SCOTT SINCLAIR scored a hat-trick as Swansea City became the first Welsh club to be promoted to the Premier League after they beat Reading in a pulsating playoff final at Wembley.
The Swans raced into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to two goals from Sinclair and a fine strike from Stephen Dobbie.
But two set-pieces early in the second half brought Reading right back into the game. Joe Allen could only divert the ball into his own net before Matt Mills reduced the deficit to 3-2 with more than 30 minutes to play.
Swansea were on the ropes and, as the Royals poured forward in search of an equaliser, Jem Karacan struck the base of the post and Gary Monk blocked Stephen Hunt's shot on the rebound.
But, with that chance gone, Brendan Rogers' men could breathe a little easier as the Reading comeback began to run out of steam.
Swansea gradually regained composure and Fabio Borini won a penalty after he was unceremoniously bundled over in the box by Andy Griffin.
Former Chelsea youngster Sinclair kept his composure and hit the ball right in the corner out of Adam Federici's reach to fire the Swans into the top-flight for the first time since 1983.
On Sunday, Peterborough United beat Huddersfield Town 3-0 to regain their place in the Championship which they lost 12 months ago.
Tommy Rowe, Craig Mackail-Smith and Grant McCann scored the three goals in the last 12 minutes of the game as Posh broke Huddersfield hearts.
The score was harsh on Lee Clark's men who had gone 27 matches unbeaten in the league since December, only to see their good work undone in a matter of minutes at Old Trafford.
But Peterborough deserve a lot of credit for their ultra-attacking approach which saw them score 106 goals in the regular season with Mackail-Smith hitting 35 of them.
The goals continued to flow in the playoffs for Posh and Darren Ferguson's men are worthy of their place back in the second flight.
While Peterborough are making a return to the Championship, Stevenage will play at their highest level ever next season after gaining back-to-back promotions.
The Boro, who only went up from the Blue Square Premier last season, beat Torquay United 1-0 in a tight League Two playoff final at Old Trafford.
John Mousinho scored the only goal towards the end of the first half which Stevenage had dominated.
The Gulls went close of an equaliser through Jake Robinson but Graham Westley's side held on to cap a meteoric recent rise through the divisions.
The curtain now comes down on Season 2010/11 though football-starved fans will be encouraged to hear there are numerous tournaments throughout the summer.
After Euro 2012 qualifiers for the senior team next weekend, England Under-21s will be play in Euro 2011 which takes place in Denmark between 11-25 June.
Stuart Pearce's men face Spain, Czech Republic and Ukraine in Group B with the top two qualifying for the semi finals. Denmark, Belarus, Iceland and Switzerland are in the other pool.
England have a good recent record in the Championships having reached the Final in 2009 and the semi finals in 2007 when they lost 13-12 to Netherlands in an epic penalty shootout.
Then, in July, there is the Copa America, hosted in Argentina, and the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.
At this point, though, this seems a fitting time to provide a list of ups and downs, for the record:
ENGLAND
PREMIER LEAGUE
Champions: Manchester United
Runners-up: Chelsea
Champions League: Manchester City, Arsenal
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur, Birmingham City, Stoke City, Fulham (fair-play award)
Relegated: Birmingham City, Blackpool, West Ham United
CHAMPIONSHIP
Champions: Queens Park Rangers
Runners-up: Norwich City
Playoff winners: Swansea City (beat Reading 4-2 in the Final)
Relegated: Preston North End, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United
LEAGUE ONE
Champions: Brighton & Hove Albion
Runners-up: Southampton
Playoff winners: Peterborough United (beat Huddersfield Town 3-0 in the Final)
Relegated: Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town
LEAGUE TWO
Champions: Chesterfield
Runners-up: Bury. Also promoted automatically: Wycombe Wanderers
Playoff winners: Stevenage (beat Torquay United 1-0 in the Final)
Relegated: Lincoln City, Stockport County
BLUE SQUARE PREMIER
Champions: Crawley Town
Playoff winners: AFC Wimbledon (beat Luton Town 4-3 on penalties in the Final after 0-0 draw)
Relegated: Southport, Altrincham, Eastbourne Borough, Histon
BLUE SQUARE NORTH
Champions: Alfreton Town
Playoff winners: Telford United (beat Guiseley 3-2 in the Final)
Relegated: Hyde United, Stafford Rangers, Redditch United
BLUE SQUARE SOUTH
Champions: Braintree Town
Playoff winners: Ebbsfleet United (beat Farnborough 4-2 in the Final)
Relegated: Thurrock, Lewes, St Albans City
DOMESTIC TROPHY FINALS
All matches played at Wembley
FA Cup Final: Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City
League Cup Final: Birmingham City 2-1 Arsenal
FA Community Shield: Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea
Johnstone's Paint Trophy: Carlisle United 1-0 Brentford
FA Trophy: Darlington 1-0 Mansfield Town (after extra time)
FA Vase: Whitley Bay 3-2 Coalville Town
SCOTLAND
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Champions: Rangers
Europa League: Celtic (runners-up), Hearts, Dundee United
Relegated: Hamilton Academicals
SCOTTISH DIVISION ONE
Champions: Dunfermline
Runners-up (not promoted): Raith Rovers
Relegated: Cowdenbeath, Stirling Albion
SCOTTISH DIVISION TWO
Champions: Livingston
Playoff winners: Ayr United (beat Brechin City 3-2 on aggregate in the Final)
Relegated: Alloa Athletic, Peterhead
SCOTTISH DIVISION THREE
Champions: Arbroath
Playoff winners: Albion Rovers (beat Annan Athletic 4-3 on aggregate in the Final)
DOMESTIC TROPHY FINALS
FA Cup: Celtic 3-0 Motherwell
League Cup: Rangers 2-1 Celtic (after extra time)
Challenge Cup: Ross County 2-0 Queen of the South
WALES/NORTHERN IRELAND
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE
Champions: Bangor City
Europa League: Llanelli AFC (cup winners), The New Saints (runners-up), Neath
Relegated: Haverfordwest County
IFA PREMIERSHIP
Champions: Linfield
Europa League: Crusaders (runners-up), Glentoran (third), Cliftonville (fourth)
Relegated: Newry City
DOMESTIC TROPHY FINALS
Welsh FA Cup: Llanelli 4-1 Bangor City
Welsh League Cup: The New Saints 4-3 Llanelli (after extra time)
IFA Cup: Linfield 2-1 Crusaders
Irish League Cup: Lisburn Distillery 2-1 Portadown
EUROPE
UEFA FINALS
Champions League: Barcelona (Spa) 3-1 Manchester United (Eng)
Europa League: FC Porto (Por) 1-0 Sporting Braga (Por)
Super Cup: Atletico Madrid (Spa) 2-0 Inter Milan (Ita)
MAJOR EUROPEAN LEAGUE WINNERS
Spain: Barcelona
Italy: AC Milan
Germany: Borussia Dortmund
France: Lille
Portugal: FC Porto
Holland: Ajax Amsterdam
Showing posts with label 2010/2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010/2011. Show all posts
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
The Season 2010/11: Birmingham and Blackpool drop in dramatic finale
Premier League
Final table
SURVIVAL Sunday lived up to its SkySports-hyped billing for once as the Premier League relegation battle went right to the wire.
In the end, Carling Cup winners Birmingham City and, perhaps inevitably, Blackpool were the teams to drop but only after a dramatic and constantly-changing couple of hours.
After a quiet opening in all of the games, Blackburn Rovers struck first against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers with Jason Roberts getting the goal.
But, at about the same time, Blackpool fell behind to champions Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning Wolves were still safe.
That had changed by half-time, though, as Charlie Adam curled in a wonderful free-kick to bring the Seasiders level and Wolves conceded another two goals to trail 3-0 at Molineux.
It meant that, as the sides went into break, Wolves were going down with Wigan Athletic who were drawing 0-0 with Stoke City while Blackburn, Blackpool and Birmingham were safe.
There was early drama in the second half, though, as goal-shy Birmingham went 1-0 down against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane thanks to Roman Pavlyuchenko's strike.
The Russian's goal meant that the Blues were heading down with Wigan and that Wolves were off the hook despite their embarrassing first half performance.
Indeed, Blackpool's situation briefly got even better when Gary Taylor-Fletcher gave Ian Holloway's men a 2-1 lead but the leaky Tangerines defence soon gave Anderson too much space to make it 2-2.
A 74th-minute Ian Evatt own goal sent Blackpool tumbling back into the bottom three and spoilsport substitute Michael Owen then made sure of the demotion by scoring a fourth Man United goal.
Brave Blackpool's attempts of staying up were over but, even going into the last 10 minutes of the season, the other place remained undecided.
Wolves had improved their chances of staying up by closing the gap to 3-1 behind against Blackburn after a clever free-kick which allowed Jamie O'Hara to stroke the ball home.
However, their dreadful first half performance still looked like it was going to cost them when Birmingham grabbed an equaliser through Craig Gardner and Hugo Rodallega headed Wigan into the lead at Stoke.
Wigan withstood some late pressure from the Potters and held on to ensure there will be a seventh consecutive season of Premier League football at the DW Stadium next season.
And, then, it all changed between the Midlands clubs. First, Wolves pulled another goal back through a fine Stephen Hunt curler meaning the Molineux club, despite losing, were staying up all of a sudden - above the Blues on goals scored.
Birmingham knew that they had to score themselves but, as their game went into stoppage time and the centre-backs were sent forward on a desperate mission, Spurs applied a sucker punch.
Pavlyuchenko scored his second goal of the game and Birmingham were condemned to the Championship alongside Blackpool and West Ham United.
Wigan had worked some final-day magic once again while Wolves had stayed up despite defeat against Blackburn, who were never in serious trouble.
Rather oddly, of course, Birmingham will be in the Europa League with their conquerors Tottenham after their Carling Cup win in February as they became the first club since Norwich City in 1985 to win a Cup and go down.
The last-day results confirmed that Spurs finished above Liverpool in fifth, having suffered just one defeat in the league at home all season, as the Reds lost 1-0 to Aston Villa.
Above that battle, Manchester City continued their strong finish to the season with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers to claim third place ahead of Arsenal.
Indeed, Roberto Mancini's FA Cup winners ended the season level on points with runners-up Chelsea after the Blues lost their ninth league game 1-0 at Everton who finished seventh.
That result proved terminal for Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked by owner Roman Abramovich barely an hour after the game had ended.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, with just two wins in their last 11 league games, only just rescued a point against Fulham thanks to Theo Walcott's late goal in a 2-2 draw.
And the fourth-placed finish for the Gunners means the London club will face a potentially tricky Champions League qualifier early next season.
The Championship
Final table
SWANSEA CITY will take on Reading in the Championship playoff final at Wembley after both clubs won the second leg of their semi finals to progress.
Both first-leg matches - Nottingham Forest v Swansea City and Reading v Cardiff City - had finished 0-0, leaving the two Welsh clubs with a clear advantage.
But, while Swansea coped with the pressure well, Cardiff could not and Dave Jones' men failed in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Swansea had survived playing the first leg with 10 men for virtually the whole game after Neil Taylor was sent off after 52 seconds.
Brendan Rogers' men seemed to cope quite well with their deficit in numbers in the first half but Billy Davies' Forest applied plenty of pressure after the break.
Their failure to make the breakthrough left Swansea confident that they would be able to win the tie at home in the second leg.
And it was no surprise to see the Swans make a cracking start in front of a lively atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium.
Leon Britton curled a brilliant opener before Stephen Dobbie sprinted past Guy Moussie to fire in a second.
However, the match was a much more even contest than the score suggested. Forest had two penalty appeals turned down and hit the woodwork three times through David McGoldrick, Lewis McGugan and Robbie Earnshaw.
Former Cardiff striker Earnshaw gave Forest the chance of forcing extra time with a goal 10 minutes before the end.
But it was confirmed that the Forest play-off hoodoo - four semi final defeats in four attempts - would continue when Darren Pratley scored from the half-way line with Lee Camp out of his goal.
Pratley's strike brought to an end a pulsating, quite breathtaking game which the other semi final could not match for drama.
After Cardiff had held Reading at home 0-0, the Bluebirds should have been favourites for the tie.
However, a poor late run of form in the season meant confidence was fragile and it took another hit when club captain Craig Bellamy was ruled out of the second leg altogether with a hamstring injury.
The Royals seized on Cardiff uncertainty as Shane Long put the Berkshire club ahead after a mix-up between Kevin McNaughton and his goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
Long scored a second on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot after Dekel Keinan had brought down Matt Mills with a shirt-tug.
And, with Cardiff struggling to make any impact, the tie was sealed in the closing minutes when Jobi McAnuff kept his balance to fire past Bywater after a 30-yard run.
Earlier, in the regular season, Queens Park Rangers had their promotion and league championship confirmed just minutes before their final league match.
Rangers had feared a points deduction after breaching regulations in the 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.
But, after one-day delay in the verdict from the hearing, the FA decided not to take any points away from Neil Warnock's men but to fine them £875,000 instead.
Norwich City will join QPR and either Reading or Swansea in the Premier League next year while Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and Preston North End were relegated to League One.
League One
Final Table
FREE-SCORING Peterborough United face Huddersfield Town in the League One playoff final at Old Trafford after both clubs scrambled through exciting semi finals.
Posh beat Milton Keynes Dons 2-0 at London Road to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg.
Craig Mackail-Smith scored his 34th goal of the season to add to Grant McCann's early free-kick as Darren Ferguson's men gave themselves a chance of an immediate promotion back to the Championship.
