallen badly in the 14.50.
Barry Geraghty took the reins and guided him to a commendable fourth place behind Black Apalachi in second and State of Play in third.
The race began in confusion as a false start brought back memories of the National that never was in 1993.
Then, as the starter lined up the horses for a second start, fancied grey King Johns Castle showed little interest in getting ready for the restart.
When jockey Paul Carberry finally mounted his horse after several attempts, the silly grey remained stubborn and refused to move.
And so, it was a field of 39 that approached the first of 30 fences.
But the race was short-lived for the likes of Eric's Charm, Pablo du Charmil, My Will and Made in Taipan who all fell at the opening few hurdles.
By the time they reached fence six, Conna Castle, Black Apalachi and Hello Bud had emerged as the frontrunners with Don't Push It well back in the field.
Conna Castle took a wide bearing around the Canal Turn but retained the lead ahead of Black Apalachi and Hello Bud, ridden by 17-year-old A-level student Sam Twiston-Davies.
This remained the running order until the first few fences of the second circuit.
Then, at fence 20, Black Apalachi took over the lead from Conna Castle who was sucked back into the field and eventually pulled up two from home.
As they approached the Canal Turn for the second time, Don't Push It began to make some headway and was in the chasing pack alongside Hello Bud and Big Fella Thanks.
Still, Black Apalachi held onto the lead. But it was soon clear that nothing would take the win away from McCoy this time.
Demonstrating perfect timing, Don't Push It approached the final fence almost level with Black Apalachi for the first time.
A brilliant leap put Don't Push It in the lead as Black Apalachi gave a tired jump by contrast.
Then, the gap in energy levels showed as McCoy rode around The Elbow into an ever-more comfortable lead, eventually winning by five lengths.
This was a huge win for McCoy, the biggest of his career. And, after almost two decades of trying, few can say he did not deserve it.
FOR THE RECORD - WHERE THEY FINISHED
Finishers:
1st Don't Push It 10/1jf
2nd Black Apalachi 14/1
3rd State of Play 16/1
4th Big Fella Thanks 10/1jf
5th Hello Bud, 6th Snowy Morning, 7th Character Building, 8th Cloudy Lane, 9th Tricky Trickster, 10th Joe Lively, 11th Cerium, 12th Comply or Die, 13th Piraya, 14th Preists Leap
Non-finishers:
FENCE 1 Eric's Charm (f)
FENCE 2 Pablo du Charmil (f)
FENCE 4 My Will (f)
FENCE 5 Made in Taipan (f)
FENCE 8 Can't Buy Time (ur)
FENCE 14 Irish Raptor (f), Royal Rosa (ur)
FENCE 15 Arbor Supreme (ur)
FENCE 17 Beat The Boys (pu)
FENCE 19 Madison du Berlais (ur), The Package (ur)
FENCE 20 Backstage (bd), Vic Venturi (f), Flintoff (pu), Nozic (pu)
FENCE 22 Ballyfitz (f), Maljimar (f)
FENCE 23 Dream Alliance (pu), Ellerslie George (ur)
FENCE 26 Mon Mome (f)
FENCE 27 Ballyholland (pu), Palypso de Creek (f)
FENCE 28 Niche Market (pu), Conna Castle (pu), Ollie Magern (pu)
DID NOT START King Johns Castle
(f)=fell, (ur)=unseated rider, (pu)=pulled up, (bd)=brought down
---
PREVIEW
THE world's greatest steeplechase takes place at Aintree later today with an eager field of 40 all hoping to be this year's hero at the John Smith's Grand National.
Runners and riders must overcome 30 fences over the two circuits of the famous course which totals a truly gruelling 4 miles and 856 yards in length.
The race attracts even the most casual punters, often with spurious reasons for backing a particular horse such as its name or colours.
And this guide identifies some of the stories likely to produce the most media interest. Coverage on BBC1 begins at 1pm with the race scheduled to start at 4.15pm.