It was a far cry from the first leg at Stadium:mk where the home-side scored three goals in nine minutes at the start of the second-half to take control of the tie.
However, Posh remained in touch in that game thanks to Mackail-Smith's early goal and McCann's late penalty, leaving them only one goal down going into the decisive second-leg.
The second-leg was barely decisive in the other semi final as Lee Clark's Huddersfield and Lee Bradbury's Bournemouth went toe-to-toe until the very end.
After the first leg had finished 1-1, this dramatic tie remained on a knife-edge as two Steve Lovell goals helped the Cherries twice come from behind to force the match into extra time.
Lee Peltier and a Danny Ward penalty had given the Terriers the lead but the west Yorkshire club fell behind for the first time in the tie early in extra time when Danny Ings headed Marc Pugh's inch-perfect cross.
However, Bournemouth's joy was short-lived when Antony Kay replied with another header to make it 3-3 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.
Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men before the extra period was finished, Jason Pearce having been shown a straight red for a studs-up challenge, but Huddersfield could not take advantage.
And so, onto penalties which manager Clark had said his Huddersfield team had been practising.
The practice made perfect, so it seems, as the four Terriers players all scored while Bournemouth's Liam Feeney and Anton Robinson missed for the cruelest of exits. Huddersfield, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten league run to 27 games.
Another club who made a cruel exit in the regular season were Dagenham and Redbridge who, despite a tiny budget, still had hopes of survival going into the final day.
However, a 5-0 defeat at Peterborough on the final day ended the Daggers' dream as their hosts racked up their 106th league goal of the season.
Dagenham thus join Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town in League Two with Walsall and Notts County just surviving.
Gus Poyet's Brighton and Hove Albion had of course won the division ahead of second-placed Southampton who also gained automatic promotion.
League Two
Final Table
STEVENAGE have given themselves the chance of winning a second successive promotion in the League Two playoff final against Torquay United at Old Trafford.
The Boro, who won promotion as Blue Square Premier champions last season, have had a brilliant first year as a league club, knocking Newcastle United out of the FA Cup before finishing sixth.
That gave Graham Westley's men a playoff semi final place against Accrington Stanley who are also a fairly recent addition to the Football League.
But Stevenage proved stronger, taking advantage of two Stanley red cards to win the second-leg 1-0 for a 3-0 aggregate victory.
First half goals from Stacy Long and Joel Byrom had given Stevenage their comfortable first leg advantage but Stanley threatened a comeback at the Crown Ground.
That threat was ended once Joe Jacobson was sent off for a challenge on Lawrie Wilson and Sean McConville followed straightaway for an alleged punch.
Accrington's chances in the tie were effectively over and Chris Beardsley's late goal simply confirmed the Boro's progress.
Torquay, who were promoted from the Blue Square Premier themselves as recently as 2009, also enjoyed a relatively comfortable path to the final after a first-leg win against Shrewsbury.
The Gulls won 2-0 at Plainmoor thanks to first-half goals from Chris Zebroski and Eunan O'Kane, and a dominant display deserved even more goals.
The Shrews were well aware of their uphill task in the second leg and could not force an early breakthrough as the tie petered out as a contest.
It was a second disappointment for Shrewsbury in as many weeks after the Salop club only missed out on automatic promotion on the final day despite a 3-0 win over Oxford United.
That was because Wycombe Wanderers had held onto third spot with their own home win - a 3-1 success over Southend United - to join Chesterfield and Bury in League One next season.
But, while that came as no surprise, there was a shock at the other end of the table as Barnet pulled off a great escape.
The Bees won 1-0 at home to Port Vale thanks to Izale McLeod's penalty early in the second half while Lincoln City lost 3-0 against Aldershot at Sincil Bank to be relegated alongside Stockport County.
Blue Square Premier
Final Table
AFC WIMBLEDON reached the Football League just nine years after their formation following a dramatic penalty shootout win over Luton Town.
The Dons and the Hatters had finished in second and third in the final table so it was no surprise that they had beaten Fleetwood Town and Wrexham in the semi finals, respectively.
And, in the final itself at Eastlands, the two teams could not be separated after 120 minutes of action.
Dons' top scorer Danny Kedwell struck the decisive penalty, condemning Luton to a third successive season outside of the Football League.
For Wimbledon, though, this represents perhaps to end of the beginning of their task to regain their place at football's top table.
Their next aim: to get above Milton Keynes Dons - a task made all the more realistic by their rival's failure to progress through the League One playoffs. The two clubs are now just a single division apart.
Final table
SURVIVAL Sunday lived up to its SkySports-hyped billing for once as the Premier League relegation battle went right to the wire.
In the end, Carling Cup winners Birmingham City and, perhaps inevitably, Blackpool were the teams to drop but only after a dramatic and constantly-changing couple of hours.
After a quiet opening in all of the games, Blackburn Rovers struck first against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers with Jason Roberts getting the goal.
But, at about the same time, Blackpool fell behind to champions Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning Wolves were still safe.
That had changed by half-time, though, as Charlie Adam curled in a wonderful free-kick to bring the Seasiders level and Wolves conceded another two goals to trail 3-0 at Molineux.
It meant that, as the sides went into break, Wolves were going down with Wigan Athletic who were drawing 0-0 with Stoke City while Blackburn, Blackpool and Birmingham were safe.
There was early drama in the second half, though, as goal-shy Birmingham went 1-0 down against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane thanks to Roman Pavlyuchenko's strike.
The Russian's goal meant that the Blues were heading down with Wigan and that Wolves were off the hook despite their embarrassing first half performance.
Indeed, Blackpool's situation briefly got even better when Gary Taylor-Fletcher gave Ian Holloway's men a 2-1 lead but the leaky Tangerines defence soon gave Anderson too much space to make it 2-2.
A 74th-minute Ian Evatt own goal sent Blackpool tumbling back into the bottom three and spoilsport substitute Michael Owen then made sure of the demotion by scoring a fourth Man United goal.
Brave Blackpool's attempts of staying up were over but, even going into the last 10 minutes of the season, the other place remained undecided.
Wolves had improved their chances of staying up by closing the gap to 3-1 behind against Blackburn after a clever free-kick which allowed Jamie O'Hara to stroke the ball home.
However, their dreadful first half performance still looked like it was going to cost them when Birmingham grabbed an equaliser through Craig Gardner and Hugo Rodallega headed Wigan into the lead at Stoke.
Wigan withstood some late pressure from the Potters and held on to ensure there will be a seventh consecutive season of Premier League football at the DW Stadium next season.
And, then, it all changed between the Midlands clubs. First, Wolves pulled another goal back through a fine Stephen Hunt curler meaning the Molineux club, despite losing, were staying up all of a sudden - above the Blues on goals scored.
Birmingham knew that they had to score themselves but, as their game went into stoppage time and the centre-backs were sent forward on a desperate mission, Spurs applied a sucker punch.
Pavlyuchenko scored his second goal of the game and Birmingham were condemned to the Championship alongside Blackpool and West Ham United.
Wigan had worked some final-day magic once again while Wolves had stayed up despite defeat against Blackburn, who were never in serious trouble.
Rather oddly, of course, Birmingham will be in the Europa League with their conquerors Tottenham after their Carling Cup win in February as they became the first club since Norwich City in 1985 to win a Cup and go down.
The last-day results confirmed that Spurs finished above Liverpool in fifth, having suffered just one defeat in the league at home all season, as the Reds lost 1-0 to Aston Villa.
Above that battle, Manchester City continued their strong finish to the season with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers to claim third place ahead of Arsenal.
Indeed, Roberto Mancini's FA Cup winners ended the season level on points with runners-up Chelsea after the Blues lost their ninth league game 1-0 at Everton who finished seventh.
That result proved terminal for Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked by owner Roman Abramovich barely an hour after the game had ended.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, with just two wins in their last 11 league games, only just rescued a point against Fulham thanks to Theo Walcott's late goal in a 2-2 draw.
And the fourth-placed finish for the Gunners means the London club will face a potentially tricky Champions League qualifier early next season.
The Championship
Final table
SWANSEA CITY will take on Reading in the Championship playoff final at Wembley after both clubs won the second leg of their semi finals to progress.
Both first-leg matches - Nottingham Forest v Swansea City and Reading v Cardiff City - had finished 0-0, leaving the two Welsh clubs with a clear advantage.
But, while Swansea coped with the pressure well, Cardiff could not and Dave Jones' men failed in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Swansea had survived playing the first leg with 10 men for virtually the whole game after Neil Taylor was sent off after 52 seconds.
Brendan Rogers' men seemed to cope quite well with their deficit in numbers in the first half but Billy Davies' Forest applied plenty of pressure after the break.
Their failure to make the breakthrough left Swansea confident that they would be able to win the tie at home in the second leg.
And it was no surprise to see the Swans make a cracking start in front of a lively atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium.
Leon Britton curled a brilliant opener before Stephen Dobbie sprinted past Guy Moussie to fire in a second.
However, the match was a much more even contest than the score suggested. Forest had two penalty appeals turned down and hit the woodwork three times through David McGoldrick, Lewis McGugan and Robbie Earnshaw.
Former Cardiff striker Earnshaw gave Forest the chance of forcing extra time with a goal 10 minutes before the end.
But it was confirmed that the Forest play-off hoodoo - four semi final defeats in four attempts - would continue when Darren Pratley scored from the half-way line with Lee Camp out of his goal.
Pratley's strike brought to an end a pulsating, quite breathtaking game which the other semi final could not match for drama.
After Cardiff had held Reading at home 0-0, the Bluebirds should have been favourites for the tie.
However, a poor late run of form in the season meant confidence was fragile and it took another hit when club captain Craig Bellamy was ruled out of the second leg altogether with a hamstring injury.
The Royals seized on Cardiff uncertainty as Shane Long put the Berkshire club ahead after a mix-up between Kevin McNaughton and his goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
Long scored a second on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot after Dekel Keinan had brought down Matt Mills with a shirt-tug.
And, with Cardiff struggling to make any impact, the tie was sealed in the closing minutes when Jobi McAnuff kept his balance to fire past Bywater after a 30-yard run.
Earlier, in the regular season, Queens Park Rangers had their promotion and league championship confirmed just minutes before their final league match.
Rangers had feared a points deduction after breaching regulations in the 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.
But, after one-day delay in the verdict from the hearing, the FA decided not to take any points away from Neil Warnock's men but to fine them £875,000 instead.
Norwich City will join QPR and either Reading or Swansea in the Premier League next year while Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and Preston North End were relegated to League One.
League One
Final Table
FREE-SCORING Peterborough United face Huddersfield Town in the League One playoff final at Old Trafford after both clubs scrambled through exciting semi finals.
Posh beat Milton Keynes Dons 2-0 at London Road to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg.
Craig Mackail-Smith scored his 34th goal of the season to add to Grant McCann's early free-kick as Darren Ferguson's men gave themselves a chance of an immediate promotion back to the Championship.
It was a far cry from the first leg at Stadium:mk where the home-side scored three goals in nine minutes at the start of the second-half to take control of the tie.
However, Posh remained in touch in that game thanks to Mackail-Smith's early goal and McCann's late penalty, leaving them only one goal down going into the decisive second-leg.
The second-leg was barely decisive in the other semi final as Lee Clark's Huddersfield and Lee Bradbury's Bournemouth went toe-to-toe until the very end.
After the first leg had finished 1-1, this dramatic tie remained on a knife-edge as two Steve Lovell goals helped the Cherries twice come from behind to force the match into extra time.
Lee Peltier and a Danny Ward penalty had given the Terriers the lead but the west Yorkshire club fell behind for the first time in the tie early in extra time when Danny Ings headed Marc Pugh's inch-perfect cross.
However, Bournemouth's joy was short-lived when Antony Kay replied with another header to make it 3-3 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.
Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men before the extra period was finished, Jason Pearce having been shown a straight red for a studs-up challenge, but Huddersfield could not take advantage.
And so, onto penalties which manager Clark had said his Huddersfield team had been practising.
The practice made perfect, so it seems, as the four Terriers players all scored while Bournemouth's Liam Feeney and Anton Robinson missed for the cruelest of exits. Huddersfield, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten league run to 27 games.
Another club who made a cruel exit in the regular season were Dagenham and Redbridge who, despite a tiny budget, still had hopes of survival going into the final day.
However, a 5-0 defeat at Peterborough on the final day ended the Daggers' dream as their hosts racked up their 106th league goal of the season.
Dagenham thus join Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town in League Two with Walsall and Notts County just surviving.
Gus Poyet's Brighton and Hove Albion had of course won the division ahead of second-placed Southampton who also gained automatic promotion.
League Two
Final Table
STEVENAGE have given themselves the chance of winning a second successive promotion in the League Two playoff final against Torquay United at Old Trafford.
The Boro, who won promotion as Blue Square Premier champions last season, have had a brilliant first year as a league club, knocking Newcastle United out of the FA Cup before finishing sixth.
That gave Graham Westley's men a playoff semi final place against Accrington Stanley who are also a fairly recent addition to the Football League.
But Stevenage proved stronger, taking advantage of two Stanley red cards to win the second-leg 1-0 for a 3-0 aggregate victory.
First half goals from Stacy Long and Joel Byrom had given Stevenage their comfortable first leg advantage but Stanley threatened a comeback at the Crown Ground.
That threat was ended once Joe Jacobson was sent off for a challenge on Lawrie Wilson and Sean McConville followed straightaway for an alleged punch.
Accrington's chances in the tie were effectively over and Chris Beardsley's late goal simply confirmed the Boro's progress.
Torquay, who were promoted from the Blue Square Premier themselves as recently as 2009, also enjoyed a relatively comfortable path to the final after a first-leg win against Shrewsbury.
The Gulls won 2-0 at Plainmoor thanks to first-half goals from Chris Zebroski and Eunan O'Kane, and a dominant display deserved even more goals.
The Shrews were well aware of their uphill task in the second leg and could not force an early breakthrough as the tie petered out as a contest.
It was a second disappointment for Shrewsbury in as many weeks after the Salop club only missed out on automatic promotion on the final day despite a 3-0 win over Oxford United.
That was because Wycombe Wanderers had held onto third spot with their own home win - a 3-1 success over Southend United - to join Chesterfield and Bury in League One next season.
But, while that came as no surprise, there was a shock at the other end of the table as Barnet pulled off a great escape.
The Bees won 1-0 at home to Port Vale thanks to Izale McLeod's penalty early in the second half while Lincoln City lost 3-0 against Aldershot at Sincil Bank to be relegated alongside Stockport County.
Blue Square Premier
Final Table
AFC WIMBLEDON reached the Football League just nine years after their formation following a dramatic penalty shootout win over Luton Town.
The Dons and the Hatters had finished in second and third in the final table so it was no surprise that they had beaten Fleetwood Town and Wrexham in the semi finals, respectively.
And, in the final itself at Eastlands, the two teams could not be separated after 120 minutes of action.
Dons' top scorer Danny Kedwell struck the decisive penalty, condemning Luton to a third successive season outside of the Football League.
For Wimbledon, though, this represents perhaps to end of the beginning of their task to regain their place at football's top table.
Their next aim: to get above Milton Keynes Dons - a task made all the more realistic by their rival's failure to progress through the League One playoffs. The two clubs are now just a single division apart.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
The Season 2010/11: Survival Sunday calculations
Premier League
Full Table
MANCHESTER UNITED secured an English-record 19th league title last weekend as a late Wayne Rooney penalty ensured the Red Devils came away with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men have finally overcome Liverpool's long-standing record thanks largely to a phenomenal home record in this season of 17 wins and a draw.
However, Man United's away record in the league has been less impressive with just five wins throughout the campaign - the same amount as Ian Holloway's Blackpool.
Ferguson's men produced another edgy away performance at Ewood Park, falling behind to a Brett Emerton first-half goal after a mix-up involving stand-in keeper Tomasz Kuszczak
But, Man United eased their way back into the contest and Rooney kept his cool to convert a 73rd-minute spot-kick and send the large travelling army of supporters into raptures.
Meanwhile, cross-city rivals Manchester City enjoyed the prelude to their FA Cup Final win over Stoke City by beating rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
A year ago, Peter Crouch scored the only goal as Spurs beat Man City late in the season to reach Europe's elite competition.
And Crouch was on target again in the repeat fixture - but, this time, he could only divert the ball into his own net, ensuring Roberto Mancini's men would finish somewhere in the top-four.
Indeed, Man City are now favourites to finish third after a second win over Stoke in a week took advantage of another Arsenal lapse after Arsene Wenger's men were beaten at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs had similarly been on an ill-timed poor run of form but Harry Redknapp's men at least beat a resurgent Liverpool team under Kenny Dalglish at Anfield to leapfrog their hosts into a Europa League spot.
And so, with most of the important matters at the top of the table already decided, attention will turn to an extraordinary situation at the bottom.
Five of the bottom six heading into Survival Sunday, as it stands, are separated by just a single point and many of the teams carry similar goal differences:
Selected final-day fixtures (kick-off: 4pm)
Manchester United v Blackpool
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers
Only West Ham United have been so far relegated after a dreadful campaign, neatly summed up by their penultimate match against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in which they gave away a 2-0 half-time lead.
That 3-2 win, thanks to two goals from Charles N'Zogbia and one from Connor Sammon, has given Wigan a chance of salvation heading into the last day.
However, as you can see, the permutations for each of the five teams involved are far from straightforward:
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Rovers will remain above Wolves on goal difference, and will be safe UNLESS Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan all win
Loss (40 points)
- Rovers will be relegated IF they suffer a particularly heavy loss AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan draw
- Rovers will also be relegated IF they lose by any score AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Wolves will remain below Blackburn on goal difference but will only be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
Loss (40 points)
- If Wolves lose by one goal, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by two or three-goal margins, they will be relegated IF Birmingham and Blackpool draw, OR one of those teams draws and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by four+ goals, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan get a draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Win (42 points)
- The Blues will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND both Blackpool and Wigan win by a greater margin than Birmingham
Draw (40 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan win. Also relegated IF one of Blackpool and Wigan wins UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan draw OR they suffer less severe defeats - Blackpool need to be one-goal better while Wigan need to be two-goals better off.
- Birmingham will also go down IF either Blackpool or Wigan draw AND the other escapes with the aforementioned narrower defeat than Blues
BLACKPOOL
Win (42 points)
- Blackpool will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Wigan both win. Note: Wigan require a greater margin of victory than Blackpool.
Draw (40 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated if Birmingham draw or win OR Wigan win UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated UNLESS Wigan also lose AND Birmingham lose by at least one more goal than Ian Holloway's men
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Win (42 points)
- Wigan will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Blackpool both also win
Draw (40 points)
- Wigan will be relegated IF both Birmingham and Blackpool draw
- Wigan will also be relegated IF one of Birmingham or Blackpool also draws UNLESS Wolves are beaten by four goals
Loss (39 points)
- Wigan will be relegated UNLESS both Birmingham and Blackpool lose by at least two goals more than the Latics
Full Table
MANCHESTER UNITED secured an English-record 19th league title last weekend as a late Wayne Rooney penalty ensured the Red Devils came away with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men have finally overcome Liverpool's long-standing record thanks largely to a phenomenal home record in this season of 17 wins and a draw.
However, Man United's away record in the league has been less impressive with just five wins throughout the campaign - the same amount as Ian Holloway's Blackpool.
Ferguson's men produced another edgy away performance at Ewood Park, falling behind to a Brett Emerton first-half goal after a mix-up involving stand-in keeper Tomasz Kuszczak
But, Man United eased their way back into the contest and Rooney kept his cool to convert a 73rd-minute spot-kick and send the large travelling army of supporters into raptures.
Meanwhile, cross-city rivals Manchester City enjoyed the prelude to their FA Cup Final win over Stoke City by beating rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
A year ago, Peter Crouch scored the only goal as Spurs beat Man City late in the season to reach Europe's elite competition.
And Crouch was on target again in the repeat fixture - but, this time, he could only divert the ball into his own net, ensuring Roberto Mancini's men would finish somewhere in the top-four.
Indeed, Man City are now favourites to finish third after a second win over Stoke in a week took advantage of another Arsenal lapse after Arsene Wenger's men were beaten at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Spurs had similarly been on an ill-timed poor run of form but Harry Redknapp's men at least beat a resurgent Liverpool team under Kenny Dalglish at Anfield to leapfrog their hosts into a Europa League spot.
And so, with most of the important matters at the top of the table already decided, attention will turn to an extraordinary situation at the bottom.
Five of the bottom six heading into Survival Sunday, as it stands, are separated by just a single point and many of the teams carry similar goal differences:
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers | 37 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 43 | 57 | -14 | 40 | ||||
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wndrs | 37 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 44 | 63 | -19 | 40 | ||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 36 | 56 | -20 | 39 | ||||
| 18 | Blackpool | 37 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 53 | 74 | -21 | 39 | ||||
| 19 | Wigan Athletic | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 39 | 61 | -22 | 39 | ||||
| 20 | West Ham United (R) | 37 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 43 | 67 | -24 | 33 |
Selected final-day fixtures (kick-off: 4pm)
Manchester United v Blackpool
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers
Only West Ham United have been so far relegated after a dreadful campaign, neatly summed up by their penultimate match against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in which they gave away a 2-0 half-time lead.
That 3-2 win, thanks to two goals from Charles N'Zogbia and one from Connor Sammon, has given Wigan a chance of salvation heading into the last day.
However, as you can see, the permutations for each of the five teams involved are far from straightforward:
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Rovers will remain above Wolves on goal difference, and will be safe UNLESS Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan all win
Loss (40 points)
- Rovers will be relegated IF they suffer a particularly heavy loss AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan draw
- Rovers will also be relegated IF they lose by any score AND two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Win (43 points)
- Definitely safe
Draw (41 points)
- Wolves will remain below Blackburn on goal difference but will only be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
Loss (40 points)
- If Wolves lose by one goal, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by two or three-goal margins, they will be relegated IF Birmingham and Blackpool draw, OR one of those teams draws and Wigan win
- If Wolves lose by four+ goals, they will be relegated IF two of Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan get a draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Win (42 points)
- The Blues will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND both Blackpool and Wigan win by a greater margin than Birmingham
Draw (40 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan win. Also relegated IF one of Blackpool and Wigan wins UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Birmingham will be relegated IF both Blackpool and Wigan draw OR they suffer less severe defeats - Blackpool need to be one-goal better while Wigan need to be two-goals better off.
- Birmingham will also go down IF either Blackpool or Wigan draw AND the other escapes with the aforementioned narrower defeat than Blues
BLACKPOOL
Win (42 points)
- Blackpool will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Wigan both win. Note: Wigan require a greater margin of victory than Blackpool.
Draw (40 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated if Birmingham draw or win OR Wigan win UNLESS Wolves are beaten by two goals
Loss (39 points)
- Blackpool will be relegated UNLESS Wigan also lose AND Birmingham lose by at least one more goal than Ian Holloway's men
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Win (42 points)
- Wigan will be safe UNLESS the Wolves-Blackburn match produces a winner AND Birmingham and Blackpool both also win
Draw (40 points)
- Wigan will be relegated IF both Birmingham and Blackpool draw
- Wigan will also be relegated IF one of Birmingham or Blackpool also draws UNLESS Wolves are beaten by four goals
Loss (39 points)
- Wigan will be relegated UNLESS both Birmingham and Blackpool lose by at least two goals more than the Latics
Saturday, 14 May 2011
The Season 2010/11 - FA Cup Final: Toure strikes again as Manchester City end their barren run
Manchester City 1 Y Toure 74
Stoke City 0
Manchester City Hart - Richards, Kolarov, Kompany, Lescott - De Jong, Barry (Johnson 73), Yaya Toure, Silva (Vieira 90+2) - Balotelli, Tevez (Zabaleta 87). Subs: Given, Milner, Dzeko, Boyata.
Stoke City Sorensen - Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson - Pennant, Whelan (Pugh 84), Delap (Carew 80), Etherington (Whitehead 62) - Walters, Jones. Subs: Nash, Collins, Diao, Faye. Booked: Huth, Wilkinson.
Attendance 88,643 at Wembley Referee Martin Atkinson (W Yorks) Kick-off 3pm
Live on ITV and ESPN
YAYA TOURE added to his Wembley goal collection as Manchester City beat Stoke City 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1969.
Toure struck just as it looked as if Stoke were going to be able to force the match into extra time but this was a deserved win for Roberto Mancini's men.
PREVIEW
EITHER Manchester City or Stoke City will end their long wait for trophy success in the FA Cup Final this afternoon, live on ITV and ESPN (kick-off 3pm).
Man City, who start as favourites with the bookmakers, are aiming to win their first major prize since 1976 when they beat Newcastle United in the League Cup Final.
A cup win would cap a brilliant week at Eastlands after Roberto Mancini's secured Champions League football thanks to Peter Crouch's own goal on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Stoke have also confirmed their meteoric recent rise by reaching their first ever FA Cup Final in their 148-year existence.
Potters fans have to go even further back than Man City supporters for their last major trophy - back to the 1972 League Cup Final when Stoke beat Chelsea 2-1.
Since then, the Staffordshire club has fallen as low as 14th in the bottom tier in 1990/91, though recent seasons have been in a solely upward direction.
It all started when Stoke gained promotion to the surprise of many by finishing second to West Bromwich Albion in 2007/08.
Expected by many to go straight back down, Tony Pulis' men confounded their critics by finishing 12th in their first season back in the top flight as they comfortably avoided the drop.
The detractors then predicted that Stoke would suffer from so-called 'second season syndrome' but Pulis' men did nothing of the sort in 2009/10, improving their final placing to 11th.
This season, another improvement looks likely with Stoke lying in the top half after their impressive 3-1 home win over Arsenal.
Pulis' critics continue to complain that his team has only achieved success by playing a horrible long ball game but it would be harsh not to accept that this has been developed during their time in the top flight.
True, their sturdy defence remains as important as ever but now Stoke have a decent attack with Kenwyne Jones and Jonathan Walters supplied by wingers Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant.
All of those players may be pretty direct at times but they are a far sight better than constant Rory Delap throws - and probably more effective if the 5-0 semi final drubbing of Bolton Wanderers is anything to go by.
Of course, Stoke are not the only team in this Final with an image problem. Manchester City may have finally broken into the top four but it was perhaps typical that they made it via an own goal.
Since the arrival of Khaldoon Al Mubarak of the Abu Dhabi United Group, Man City have spent more than £300m on transfer fees alone.
It is a simply astonishing amount given that they currently remain 11 points adrift off their Manchester rivals in the league.