Front runner
Favourite Big Fella Thanks (10/1) gives Jockey Ruby Walsh a big chance to win his third National after past successes on Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005.
In contrast to Walsh, victory would be champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ first win in this race.
Of course, the National is the race where anything can happen and a lack of experience could count against Big Fella Thanks - no seven-year-old horse has won this race for 70 years.
But, if any jockey can be trusted to deliver under pressure, Irishman Walsh can be, having won on Hedgehunter at 7/1.
Repeat success
The winners from the last two years, Mon Mome (12/1) and Comply or Die (16/1), are both in this year’s race. If either horse wins, it will become the first horse since the great Red Rum to win the National on more than one occasion.
Last year, Mon Mome became the first 100/1 winner of the National since Foinavon in 1967. Foinavon has since had a fence on the Aintree course named after his success which was attributed to a huge pile-up.
Mon Mome’s shock win was no such fluke and the French thoroughbred has proved its worth again in recent times – finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at 50/1.
Comply or Die, the 2008 winner, was strongly fancied for back-to-back wins. He almost achieved it but had to settle for second place, some 12 lengths behind Mon Mome, despite a valiant attempt.
This year, jockey Timmy Murphy and trainer David Pipe will hope to go one better again.
Galloping greys
No grey horse has won the National since Nicolaus Silver in 1961 but the Carberry family hopes that will change this year.
Paul Carberry mounts 2008 runner-up King Johns Castle (28/1) as this year’s oldest rider while his sister Nina Carberry, on Character Building (20/1), hopes to become the first woman to ride the winner of this great race.
Two other grey horses, Beat the Boys (100/1) and Piraya (150/1), have made the cut but both of those will be running as rank outsiders.
Still waiting
Fourteen-time champion jockey Tony McCoy may have ridden more than 3,000 winners in a sparkling career but, incredibly, he has never won the biggie at Aintree.
This year, McCoy is in good company having chosen Don’t Push It (20/1) as his ride. Trainer Jonjo O’Neill and owner JP McManus have never won the National either.
McCain magic
No Grand National aficionado will forget the glorious Red Rum and his three victories in the 1970s.
And, although he had to wait quite some time, trainer Ginger McCain oversaw a fourth success when Amberleigh House galloped home in 2004.
Ginger is now retired but handed over control of his Cheshire stables to his son, Donald, who will hope to continue the McCains’ legacy at Aintree with Cloudy Lane (40/1), ridden by Jason Maguire.
Young gun
Teenager Sam Twiston-Davies was granted special dispensation by the British Horseracing Authority to ride Hello Bud (40/1).
Grand National rules prevent jockeys with fewer than 15 career wins taking part but 17-year-old Twiston-Davies has made the cut on account of the capability which he has already shown at his tender age.
Hello Bud is one of five entries from Sam's trainer father Nigel Twiston-Davies who enjoyed a shock win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, courtesy of Imperial Commander.
Dream ticket
The fairytale story of this year’s National could be Dream Alliance (40/1).
A 23-strong syndicate bred the horse on a slagheap allotment and paid £10 a week to fund revolutionary stem-cell treatment after he suffered a career-threatening injury at Aintree.
Now, back at the famous course, Welsh National winner ‘Dream’ hopes to provide a finish appropriate to his name for jockey Tom O’Brien.
Name game
Certain horses are likely to be backed regardless of odds, given the open nature of the race.
Casual punters looking for a reason to lay money on a horse will often look for a personal connection with the horses’ names.
And so, this year, expect Vic Venturi (25/1), Joe Lively (80/1), Ellerslie George (100/1), Eric’s Charm (40/1), Ollie Magern (150/1) and Royal Rosa (100/1) to be backed by Victors/Victorias, Joes/Joannas, Georges, Erics, Ollies and Rosas respectively.
King Johns Castle (28/1) will not only attract interest by grey fans (see above) but also Johns, while keen cricketers are sure to have their ears pricked at the Venetia Williams-trained horse, Flintoff (50/1).