Indeed, even in victory, United can somewhat rain upon City's parade by winning a record 19th English league title earlier this afternoon against Blackburn Rovers at 12.45pm.
At least the Red Devils will not pick up their Premier League crown until next weekend regardless of what happens though it is disappointing, to say the least, that the FA Cup Final is being played alongside league matches.
Worse still, it was announced yesterday that the same thing will happen next season even though the FA does not have the excuse that Wembley will be hosting the Champions League Final, as it is this time.
Of course, neither Man City nor Stoke will worry too much about such matters as long as they win - particularly the former after their swashbuckling semi final success over Man United.
That level of performance is exactly what is expected of Man City on a more regular basis and, though Carlos Tevez was injured on that occasion, he is often vital to providing a focal point to their attacks.
This is especially the case if the three nominally defensive midfielders - Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Patrick Vieira - are all used by Mancini.
Indeed, you could even go as far as to say that the late fitness call on Tevez is more vital to Man City than the doubts over Robert Huth and Etherington are for Stoke.
Otherwise, it means the likes of Edin Dzeko, David Silva and trouble-maker Mario Balotelli take to the pitch knowing that they still have much to prove.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to argue this week that the Blue Moon is not finally ascendant and, as such, it should be the case that the investment of hundreds of millions of pounds will finally produce dividends.
Not before a tough, tight encounter, though. Prediction: 2-1 to Manchester City.
ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Manchester City
R3 Leicester City (a) drew 2-2
R3r Leicester City (h) won 4-2
R4 Notts County (a) drew 1-1
R4r Notts County (h) won 5-0
R5 Aston Villa (h) won 3-0
R6 Reading (h) won 1-0
SF Manchester United (w) won 1-0
Stoke City
R3 Cardiff City (h) drew 1-1
R3r Cardiff City (a) won 2-0 after extra time
R4 Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) won 1-0
R5 Brighton and Hove Albion (h) won 3-0
R6 West Ham United (h) won 2-1
SF Bolton Wanderers (w) won 5-0
PREVIOUS FA CUP FINALS
Manchester City
Four wins, one draw, four defeats
1904 won 1-0 v Bolton Wanderers (at Crystal Palace)
1926 lost 0-1 v Bolton Wanderers
1933 lost 0-3 v Everton
1934 won 2-1 v Portsmouth
1955 lost 1-3 v Newcastle United
1956 won 3-1 v Birmingham City
1969 won 1-0 v Leicester City
1981 drew 1-1 v Tottenham Hotspur [after extra time]
1981 replay lost 2-3 v Tottenham Hotspur
Stoke City
None
Stoke City 0
Manchester City Hart - Richards, Kolarov, Kompany, Lescott - De Jong, Barry (Johnson 73), Yaya Toure, Silva (Vieira 90+2) - Balotelli, Tevez (Zabaleta 87). Subs: Given, Milner, Dzeko, Boyata.
Stoke City Sorensen - Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson - Pennant, Whelan (Pugh 84), Delap (Carew 80), Etherington (Whitehead 62) - Walters, Jones. Subs: Nash, Collins, Diao, Faye. Booked: Huth, Wilkinson.
Attendance 88,643 at Wembley Referee Martin Atkinson (W Yorks) Kick-off 3pm
Live on ITV and ESPN
YAYA TOURE added to his Wembley goal collection as Manchester City beat Stoke City 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1969.
Toure struck just as it looked as if Stoke were going to be able to force the match into extra time but this was a deserved win for Roberto Mancini's men.
PREVIEW
EITHER Manchester City or Stoke City will end their long wait for trophy success in the FA Cup Final this afternoon, live on ITV and ESPN (kick-off 3pm).
Man City, who start as favourites with the bookmakers, are aiming to win their first major prize since 1976 when they beat Newcastle United in the League Cup Final.
A cup win would cap a brilliant week at Eastlands after Roberto Mancini's secured Champions League football thanks to Peter Crouch's own goal on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Stoke have also confirmed their meteoric recent rise by reaching their first ever FA Cup Final in their 148-year existence.
Potters fans have to go even further back than Man City supporters for their last major trophy - back to the 1972 League Cup Final when Stoke beat Chelsea 2-1.
Since then, the Staffordshire club has fallen as low as 14th in the bottom tier in 1990/91, though recent seasons have been in a solely upward direction.
It all started when Stoke gained promotion to the surprise of many by finishing second to West Bromwich Albion in 2007/08.
Expected by many to go straight back down, Tony Pulis' men confounded their critics by finishing 12th in their first season back in the top flight as they comfortably avoided the drop.
The detractors then predicted that Stoke would suffer from so-called 'second season syndrome' but Pulis' men did nothing of the sort in 2009/10, improving their final placing to 11th.
This season, another improvement looks likely with Stoke lying in the top half after their impressive 3-1 home win over Arsenal.
Pulis' critics continue to complain that his team has only achieved success by playing a horrible long ball game but it would be harsh not to accept that this has been developed during their time in the top flight.
True, their sturdy defence remains as important as ever but now Stoke have a decent attack with Kenwyne Jones and Jonathan Walters supplied by wingers Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant.
All of those players may be pretty direct at times but they are a far sight better than constant Rory Delap throws - and probably more effective if the 5-0 semi final drubbing of Bolton Wanderers is anything to go by.
Of course, Stoke are not the only team in this Final with an image problem. Manchester City may have finally broken into the top four but it was perhaps typical that they made it via an own goal.
Since the arrival of Khaldoon Al Mubarak of the Abu Dhabi United Group, Man City have spent more than £300m on transfer fees alone.
It is a simply astonishing amount given that they currently remain 11 points adrift off their Manchester rivals in the league.
Indeed, even in victory, United can somewhat rain upon City's parade by winning a record 19th English league title earlier this afternoon against Blackburn Rovers at 12.45pm.
At least the Red Devils will not pick up their Premier League crown until next weekend regardless of what happens though it is disappointing, to say the least, that the FA Cup Final is being played alongside league matches.
Worse still, it was announced yesterday that the same thing will happen next season even though the FA does not have the excuse that Wembley will be hosting the Champions League Final, as it is this time.
Of course, neither Man City nor Stoke will worry too much about such matters as long as they win - particularly the former after their swashbuckling semi final success over Man United.
That level of performance is exactly what is expected of Man City on a more regular basis and, though Carlos Tevez was injured on that occasion, he is often vital to providing a focal point to their attacks.
This is especially the case if the three nominally defensive midfielders - Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Patrick Vieira - are all used by Mancini.
Indeed, you could even go as far as to say that the late fitness call on Tevez is more vital to Man City than the doubts over Robert Huth and Etherington are for Stoke.
Otherwise, it means the likes of Edin Dzeko, David Silva and trouble-maker Mario Balotelli take to the pitch knowing that they still have much to prove.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to argue this week that the Blue Moon is not finally ascendant and, as such, it should be the case that the investment of hundreds of millions of pounds will finally produce dividends.
Not before a tough, tight encounter, though. Prediction: 2-1 to Manchester City.
ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Manchester City
R3 Leicester City (a) drew 2-2
R3r Leicester City (h) won 4-2
R4 Notts County (a) drew 1-1
R4r Notts County (h) won 5-0
R5 Aston Villa (h) won 3-0
R6 Reading (h) won 1-0
SF Manchester United (w) won 1-0
Stoke City
R3 Cardiff City (h) drew 1-1
R3r Cardiff City (a) won 2-0 after extra time
R4 Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) won 1-0
R5 Brighton and Hove Albion (h) won 3-0
R6 West Ham United (h) won 2-1
SF Bolton Wanderers (w) won 5-0
PREVIOUS FA CUP FINALS
Manchester City
Four wins, one draw, four defeats
1904 won 1-0 v Bolton Wanderers (at Crystal Palace)
1926 lost 0-1 v Bolton Wanderers
1933 lost 0-3 v Everton
1934 won 2-1 v Portsmouth
1955 lost 1-3 v Newcastle United
1956 won 3-1 v Birmingham City
1969 won 1-0 v Leicester City
1981 drew 1-1 v Tottenham Hotspur [after extra time]
1981 replay lost 2-3 v Tottenham Hotspur
Stoke City
None
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
The Season 2010/11: Chelsea eye chance to take title lead
Premier League
Table
THE TITLE race is not over, cautioned Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson even before his team lost their fourth league game of the season 1-0 at Arsenal.
Aaron Ramsey scored the only goal early in the second half and, for once, the Gunners held on meaning that the Red Devils, on 73 points, are now just three points ahead of Chelsea.
Chelsea have reignited their championship charge after eight wins and a draw from their last nine Premier League matches, though 2-1 their victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was fortunate, to say the least.
After Didier Drogba had hit the bar with a rasping drive, Sandro had given Spurs the lead on 19 minutes with an equally ferocious shot from 25 yards.
But Chelsea equalised on the stroke of half time when another goalkeeping mistake by Heurelho Gomes allowed Frank Lampard's weak shot the roll towards the net.
The only problem was that the whole ball did not cross the line and yet the goal was still given. Lampard claimed that this was karma for his 'goal' which had crossed the line against Germany in the World Cup but was not given.
However, this seems to be the case of two wrongs do not make a right and there was further contoversy when Saloman Kalou scored a late winner from an offside position.
Next up for Carlo Ancelotti's men: Manchester United away on Sunday. And, with both clubs boasting the same goal difference, any victory for the Blues will put them top of the league for the first time since November.
Arsenal may have kept themselves in with a mathematical shot of the title after that 1-0 win but the reality is that Arsene Wenger's men look set to go without a trophy for a sixth successive season.
Defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and Manchester United in the FA Cup coincided with a league run of just one win in seven games before Sunday.
Their results included 0-0 home draws against Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers and further extraordinary giveaways in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool and 3-3 draw against Spurs.
Last week's 2-1 defeat to a Bolton Wanderers side still reeling from their 5-0 FA Cup semi final loss means Wenger's men are still six points behind leaders United with only three matches left.
Race for fourth and fifth
SIR Alex Ferguson may have been correct about the title race still being wide open but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's similar prediction about fourth place now looks somewhat optomistic.
Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea may have been unlucky but, allied to Manchester City's 2-1 home win over bottom-of-the-table West Ham United, it means Roberto Mancini's men are in control.
City, in fourth, are now seven points clear of Spurs who dropped to sixth place on goal difference after Liverpool's almost traditional 3-0 home win over Newcastle United.
It looks as if Spurs' match away at Manchester City on 10th May is going to be less vital than it was last season when Peter Crouch scored the only goal as the London club edged City out of fourth place.
Instead, Spurs' trip to Anfield on 15th May now looks more vital after the Reds' move above them with only fifth place in the league providing a route into Europe this season.
Liverpool have not lost at Anfield in 2011 with Kenny Dalglish taking 30 points from 15 league matches since he was appointed in the New Year.
And so, it could easily happen that Spurs will go from playing Real Madrid in the quarter finals of the Champions League this season to no European football at all in the next.
Relegation battle
WEST HAM UNITED sunk even deeper into relegation trouble after a poor start at Manchester City led to a fifth consecutive defeat at the worst possible time.
The Hammers were 2-0 down in just 20 minutes to goals from Nigel de Jong and Pablo Zabaleta and, though Demba Ba pulled one back before half time, City held firm in the second half.
The defeat leaves West Ham on 32 points, three adrift of safety with just three matches left.
Nevertheless, manager Avram Grant is still confident that seven points from fixtures against Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland will be enough for safety.
The match against Wigan in less than two weeks time looks like being curtains for the loser after the Latics were also unable to pull themselves out of the bottom three this weekend.
Roberto Martinez's side were 1-0 up at home to Everton through Charles N'Zogbia's goal but Leighton Baines' equaliser from the spot kept the home side in the relegation zone on 35 points.
It could have been worse for Wigan but Blackpool had to settle for their second home draw in a week after a 0-0 stalemate against cup finalists Stoke City, meaning the Lancashire clubs are separated just by goal difference.
And second-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers, on 34 points, could also only draw against Birmingham City whose point edges them four points clear of the drop zone on 39 points.
Alex McLeish's Blues could probably still do with another result to confirm safety, as could Blackburn just below them on 38 points despite Rovers' fine 1-0 derby win over Bolton this weekend, thanks to Martin Olsson's goal.
The Championship
Table
QUEENS PARK RANGERS and Norwich City sealed a return to the top-flight after both enjoyed away wins over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Rangers also look to have clinched the title with their 2-0 win over Watford after late goals from Adel Taarabt and Tommy Smith.
However, mystery surrounds the fate of the Loftus Road club who must attend an FA hearing this week into their 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.
A significant point deduction, as expected by former FA chief Mark Palios, would drop Neil Warnock's men into the playoffs, four years after Warnock's Sheffield United team were relegated below a Carlos Tevez-inspired West Ham team in the Premier League.
Tevez, like Faurlin, had been signed from a third party and, though the Hammers achieved safety and subsequently no deduction, Football League rules changed as a result of the saga.
QPR are currently on 88 points, five clear of Norwich in second and nine clear of Cardiff City in third.
The Canaries have no such qualms over their status as Paul Lambert's men clinched a brilliant second successive promotion with a tight 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
Simeon Jackson scored his ninth goal in his last seven games to confirm a complete turnaround at the Carrow Road club since they were beaten 7-1 on the opening day of 2009/10 by Lambert's Colchester United side.
This was not a classic performance from Norwich who have beaten rivals Ipswich Town 4-1 and 5-1 in their two matches this season but it was enough to seal a place back in the elite after Cardiff's slip up.
Playoff contenders
CARDIFF fans were stunned after a 3-0 home defeat to mid-table Middlesbrough condemned the Welsh club to the playoffs once again.
Dave Jones will hope that his team's experience in the end-of-season competition this season will be better than last year when the Bluebirds reached Wembley only to be shocked in the Final by Blackpool.
There is the distinct chance this time of an all-Welsh final with Swansea City sitting in fourth on 79 points while fifth-placed Reading's push for automatic promotion eventually faltered.
The Royals had put together a run of eight consecutive wins to move within three points of second place but just two points from their last three matches means Brian McDermott's side also has an extended season.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest look set to edge Leeds United out of the final playoff place after Kris Boyd scored twice in a 5-1 thumping of Scunthorpe United.
Billy Davies' men, thus, stay three points clear of their Yorkshire rivals who narrowly beat Burnley 1-0 thanks to Ross McCormack's neat finish.
But, with a goal difference six better than Leeds thanks to that big win over Scunthorpe, Forest could most likely even afford defeat at Crystal Palace on the final day and still finish in the top six.
Leeds can only hope to capitalise with a big win away at Queens Park Rangers, which is easier said than done.
Relegation
LONG-TIME strugglers Sheffield United, Scunthorpe and Preston North End have all been relegated to League One.
The three clubs have been ever-present in the bottom three since the New Year and eventually time has run out for all of them.
In the end, it was Sheffield United who came closest out of the three to rescuing their season.
A brace of 3-2 wins against Bristol City and Reading over Easter had given the Blades some hope of pulling off a great escape but they failed at the third hurdle in a 2-2 draw with Barnsley.
As a result, United join city rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the third flight from the next season, the first time since the 1979-80 season that this has been the case.
Meanwhile, the 5-1 thrashing for Scunthorpe by Forest also confirmed that the Irons' two-year stay in the Championship has come to an end - although Easter Monday's 2-1 defeat at home to Millwall pretty much sealed their fate.
The loss to Millwall left Alan Knill's men six points adrift of safety with only two games left and the worst goal difference in the division.
Finally, Preston North End will also be in the third flight after their relegation was confirmed on Easter Monday after a 1-0 defeat at home to Cardiff.
Doncaster Rovers and Crystal Palace are the clubs immediately above the drop zone who can go into the final day of action breathing a sigh of relief.
League One
Table
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION will host Championship-level football at their new stadium in Falmer after sealing the League One title with a 3-1 win at Walsall.
The Seagulls' form has since dropped away somewhat with two defeats and a draw from their last three games but only after the hard work has already been done.
Up until those recent home defeats to Southampton and Huddersfield Town, Gus Poyet's men had not lost at home all season and so finally the Withdean stadium has been good to the south coast club.
But it is surely better that the club is now moving into a ground which it actually owns and which can produce a better atmosphere than a council-owned athletic stadium.
Brighton may yet be joined in the second tier by both Southampton and Huddersfield who are second and third in the table.
The Saints all-but confirmed their return to the Championship after a two-year absence by beating Plymouth Argyle 3-1 on Bank Holiday Monday.
Nigel Adkin's men are now three points clear of the Terriers with a vastly superior goal difference meaning even a final day defeat against Walsall at home will surely not deny them.
Playoff contenders
HUDDERSFIELD, then, will have to be content with the end-of-season playoffs, a barely deserved reward for a fine effort this season which has seen the west Yorkshire club collect 86 points.
Lee Clark will have to lift his team and ensure that they can achieve promotion after all by extending their remarkable unbeaten record beyond its current streak of 24 games.
The Terriers are joined in the playoffs by free-scoring Peterborough United, Milton Keynes Dons and Bournemouth.
Posh scored their 100th and 101st league goals on Saturday against Rochdale but keeping them out of the other end has proved to be just as big an issue with no fewer than 75 goals conceded.
By contrast, the Dons have only scored 65 goals - the lowest of the top six - while Bournemouth will just be relieved to have hung onto a playoff place after their collapse in form during March and April.
Leyton Orient, Exeter City and Rochdale all gave a good show considering their resources but all fell short of extending their season on this occasion.
Relegation
SWINDON TOWN were defeated in the playoff final last season but, 12 months on, the Robins will finish rock-bottom of League One.
It is an astonishing fall from grace for the Wiltshire club whose relegation was confirmed after a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Easter Monday.
A further 2-0 home defeat to Oldham Athletic means Swindon have lost their last four games and won just one out of their last 23 in the league, leaving them stranded on 38 points.
Second-bottom Plymouth Argyle are also down after yesterday's 3-1 defeat to Southampton having lost a Devon derby to Exeter 1-0 two days ago.
The Pilgrims were playing in the Championship last season but falling into administration in February this season meant they were deducted 10 points and that has ultimately led to a second successive demotion.
Meanwhile, third-bottom Bristol Rovers can also start preparing for the basement division after a 1-1 draw with Wednesday left them three points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in League One.
The Pirates have conceded 80 goals in the league this season, more than any other team, meaning their goal difference of -33 is much worse than that of Dagenham & Redbridge (-13) and Walsall (-17).
Those two clubs, Dagenham and Walsall, will battle it out with Notts County (-14) to avoid the final relegation place.
The Magpies hold the strongest position after recent wins over Swindon and Tranmere Rovers have helped them to 49 points, two points clear of fourth-bottom Dagenham on 47.
Walsall are sandwiched between the two clubs on 48 points with a slightly worse goal difference than the others and a tough fixture away at Southampton.
Having said that, Notts face champions Brighton at home while Dagenham travel to Peterborough - another opponent in the top six.
League Two
Table
CHESTERFIELD remain in pole position to lift the League Two title despite just one win in their last five league games.
The already-promoted Spireites drew their most recent match 0-0 on Friday against Torquay United but stayed top on 83 points after second-placed Bury blew the chance to move above them.
Bury, who beat Chesterfield 3-2 on Easter Monday to secure their own promotion, were beaten 3-1 by third-placed Wycombe Wanderers to stay on 80 points.
The Chairboys, on 77 points, are unbeaten in their last nine league matches and, sitting a point clear of Shrewsbury Town, the Buckinghamshire club are favourites for the final automatic spot.
Shrewsbury are the only team which can deny Wycombe by gaining a better result at home to Oxford United than Wycombe manage against Southend United at home.
Playoff contenders
IT IS more than likely, then, that the Shrews with have to settle for the playoffs along side Accrington Stanley who have had a brilliant second half of the season to secure fifth place.
Stanley have lost just once in their last 18 league games to shoot up the league from as low as 19th place in February to their current heady heights.
A comfortable 3-1 win at home against Barnet has extended their current unbeaten streak to 12 matches and manager John Coleman will hope that his side can keep their momentum going into the playoffs.
The final two playoff spots will be filled by two of Torquay United, Stevenage and Gillingham, all of whom are on 68 points.
Torquay have the advantage of a better goal difference (+23) than the other two which is +17 for Stevenage and +12 for Gillingham.
And, while the Borough and the Gills battle it out against title chasers Bury and Chesterfield respectively, the Gulls also have the best fixture against Rotherham United who have nothing to play for.
Relegation
STOCKPORT COUNTY were relegated on Saturday after they went down to a 2-0 defeat Crewe Alexandra.
The Hatters survived at 0-0 until the break but, needing to win the game to have any chance, it all fell apart for them in the space of three second-half minutes.
An own goal by Alan Goodall and a Clayton Donaldson strike confirmed Stockport's long-awaited demise - they were the 94th and 95th goals to be conceded by the Manchester club in the league this season.
Stockport will be joined in the Blue Square Premier by either Barnet or Lincoln City after Northampton Town won and Hereford United drew to confirm their safety of 49 points.
Barnet were in a similar position to Stockport at one stage and so they have done well to make it to the last day still harbouring real hopes of survival.
The Bees, on 45 points, are two behind Lincoln but the north Londoners have a much better goal difference (-20, as compared to -33 for Lincoln) and so even a draw for the Imps could be capitalised upon.
Giuliano Grazioli, the caretaker boss at Underhill, still has it all to do, though, against Port Vale at home who left their playoff push too late despite hitting seven past Morecambe on Saturday.
By contrast, Lincoln have what looks to be an easier match on paper against mid-table Aldershot Town at home - but, then, football has never been played on paper and never will be.
Blue Square Premier
Table
CRAWLEY TOWN gained automatic promotion as far back ago as 9th April when they beat Tamworth Town 3-0 at home.
Since then, the Red Devils have won three more matches and drawn the other two to extend their unbeaten run to 30 league games, scoring 93 goals and collecting 105 point along the way.
AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town have long since accepted that they would have to settle for the playoffs despite making strong efforts to finish on 90 and 84 points respectively.
The Dons and the Hatters are joined in the playoffs by Wrexham and Fleetwood Town, a fine effort by the latter only a year after they were promoted from the Blue Square North.
Wrexham, who face Luton, will be familiar with their opponents having met them in a 1-1 draw on the last day of the regular season while Wimbledon will start as clear favourites against Lancastrians Fleetwood.
Fleetwood's near neighbours Southport are heading in the opposite direction after a 3-1 defeat at Kettering sent them down by the margin of just two goals. Forest Green Rovers were the lucky club which just survived.
Altrincham also went down on the last day after a dramatic 4-3 defeat at home to already-relegated Eastbourne Borough.
The Robins suffered a nightmare first half, falling three goals behind, before a fine second half comeback levelled the scores at 3-3.
But, needing to win to have any chance of staying up, Altrincham were caught out when Eastbourne's George Purcell struck a last-minute winner.
Second-bottom Eastbourne and rock-bottom Histon had been relegated weeks ago. Histon went down after a 2-0 defeat at Gateshead while Eastbourne joined them after a 1-1 draw at home to Kidderminster Harriers.
Alfreton Town have been promoted from the Blue Square North while Braintree Town have come up from the South division.
Two further promotion places will be decided by playoffs in both divisions. AFC Telford United, Boston United, Eastwood Town and Guiseley are in the North playoffs and, in the South, the four teams are Farnborough, Ebbsfleet United, Chelmsford and Woking.
Table
THE TITLE race is not over, cautioned Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson even before his team lost their fourth league game of the season 1-0 at Arsenal.
Aaron Ramsey scored the only goal early in the second half and, for once, the Gunners held on meaning that the Red Devils, on 73 points, are now just three points ahead of Chelsea.
Chelsea have reignited their championship charge after eight wins and a draw from their last nine Premier League matches, though 2-1 their victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was fortunate, to say the least.
After Didier Drogba had hit the bar with a rasping drive, Sandro had given Spurs the lead on 19 minutes with an equally ferocious shot from 25 yards.
But Chelsea equalised on the stroke of half time when another goalkeeping mistake by Heurelho Gomes allowed Frank Lampard's weak shot the roll towards the net.
The only problem was that the whole ball did not cross the line and yet the goal was still given. Lampard claimed that this was karma for his 'goal' which had crossed the line against Germany in the World Cup but was not given.
However, this seems to be the case of two wrongs do not make a right and there was further contoversy when Saloman Kalou scored a late winner from an offside position.
Next up for Carlo Ancelotti's men: Manchester United away on Sunday. And, with both clubs boasting the same goal difference, any victory for the Blues will put them top of the league for the first time since November.
Arsenal may have kept themselves in with a mathematical shot of the title after that 1-0 win but the reality is that Arsene Wenger's men look set to go without a trophy for a sixth successive season.
Defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and Manchester United in the FA Cup coincided with a league run of just one win in seven games before Sunday.
Their results included 0-0 home draws against Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers and further extraordinary giveaways in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool and 3-3 draw against Spurs.
Last week's 2-1 defeat to a Bolton Wanderers side still reeling from their 5-0 FA Cup semi final loss means Wenger's men are still six points behind leaders United with only three matches left.
Race for fourth and fifth
SIR Alex Ferguson may have been correct about the title race still being wide open but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's similar prediction about fourth place now looks somewhat optomistic.
Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea may have been unlucky but, allied to Manchester City's 2-1 home win over bottom-of-the-table West Ham United, it means Roberto Mancini's men are in control.
City, in fourth, are now seven points clear of Spurs who dropped to sixth place on goal difference after Liverpool's almost traditional 3-0 home win over Newcastle United.
It looks as if Spurs' match away at Manchester City on 10th May is going to be less vital than it was last season when Peter Crouch scored the only goal as the London club edged City out of fourth place.
Instead, Spurs' trip to Anfield on 15th May now looks more vital after the Reds' move above them with only fifth place in the league providing a route into Europe this season.
Liverpool have not lost at Anfield in 2011 with Kenny Dalglish taking 30 points from 15 league matches since he was appointed in the New Year.
And so, it could easily happen that Spurs will go from playing Real Madrid in the quarter finals of the Champions League this season to no European football at all in the next.
Relegation battle
WEST HAM UNITED sunk even deeper into relegation trouble after a poor start at Manchester City led to a fifth consecutive defeat at the worst possible time.
The Hammers were 2-0 down in just 20 minutes to goals from Nigel de Jong and Pablo Zabaleta and, though Demba Ba pulled one back before half time, City held firm in the second half.
The defeat leaves West Ham on 32 points, three adrift of safety with just three matches left.
Nevertheless, manager Avram Grant is still confident that seven points from fixtures against Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland will be enough for safety.
The match against Wigan in less than two weeks time looks like being curtains for the loser after the Latics were also unable to pull themselves out of the bottom three this weekend.