The Flintoff name is not a coincidence – double Ashes hero Andrew part-owns the horse.
FULL LIST OF RUNNERS AND RIDERS
No Form Name (Trainer) Jockey
1 01-3244 MADISON DU BERLAIS (David Pipe) Tom Scudamore
2 1-P3463 MON MOME (Venetia Williams) Aidan Coleman
3 211501 VIC VENTURI (Dessie Hughes) Paddy Flood
4 151U-02 BLACK APALACHI (Dessie Hughes) Denis O'Regan
5 5-50030 JOE LIVELY (Colin Tizzard) Joe Tizzard
6 01-423P DON'T PUSH IT (Jonjo O'Neill) AP McCoy
7 P002-00 COMPLY OR DIE (David Pipe) Timmy Murphy
8 121-210 TRICKY TRICKSTER (Paul Nicholls) Barry Geraghty
9 1-03520 NICHE MARKET (Bob Buckler) Harry Skelton
10 2404P2 MADE IN TAIPAN (Tom Mullins) Niall Madden
11 UPP/-21P DREAM ALLIANCE (Philip Hobbs) Tom O'Brien
12 FU-3644 CLOUDY LANE (Donald McCain) Jason Maguire
13 1P00-60 NOZIC (Paul Nicholls) Liam Treadwell
14 53-2057 MY WILL (Paul Nicholls) Nick Scholfield
15 3606-4F PABLO DU CHARMIL (David Pipe) Danny Cook
16 P6-51110 BALLYHOLLAND (Colin McBratney IRE) Andrew McNamara
17 0112313 BACKSTAGE (Gordon Elliott IRE) Davy Condon
18 FP-1P1PP BEAT THE BOYS (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Brian Hughes
19 100-000U0 PREISTS LEAP (Tom O'Leary IRE) Philip Enright
20 1103223 SNOWY MORNING (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend
21 314F-016 CAN'T BUY TIME (Jonjo O'Neill)
22 2U136-2U1 BIG FELLA THANKS (Paul Nicholls) Ruby Walsh
23 60/144-P STATE OF PLAY (Evan Williams) Paul Moloney
24 143301-00 CHARACTER BUILDING (John Quinn) Nina Carberry
25 00-12100 ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) (Nick Mitchell) Christian Williams
26 02P5-011 ERIC'S CHARM (Oliver Sherwood) Wayne Hutchinson
27 212/0-0000 KING JOHNS CASTLE (Arthur Moore IRE) Paul Carberry
28 043545U CONNA CASTLE (IRE) (Jimmy Mangan IRE)
29 2P-4P1540 BALLYFITZ (Nigel Twiston-Davies) David England
30 F2-305467 OLLIE MAGERN (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Tom Molloy
31 330-30U2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend
32 02P-253 MALJIMAR (IRE) (Nick Williams) Daryl Jacob
33 03-02312 THE PACKAGE (David Pipe) Graham Lee
34 000-33010 PIRAYA (David Pipe) Johnny Farrelly
35 U01-4U5 IRISH RAPTOR (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Paddy Brennan
36 50PP/05-0 CERIUM (FR) (Paul Murphy)
37 1P6-1420 PALYPSO DE CREEK (Charlie Longsdon) Tom Siddall
38 11-035U00 HELLO BUD (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Sam Twiston-Davies
39 P63/52-P FLINTOFF (Venetia Williams) Andrew Tinkler
40 56/-33P5 ROYAL ROSA (FR) (Howard Johnson)
Expected Going: Good to soft
Weather forecast: Sunshine, 16 deg C
Full list of odds at Ladbrokes.com
A note on reading form:
1 = 1st, 2 = 2nd, up to 6 = 6th, 0 = Lower than 6th, P = Pulled Up, U = Unseated Rider, F = Fell, / = Change in season, - = Change in calendar year. Latest results to the right.
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