Roberto Martinez's side were 1-0 up at home to Everton through Charles N'Zogbia's goal but Leighton Baines' equaliser from the spot kept the home side in the relegation zone on 35 points.
It could have been worse for Wigan but Blackpool had to settle for their second home draw in a week after a 0-0 stalemate against cup finalists Stoke City, meaning the Lancashire clubs are separated just by goal difference.
And second-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers, on 34 points, could also only draw against Birmingham City whose point edges them four points clear of the drop zone on 39 points.
Alex McLeish's Blues could probably still do with another result to confirm safety, as could Blackburn just below them on 38 points despite Rovers' fine 1-0 derby win over Bolton this weekend, thanks to Martin Olsson's goal.
The Championship
Table
QUEENS PARK RANGERS and Norwich City sealed a return to the top-flight after both enjoyed away wins over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Rangers also look to have clinched the title with their 2-0 win over Watford after late goals from Adel Taarabt and Tommy Smith.
However, mystery surrounds the fate of the Loftus Road club who must attend an FA hearing this week into their 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.
A significant point deduction, as expected by former FA chief Mark Palios, would drop Neil Warnock's men into the playoffs, four years after Warnock's Sheffield United team were relegated below a Carlos Tevez-inspired West Ham team in the Premier League.
Tevez, like Faurlin, had been signed from a third party and, though the Hammers achieved safety and subsequently no deduction, Football League rules changed as a result of the saga.
QPR are currently on 88 points, five clear of Norwich in second and nine clear of Cardiff City in third.
The Canaries have no such qualms over their status as Paul Lambert's men clinched a brilliant second successive promotion with a tight 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
Simeon Jackson scored his ninth goal in his last seven games to confirm a complete turnaround at the Carrow Road club since they were beaten 7-1 on the opening day of 2009/10 by Lambert's Colchester United side.
This was not a classic performance from Norwich who have beaten rivals Ipswich Town 4-1 and 5-1 in their two matches this season but it was enough to seal a place back in the elite after Cardiff's slip up.
Playoff contenders
CARDIFF fans were stunned after a 3-0 home defeat to mid-table Middlesbrough condemned the Welsh club to the playoffs once again.
Dave Jones will hope that his team's experience in the end-of-season competition this season will be better than last year when the Bluebirds reached Wembley only to be shocked in the Final by Blackpool.
There is the distinct chance this time of an all-Welsh final with Swansea City sitting in fourth on 79 points while fifth-placed Reading's push for automatic promotion eventually faltered.
The Royals had put together a run of eight consecutive wins to move within three points of second place but just two points from their last three matches means Brian McDermott's side also has an extended season.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest look set to edge Leeds United out of the final playoff place after Kris Boyd scored twice in a 5-1 thumping of Scunthorpe United.
Billy Davies' men, thus, stay three points clear of their Yorkshire rivals who narrowly beat Burnley 1-0 thanks to Ross McCormack's neat finish.
But, with a goal difference six better than Leeds thanks to that big win over Scunthorpe, Forest could most likely even afford defeat at Crystal Palace on the final day and still finish in the top six.
Leeds can only hope to capitalise with a big win away at Queens Park Rangers, which is easier said than done.
Relegation
LONG-TIME strugglers Sheffield United, Scunthorpe and Preston North End have all been relegated to League One.
The three clubs have been ever-present in the bottom three since the New Year and eventually time has run out for all of them.
In the end, it was Sheffield United who came closest out of the three to rescuing their season.
A brace of 3-2 wins against Bristol City and Reading over Easter had given the Blades some hope of pulling off a great escape but they failed at the third hurdle in a 2-2 draw with Barnsley.
As a result, United join city rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the third flight from the next season, the first time since the 1979-80 season that this has been the case.
Meanwhile, the 5-1 thrashing for Scunthorpe by Forest also confirmed that the Irons' two-year stay in the Championship has come to an end - although Easter Monday's 2-1 defeat at home to Millwall pretty much sealed their fate.
The loss to Millwall left Alan Knill's men six points adrift of safety with only two games left and the worst goal difference in the division.
Finally, Preston North End will also be in the third flight after their relegation was confirmed on Easter Monday after a 1-0 defeat at home to Cardiff.
Doncaster Rovers and Crystal Palace are the clubs immediately above the drop zone who can go into the final day of action breathing a sigh of relief.
League One
Table
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION will host Championship-level football at their new stadium in Falmer after sealing the League One title with a 3-1 win at Walsall.
The Seagulls' form has since dropped away somewhat with two defeats and a draw from their last three games but only after the hard work has already been done.
Up until those recent home defeats to Southampton and Huddersfield Town, Gus Poyet's men had not lost at home all season and so finally the Withdean stadium has been good to the south coast club.
But it is surely better that the club is now moving into a ground which it actually owns and which can produce a better atmosphere than a council-owned athletic stadium.
Brighton may yet be joined in the second tier by both Southampton and Huddersfield who are second and third in the table.
The Saints all-but confirmed their return to the Championship after a two-year absence by beating Plymouth Argyle 3-1 on Bank Holiday Monday.
Nigel Adkin's men are now three points clear of the Terriers with a vastly superior goal difference meaning even a final day defeat against Walsall at home will surely not deny them.
Playoff contenders
HUDDERSFIELD, then, will have to be content with the end-of-season playoffs, a barely deserved reward for a fine effort this season which has seen the west Yorkshire club collect 86 points.
Lee Clark will have to lift his team and ensure that they can achieve promotion after all by extending their remarkable unbeaten record beyond its current streak of 24 games.
The Terriers are joined in the playoffs by free-scoring Peterborough United, Milton Keynes Dons and Bournemouth.
Posh scored their 100th and 101st league goals on Saturday against Rochdale but keeping them out of the other end has proved to be just as big an issue with no fewer than 75 goals conceded.
By contrast, the Dons have only scored 65 goals - the lowest of the top six - while Bournemouth will just be relieved to have hung onto a playoff place after their collapse in form during March and April.
Leyton Orient, Exeter City and Rochdale all gave a good show considering their resources but all fell short of extending their season on this occasion.
Relegation
SWINDON TOWN were defeated in the playoff final last season but, 12 months on, the Robins will finish rock-bottom of League One.
It is an astonishing fall from grace for the Wiltshire club whose relegation was confirmed after a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Easter Monday.
A further 2-0 home defeat to Oldham Athletic means Swindon have lost their last four games and won just one out of their last 23 in the league, leaving them stranded on 38 points.
Second-bottom Plymouth Argyle are also down after yesterday's 3-1 defeat to Southampton having lost a Devon derby to Exeter 1-0 two days ago.
The Pilgrims were playing in the Championship last season but falling into administration in February this season meant they were deducted 10 points and that has ultimately led to a second successive demotion.
Meanwhile, third-bottom Bristol Rovers can also start preparing for the basement division after a 1-1 draw with Wednesday left them three points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in League One.
The Pirates have conceded 80 goals in the league this season, more than any other team, meaning their goal difference of -33 is much worse than that of Dagenham & Redbridge (-13) and Walsall (-17).
Those two clubs, Dagenham and Walsall, will battle it out with Notts County (-14) to avoid the final relegation place.
The Magpies hold the strongest position after recent wins over Swindon and Tranmere Rovers have helped them to 49 points, two points clear of fourth-bottom Dagenham on 47.
Walsall are sandwiched between the two clubs on 48 points with a slightly worse goal difference than the others and a tough fixture away at Southampton.
Having said that, Notts face champions Brighton at home while Dagenham travel to Peterborough - another opponent in the top six.
League Two
Table
CHESTERFIELD remain in pole position to lift the League Two title despite just one win in their last five league games.
The already-promoted Spireites drew their most recent match 0-0 on Friday against Torquay United but stayed top on 83 points after second-placed Bury blew the chance to move above them.
Bury, who beat Chesterfield 3-2 on Easter Monday to secure their own promotion, were beaten 3-1 by third-placed Wycombe Wanderers to stay on 80 points.
The Chairboys, on 77 points, are unbeaten in their last nine league matches and, sitting a point clear of Shrewsbury Town, the Buckinghamshire club are favourites for the final automatic spot.
Shrewsbury are the only team which can deny Wycombe by gaining a better result at home to Oxford United than Wycombe manage against Southend United at home.
Playoff contenders
IT IS more than likely, then, that the Shrews with have to settle for the playoffs along side Accrington Stanley who have had a brilliant second half of the season to secure fifth place.
Stanley have lost just once in their last 18 league games to shoot up the league from as low as 19th place in February to their current heady heights.
A comfortable 3-1 win at home against Barnet has extended their current unbeaten streak to 12 matches and manager John Coleman will hope that his side can keep their momentum going into the playoffs.
The final two playoff spots will be filled by two of Torquay United, Stevenage and Gillingham, all of whom are on 68 points.
Torquay have the advantage of a better goal difference (+23) than the other two which is +17 for Stevenage and +12 for Gillingham.
And, while the Borough and the Gills battle it out against title chasers Bury and Chesterfield respectively, the Gulls also have the best fixture against Rotherham United who have nothing to play for.
Relegation
STOCKPORT COUNTY were relegated on Saturday after they went down to a 2-0 defeat Crewe Alexandra.
The Hatters survived at 0-0 until the break but, needing to win the game to have any chance, it all fell apart for them in the space of three second-half minutes.
An own goal by Alan Goodall and a Clayton Donaldson strike confirmed Stockport's long-awaited demise - they were the 94th and 95th goals to be conceded by the Manchester club in the league this season.
Stockport will be joined in the Blue Square Premier by either Barnet or Lincoln City after Northampton Town won and Hereford United drew to confirm their safety of 49 points.
Barnet were in a similar position to Stockport at one stage and so they have done well to make it to the last day still harbouring real hopes of survival.
The Bees, on 45 points, are two behind Lincoln but the north Londoners have a much better goal difference (-20, as compared to -33 for Lincoln) and so even a draw for the Imps could be capitalised upon.
Giuliano Grazioli, the caretaker boss at Underhill, still has it all to do, though, against Port Vale at home who left their playoff push too late despite hitting seven past Morecambe on Saturday.
By contrast, Lincoln have what looks to be an easier match on paper against mid-table Aldershot Town at home - but, then, football has never been played on paper and never will be.
Blue Square Premier
Table
CRAWLEY TOWN gained automatic promotion as far back ago as 9th April when they beat Tamworth Town 3-0 at home.
Since then, the Red Devils have won three more matches and drawn the other two to extend their unbeaten run to 30 league games, scoring 93 goals and collecting 105 point along the way.
AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town have long since accepted that they would have to settle for the playoffs despite making strong efforts to finish on 90 and 84 points respectively.
The Dons and the Hatters are joined in the playoffs by Wrexham and Fleetwood Town, a fine effort by the latter only a year after they were promoted from the Blue Square North.
Wrexham, who face Luton, will be familiar with their opponents having met them in a 1-1 draw on the last day of the regular season while Wimbledon will start as clear favourites against Lancastrians Fleetwood.
Fleetwood's near neighbours Southport are heading in the opposite direction after a 3-1 defeat at Kettering sent them down by the margin of just two goals. Forest Green Rovers were the lucky club which just survived.
Altrincham also went down on the last day after a dramatic 4-3 defeat at home to already-relegated Eastbourne Borough.
The Robins suffered a nightmare first half, falling three goals behind, before a fine second half comeback levelled the scores at 3-3.
But, needing to win to have any chance of staying up, Altrincham were caught out when Eastbourne's George Purcell struck a last-minute winner.
Second-bottom Eastbourne and rock-bottom Histon had been relegated weeks ago. Histon went down after a 2-0 defeat at Gateshead while Eastbourne joined them after a 1-1 draw at home to Kidderminster Harriers.
Alfreton Town have been promoted from the Blue Square North while Braintree Town have come up from the South division.
Two further promotion places will be decided by playoffs in both divisions. AFC Telford United, Boston United, Eastwood Town and Guiseley are in the North playoffs and, in the South, the four teams are Farnborough, Ebbsfleet United, Chelmsford and Woking.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
The Season 2010/11 - FA Cup semi finals: Manchester City and Stoke City end their long wait
Manchester City 1 (Y Toure 52)
Manchester United 0
Manchester City Hart - Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov - De Jong, Barry, A Johnson (Wright-Phillips 79), Yaya Toure - Silva (Vieira 86), Balotelli. Booked: Kompany, Zabaleta, De Jong, Balotelli. Unused subs: Taylor, Boyata, Milner, Dzeko, Jo.
Manchester United Van der Sar - O'Shea (F da Silva 84), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra - Park, Scholes, Carrick, Valencia, Nani (Hernandez 65) - Berbatov (Anderson 74). Sent off: Scholes. Unused subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Smalling, Gibson.
Attendance 86,549 at Wembley Referee Mike Dean (The Wirral) Kick-off 5.15pm
Live on ITV
MANCHESTER CITY reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in 30 years after they beat Manchester United 1-0 thanks to Yaya Toure's goal.
Toure took advantage of a succession of United defensive errors to score early in the second half and City comfortably held out for a deserved win.
The decisive moment came as Rio Ferdinand failed in his aim to let the ball run out for a goal kick. Instead, the England defender hurried Edwin van der Sar into a poor clearance, and the ball then fell to Michael Carrick.
The Wallsend-born midfielder gifted the ball to Toure and the Ivorian shrugged off the challenge of Nemanja Vidic before coolly slipping the ball between van der Sar's legs.
It was no more than City deserved after they had stunned United with a dominant second-half display, characterised by an attacking verve that Roberto Mancini should employ more readily in the league.
Meanwhile, Paul Scholes hardly helped the Red Devils' cause after he was sent off on 73 minutes for a nasty, thigh-high challenge on Pablo Zabaleta.
To any seasoned football follower, the sight of Scholes piling in high and late did not come as a surprise.
Indeed, the 36-year-old has made a habit of scything challenges throughout his career. As such, he is the third-most booked player in Premier League history and the most cautioned in the Champions League.
On this occasion, it proved costly as United - already without the banned Wayne Rooney - struggled even more to chase the game.
Their frustration boiled over on full time as Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli were at the centre of a scuffle before the former then jabbed his fingers in the direction of City coach David Platt.
Clearly, Balotelli's exuberant celebrations in front of what was left of the United fans riled Ferdinand but the reaction of the former England captain just made him come across as a sore loser.
United had actually started the match better with Dimitar Berbatov firing straight at Joe Hart when clean through just moments before slicing over the bar after good work down the left by Nani.
But, as the Bulgarian turned to try and convert Nani's cross, he appeared to injure himself and he was subdued until being replaced late on by Anderson.
City's finally created their first chance midway through the first half as Gareth Barry turned sharply in the box and hit the side netting.
Fuelled by a sudden surge of self-belief, Mancini's men started to come forward with more purpose as van der Sar saved from Balotelli and Vincent Kompany fired inches wide.
And, though the game was goalless at the break, City continued to have the upper hand on its resumption with Toure making the breakthrough on 52 minutes.
Even after the goal, United struggled to contain City. Adam Johnson almost caught out van der Sar with a near-post shot before Joleon Lescott, unmarked, headed off target.
With time running out, Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to turn the tide by replacing Antonio Valencia with Javier Hernandez.
However, his other substitutions - Anderson for Berbatov and Fabio da Silva for John O'Shea - never seemed likely to change the course of this match.
In the meantime, Ryan Giggs was surprisingly not in the squad while Michael Owen was left kicking his heels on the bench as City began to play against the ten men on the break.
Still, the City fans did not need to worry about their team's earlier profligacy as United only had one second half chance of note from a Nani free-kick which was tipped onto the bar brilliantly by Hart.
Even the announcement of five stoppage time minutes could not inspire the traditional late siege from United. Instead, it just became a way for the City fans to count down the seconds until the full-time whistle.
And, as soon as it sounded, the blue half of the stadium unsurprisingly broke into wild celebrations while Mancini surely let out a huge sigh of relief.
With his expensively-assembled team struggling again to compete at the top end of the league, this was a massive result for him, personally.
He now has the chance to write himself in the City history books by leading the club to their first major trophy since 1976 and their first FA Cup win since 1969.
Will the years of waiting finally end on Saturday, 14th May? Well, Bolton Wanderers or Stoke City are sure to have something to say about that...
Bolton Wanderers 0
Stoke City 5 (Etherington 11, Huth 17, Jones 30, Walters 68, 81)
Bolton Wanderers Jaaskelainen - Steinsson, Knight, Cahill, Robinson - Muamba (Moreno 73), Lee, Petrov (M Davies 46), K Davies - Klasnic (Taylor 46), Elmander. Booked: Robinson. Unused subs: Bogdan, Cohen, Alonso, Wheater.
Stoke City Sorensen - Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson - Pennant (Whitehead 78), Delap, Whelan, Etherington (Pugh 87) - Walters, Jones (Fuller 84). Unused subs: Nash, Diao, Carew, Faye.
Attendance 75,064 at Wembley Referee Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) Kick-off 4pm
Live on ESPN
STOKE CITY will play in their first ever FA Cup Final after battering Bolton Wanderers 5-0 with a brilliant performance at Wembley.
Matthew Etherington, Robert Huth, Kenwyne Jones and two second half Jon Walters strikes sent the Potters potty as Tony Pulis' men produced one of the most comprehensive semi final displays ever.
Stoke ran Bolton ragged all afternoon having gained the advantage of an early lead through Etherington's superb 22-yard shot past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Pulis' men doubled their lead eight minutes later when Gary Cahill's poor clearance fell straight to Huth who made no mistake from the edge of the box.
And it was 3-0 with less than half an hour played after Jones converted a one-on-one having been played in by the excellent Jermaine Pennant.
Bolton were shell-shocked and had made a significant contribution to their own downfall on each of the goals.
The first goal came as a result of them giving the ball away, Cahill must take some responsibility for the second, and Martin Pertrov was robbed by Pennant for the third.
It was no surprise then to see Bolton manager Owen Coyle ring the changes at half time with Petrov and Ivan Klasnic hauled off for Mark Davies and Matthew Taylor.
But it got no better for the Trotters as Stoke resumed their complete dominance at the start of the second period.
Ryan Shawcross went close with a header from a Rory Delap throw before Jones and Walters both tested the Finnish custodian Jaaskelainen in quick succession.
Walters did get his goal shortly afterwards, though, making it 4-0. The Republic of Ireland international was allowed to run at the defence and unleash a powerful drive which fizzed into bottom corner from 25 yards.
Stoke, who are much derided as long ball merchants with an over-reliance on Delap's long throws, had upset the odds with a collection of cracking goals but Coyle will be upset that Bolton made it so easy.
The Trotters were barely noticeable as an attacking force throughout, finally managing a effort on goal on 71 minutes when substitute Taylor brought Thomas Sorensen into serious action for the first time.
Appropriately, though, it was Stoke who had the final say in this match as Walters completed the rout after Jones' deflected cross fell kindly to him.
That goal may have been tinged with luck but even Stoke's biggest detractors must give them credit for producing this performance on the big stage.
And, to older Potters fans, this victory must easily make up for the FA Cup disappointments when they lost at the semi final stage to Arsenal in successive seasons in 1971 and 1972, their second and third semi final defeats.
At least the second loss in 1972 was tempered somewhat by having won the League Cup that season but that remains Stoke's last major honour.
Bolton have to go back as far as 1958 for their last trophy when a Nat Lofthouse scored twice in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup Final.
The legendary Lofthouse died in January this year and a Bolton Cup win this season would have been an apt way in which to note his passing.
But it was not to be after Coyle's men produced a horror show.
The Scot has deservedly received much credit for transforming Bolton from relegation strugglers under Gary Megson into a top half side.
By giving big interviews to the BBC and the Guardian before the game, though, he was perhaps guilty of courting the media prematurely.
The irony is that Cup semi final losers are rarely, if ever, remembered - and, after this thrashing, it is Stoke - not Bolton - who deserve their day in the sun in May.
And, having being formed in 1863 - 148 years ago - it has certainly been a long time coming!
Manchester United 0
Manchester City Hart - Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov - De Jong, Barry, A Johnson (Wright-Phillips 79), Yaya Toure - Silva (Vieira 86), Balotelli. Booked: Kompany, Zabaleta, De Jong, Balotelli. Unused subs: Taylor, Boyata, Milner, Dzeko, Jo.
Manchester United Van der Sar - O'Shea (F da Silva 84), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra - Park, Scholes, Carrick, Valencia, Nani (Hernandez 65) - Berbatov (Anderson 74). Sent off: Scholes. Unused subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Smalling, Gibson.
Attendance 86,549 at Wembley Referee Mike Dean (The Wirral) Kick-off 5.15pm
Live on ITV
MANCHESTER CITY reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in 30 years after they beat Manchester United 1-0 thanks to Yaya Toure's goal.
Toure took advantage of a succession of United defensive errors to score early in the second half and City comfortably held out for a deserved win.
The decisive moment came as Rio Ferdinand failed in his aim to let the ball run out for a goal kick. Instead, the England defender hurried Edwin van der Sar into a poor clearance, and the ball then fell to Michael Carrick.
The Wallsend-born midfielder gifted the ball to Toure and the Ivorian shrugged off the challenge of Nemanja Vidic before coolly slipping the ball between van der Sar's legs.
It was no more than City deserved after they had stunned United with a dominant second-half display, characterised by an attacking verve that Roberto Mancini should employ more readily in the league.
Meanwhile, Paul Scholes hardly helped the Red Devils' cause after he was sent off on 73 minutes for a nasty, thigh-high challenge on Pablo Zabaleta.
To any seasoned football follower, the sight of Scholes piling in high and late did not come as a surprise.
Indeed, the 36-year-old has made a habit of scything challenges throughout his career. As such, he is the third-most booked player in Premier League history and the most cautioned in the Champions League.
On this occasion, it proved costly as United - already without the banned Wayne Rooney - struggled even more to chase the game.
Their frustration boiled over on full time as Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli were at the centre of a scuffle before the former then jabbed his fingers in the direction of City coach David Platt.
Clearly, Balotelli's exuberant celebrations in front of what was left of the United fans riled Ferdinand but the reaction of the former England captain just made him come across as a sore loser.
United had actually started the match better with Dimitar Berbatov firing straight at Joe Hart when clean through just moments before slicing over the bar after good work down the left by Nani.
But, as the Bulgarian turned to try and convert Nani's cross, he appeared to injure himself and he was subdued until being replaced late on by Anderson.
City's finally created their first chance midway through the first half as Gareth Barry turned sharply in the box and hit the side netting.
Fuelled by a sudden surge of self-belief, Mancini's men started to come forward with more purpose as van der Sar saved from Balotelli and Vincent Kompany fired inches wide.
And, though the game was goalless at the break, City continued to have the upper hand on its resumption with Toure making the breakthrough on 52 minutes.
Even after the goal, United struggled to contain City. Adam Johnson almost caught out van der Sar with a near-post shot before Joleon Lescott, unmarked, headed off target.
With time running out, Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to turn the tide by replacing Antonio Valencia with Javier Hernandez.
However, his other substitutions - Anderson for Berbatov and Fabio da Silva for John O'Shea - never seemed likely to change the course of this match.
In the meantime, Ryan Giggs was surprisingly not in the squad while Michael Owen was left kicking his heels on the bench as City began to play against the ten men on the break.
Still, the City fans did not need to worry about their team's earlier profligacy as United only had one second half chance of note from a Nani free-kick which was tipped onto the bar brilliantly by Hart.
Even the announcement of five stoppage time minutes could not inspire the traditional late siege from United. Instead, it just became a way for the City fans to count down the seconds until the full-time whistle.
And, as soon as it sounded, the blue half of the stadium unsurprisingly broke into wild celebrations while Mancini surely let out a huge sigh of relief.
With his expensively-assembled team struggling again to compete at the top end of the league, this was a massive result for him, personally.
He now has the chance to write himself in the City history books by leading the club to their first major trophy since 1976 and their first FA Cup win since 1969.
Will the years of waiting finally end on Saturday, 14th May? Well, Bolton Wanderers or Stoke City are sure to have something to say about that...
Bolton Wanderers 0
Stoke City 5 (Etherington 11, Huth 17, Jones 30, Walters 68, 81)
Bolton Wanderers Jaaskelainen - Steinsson, Knight, Cahill, Robinson - Muamba (Moreno 73), Lee, Petrov (M Davies 46), K Davies - Klasnic (Taylor 46), Elmander. Booked: Robinson. Unused subs: Bogdan, Cohen, Alonso, Wheater.
Stoke City Sorensen - Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson - Pennant (Whitehead 78), Delap, Whelan, Etherington (Pugh 87) - Walters, Jones (Fuller 84). Unused subs: Nash, Diao, Carew, Faye.
Attendance 75,064 at Wembley Referee Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) Kick-off 4pm
Live on ESPN
STOKE CITY will play in their first ever FA Cup Final after battering Bolton Wanderers 5-0 with a brilliant performance at Wembley.
Matthew Etherington, Robert Huth, Kenwyne Jones and two second half Jon Walters strikes sent the Potters potty as Tony Pulis' men produced one of the most comprehensive semi final displays ever.
Stoke ran Bolton ragged all afternoon having gained the advantage of an early lead through Etherington's superb 22-yard shot past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Pulis' men doubled their lead eight minutes later when Gary Cahill's poor clearance fell straight to Huth who made no mistake from the edge of the box.
And it was 3-0 with less than half an hour played after Jones converted a one-on-one having been played in by the excellent Jermaine Pennant.
Bolton were shell-shocked and had made a significant contribution to their own downfall on each of the goals.
The first goal came as a result of them giving the ball away, Cahill must take some responsibility for the second, and Martin Pertrov was robbed by Pennant for the third.
It was no surprise then to see Bolton manager Owen Coyle ring the changes at half time with Petrov and Ivan Klasnic hauled off for Mark Davies and Matthew Taylor.
But it got no better for the Trotters as Stoke resumed their complete dominance at the start of the second period.
Ryan Shawcross went close with a header from a Rory Delap throw before Jones and Walters both tested the Finnish custodian Jaaskelainen in quick succession.
Walters did get his goal shortly afterwards, though, making it 4-0. The Republic of Ireland international was allowed to run at the defence and unleash a powerful drive which fizzed into bottom corner from 25 yards.
Stoke, who are much derided as long ball merchants with an over-reliance on Delap's long throws, had upset the odds with a collection of cracking goals but Coyle will be upset that Bolton made it so easy.
The Trotters were barely noticeable as an attacking force throughout, finally managing a effort on goal on 71 minutes when substitute Taylor brought Thomas Sorensen into serious action for the first time.
Appropriately, though, it was Stoke who had the final say in this match as Walters completed the rout after Jones' deflected cross fell kindly to him.
That goal may have been tinged with luck but even Stoke's biggest detractors must give them credit for producing this performance on the big stage.
And, to older Potters fans, this victory must easily make up for the FA Cup disappointments when they lost at the semi final stage to Arsenal in successive seasons in 1971 and 1972, their second and third semi final defeats.
At least the second loss in 1972 was tempered somewhat by having won the League Cup that season but that remains Stoke's last major honour.
Bolton have to go back as far as 1958 for their last trophy when a Nat Lofthouse scored twice in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup Final.
The legendary Lofthouse died in January this year and a Bolton Cup win this season would have been an apt way in which to note his passing.
But it was not to be after Coyle's men produced a horror show.
The Scot has deservedly received much credit for transforming Bolton from relegation strugglers under Gary Megson into a top half side.
By giving big interviews to the BBC and the Guardian before the game, though, he was perhaps guilty of courting the media prematurely.
The irony is that Cup semi final losers are rarely, if ever, remembered - and, after this thrashing, it is Stoke - not Bolton - who deserve their day in the sun in May.
And, having being formed in 1863 - 148 years ago - it has certainly been a long time coming!
Monday, 4 April 2011
The Season 2010/11: Rooney banned for hat-trick rant as Manchester United move in on title
Premier League
Table
WAYNE ROONEY picked up a two-match ban today for his foul-mouthed tirade at the camera after scoring a hat-trick in Manchester United's 4-2 win at West Ham United.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men came from 2-0 down at half time with a fine second half performance as Rooney struck three times and Javier Hernandez once.
Two Mark Noble penalties had given the Hammers their deserved two-goal half time lead with Nemanja Vidic lucky to stay on the pitch for a foul on Demba Ba.
But the Rooney show began on 65 minutes with a brilliant curling free-kick before the England striker equalised eight minutes later.
Rooney tucked away a penalty on 79 minutes to give the Red Devils the lead before Hernandez wrapped up the win with a tap-in.
The victory came on a potentially decisive day in the Premier League title race as Arsenal and Chelsea later drew with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City.
Manchester United are now seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal while Chelsea dropped to fourth behind Manchester City.
City moved third with perhaps their finest display of the season as five different scorers contributed to a 5-0 thumping of Sunderland.
Roberto Mancini's men were 2-0 up in 15 minutes after an Adam Johnson strike and a Carlos Tevez penalty.
Another two quick goals in the second half by David Silva and Patrick Vieira ended the game as a contest before Yaya Toure rubbed further salt in the wounds late on.
City have 56 points from 31 games - ahead of Chelsea by one point and Tottenham Hotspur by six - but both London clubs have a game in hand.
Fifth-placed Spurs disappointed this weekend with their third successive 0-0 draw in all competitions, this time against Wigan Athletic.
There was the feeling that Harry Redknapp's men were keeping their powder dry for their Champions League quarter final clash against Real Madrid this week.
But, at this rate, they will struggle to qualify for Europe's elite competition through the league this season.
Instead, Spurs may have to make do with the Europa League but that is more than Liverpool can expect from their woeful campaign.
The Reds lost their 12th league game of 2010/11 against West Bromwich Albion though Kenny Dalglish's team still look set for a sixth-place finish.
West Brom's win at the Hawthorns came thanks to two penalties from Chris Brunt and pulled the Baggies four points clear of the drop zone.
It was a good day for Roy Hodgson who got one over on the club who sacked him while another of his previous clubs, Fulham, also pulled themselves clear.
On the day that a Michael Jackson statue was unveiled outside of Craven Cottage, Mark Hughes' men produced a thriller of a performance to beat Blackpool 3-0.
Ian Holloway's Seasiders struggled defensively as Bobby Zamora scored twice to leave them vulnerable in 17th, just one point and one place above the relegation zone.
West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic currently fill those places they all failed to win this weekend.
While West Ham lost against Manchester United and Wigan Athletic drew at Spurs, Wolves were dreadfully disappointing in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
The Magpies stormed into a 3-0 lead just after half-time following goals from Kevin Nolan, Shola Ameobi and Peter Lovenkrands.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake gave Mick McCarthy's men some hope but Jonas Gutierrez killed that off with the fourth in stoppage time.
West Ham and Wolves are one point adrift of safety with Wigan two points behind their Lancashire rivals Blackpool.
Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Aston Villa all remain in trouble at the bottom, just two points clear of the drop.
The pressure on Villa increased further after they failed to win at Everton despite Darren Bent giving them the lead twice.
But Blackburn and Birmingham had better days with Rovers gaining a point in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal while the Blues beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0.
The Championship
Table
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE scored twice as Queens Park Rangers continued their march to the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
Routledge, on loan from Newcastle United where he won the Championship last season, opened the scoring on 29 minutes with a volley.
Alejandro Faurlin doubled the lead with a 20-yard drive after a corner had only been half-cleared by the Blades' defence.
Then Routledge wrapped up the three points with a shot across the goalkeeper to put Rangers nine points clear.
Norwich City are in second place on 70 points after Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson both scored hat-tricks in a 6-0 win over Scunthorpe United.
The Canaries are four points clear of Welsh pair Cardiff City and Swansea City who enjoyed contrasting fortunes this weekend.
While Cardiff were beating Derby County 4-1, the Swans lost 2-1 at bottom of the table Preston North End thanks to Ian Hume's late goal.
Leeds United are fifth after their 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest, which was shown live on BBC1.
Simon Grayson's men took advantage of Chris Cohen's harsh sending off for Forest by hitting four second half goals in front of almost 30,000 at Elland Road.
Forest have now failed to win any of their last nine games meaning Reading have now moved above them into the playoff spots.
The Royals are the form team of the division with 16 points out of their last 18 propelling them into the top six.
They have a chance to extend that run further on Tuesday with their game in hand against Preston.
Of course, that match is just as vital for the Lilywhites who remain entrenched in the bottom three despite victory over Swansea.
At least that win lifted the proud Lancashire club off the bottom and above Scunthorpe, though both clubs have just 34 points.
But, whereas Phil Brown's Preston look up for the fight, the Irons' body language at Norwich suggested there was not much left in them.
Similarly, Sheffield United - who are just one point better off - look doomed after that defeat at Loftus Road.
Despite Preston's recent efforts, it looks like the bottom three, as they are now, will go down with fourth-bottom Crystal Palace seven points clear.
That is a lot of breathing room at this stage and the Eagles further boosted their chances with a 2-1 win over Barnsley at Selhurst Park.
James Vaughan, on loan from Everton, scored the late winner with a penalty after Neil Danns and Marlon Harewood had shared first-half goals.
League One
Table
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION look set to christen their new stadium in Falmer with Championship football after eight straight wins in March left them sitting pretty at the top of League One.
Gus Poyet's men actually dropped points for the first time since the end of February in a 2-2 draw with Rochdale on Saturday but the Seagulls still remain 11 points clear as it stands.
Huddersfield Town are in second place, on 73 points, on the back of a 19-match unbeaten run which stretches back to the end of 2010.
But third-placed Southampton are breathing down the Terriers neck after also hitting form. The Saints are just two points behind with two games in hand after their 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic tonight made it 19 points out of their last 21.
Peterborough United, in fourth on 70 points, also remain in the hunt for automatic promotion. But, despite taking their goal tally in the League to 93 for the season, Darren Ferguson's men have been hampered by poor recent form.
Posh took just two points from games against Milton Keynes Dons and Bristol Rovers away, and Bournemouth at home.
In fairness to Ferguson, those were tough fixtures with MK Dons in fifth, Bournemouth in sixth and Rovers having improved to drag themselves away from the bottom.
But, unlike Posh, neither the Dons nor the Cherries are in a position to join Brighton in securing automatic promotion, lying eight and 10 points behind Huddersfield respectively.
More likely, they will be satisfied with retaining their playoff spot and denying the likes of seventh-placed Rochdale and Leyton Orient, in eighth, both of whom continue to threaten a top-six finish.
That represents a magnificent effort in particular by the Dale having only been promoted from the basement division for the first time in 36 years last season.
Undoubtedly heading that way are Plymouth Argyle who were playing in the Championship last season.
Now the Pilgrims are staring into the abyss, having already been deducted 10 points for going into administration, leaving them nine adrift of safety on 33 from 39 games.
Swindon Town have similarly crashed hard this season after losing the League One playoff final last year. The Robins have now failed to win in 18 matches to lie seven points adrift of safety on 35 from 40 matches.
The other clubs currently in the relegation places, Walsall and Dagenham & Redbridge, retain more hope of survival as they are only two points and one point adrift respectively.
Fifth-bottom Notts County are in the most danger of being caught and they parted with Paul Ince by mutual consent, leaving Chris Powell at Charlton as the only black manager in English league football.
Ince leaves the Magpies on the edge of the trap door on 42 points though they have a game in hand on Walsall and Dagenham below them.
Bristol Rovers and Tranmere Rovers also remain in trouble on 43 points each with the former having played 40 games, more than any of their relegation rivals except Swindon.
Against that, though, the Pirates are sixth in the form table over the last six games, having won four and drawn one, including a 1-0 win over Bournemouth tonight.
By contrast, Tranmere have won just one of their last 11 games and went down to a 4-0 hammering by mid-table Sheffield Wednesday in their most recent match.
Meanwhile, at Wembley, the Football League Trophy Final was contested by two mid-table League One teams, Carlisle United and Brentford.
Greg Abbott's Carlisle, who were beaten 4-1 in the Final last season by Southampton, proved better for that horrid experience by grinding out a 1-0 win over the Bees in front of a crowd of 40,476 this time.
Long-serving defender Peter Murphy celebrated the birth of his first child two days prior by scoring the winner on 12 minutes and the Cumbrians held on for their second Football League Trophy from six finals appearances.
League Two
Table
CHESTERFIELD completed a routine 2-0 home win over Port Vale on Saturday as they consolidated their big lead at the top of League Two.
John Sheridan's Spireites hold a 10 point advantage over Wycombe Wanderers in second after the Chairboys failed to take full advantage of their game in hand by drawing 0-0 with Hereford United tonight.
Still, that point put Wycombe on 68 points, two clear of Shrewsbury Town in third after the Shropshire side improved their chances of promotion with a three-match winning run.
However, Bury - in fourth on 65 points - are just a point adrift of the Shrews with a game in hand though they have won just one of their last five matches.
Fifth-placed Stevenage look a better bet to sneak into the top three after their 2-1 win over Bradford City on Saturday made it six wins in a row and nine wins in 11 games.
If the Boro had not started the season so tentatively, then they would already be in an automatic promotion spot but, as it is, they are still just three points below Shrewsbury in third.
Accrington Stanley are also on 63 points after they won their game in hand over Southend United 3-1 to extend their winning run to three matches and their unbeaten run to seven.
And Torquay United, on 62 points, remain in contention after their 2-0 win over Lincoln City kept them in the last playoff position, just four points adrift of third.
Gillingham, on 61 points, Port Vale, on 60 points, and Rotherham United, on 59, all harbour realistic hopes of securing at least a playoff place as the season moves into its final six games.
The Gills have lost just twice in the League since November but nine draws out of their last 13 matches have rather undermined their promotion effort.
Meanwhile, Port Vale and Rotherham have started to struggle at the worst possible time. Vale have won just one of their last seven matches, while the Millers have won just one of their last eight.
The Yorkshire club also parted company with manager Ronnie Moore in the middle of that run after a 5-0 defeat to champions-elect Chesterfield before going on to beat Lincoln 6-0 in their next game.
Fifth-bottom Lincoln have now lost their last four matches and remain on just 46 points but this is still some eight clear of the bottom two in the relegation places, Barnet and Stockport County.
The struggling pair's best hopes lie in the form of Northampton Town and Burton Albion who cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium tonight.
The stalemate leaves the Cobblers on 43 points from 40 games - and without a win in 14 games - as they edge five points away from the drop zone.
Burton have two games in hand on all the teams around them though they currently have just 41 points from 38 matches.
And those extra games for the Brewers - at Bury and Bradford City - mean the bottom two remain strong favourites for the drop.
Barnet are in the slightly better position on 38 points having beaten Burton 4-1 in their most recent game, giving Martin Allen - nicknamed Mad Dog - a great start to life at Underhill.
Less likely to survive are Stockport whose 2-0 defeat at Wycombe left the Hatters six points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in the Football League.
Blue Square Premier
Table
CRAWLEY TOWN crept to within a single win of promotion to the Football League after gaining a 1-1 draw at York City to extend their unbeaten run in the Blue Square Premier to 24 games tonight.
The Red Devils, who also caused a fright to their identically-nicknamed superiors Manchester United in the FA Cup Fifth Round, are now 14 points clear of AFC Wimbledon.
Wimbledon now appear to have recovered from a four-game winless wobble by winning their last two but it is blatantly clear now that the Dons must now prepare for the playoffs.
Third-placed Luton Town are also resigned to an extension of their season having won just one of their last six games despite replacing manager Richard Money with Gary Brabin during that run.
Wrexham, in fourth on 70 points, look fairly likely to be in a playoff spot but the last place is very much up for grabs.
Fleetwood Town, only just promoted from Blue Square North last season, currently occupy fifth spot on 66 points but Kidderminster Harriers are level on points with a game in hand.
The Harriers would already been in there, save for a five-point deduction, but they enter into the run-in on the back of a 14 match unbeaten run making them clear favourites for fifth.
Nevertheless, York - who are three points behind on 63 points - and Newport County - six behind on 60 - will still harbour hopes of a late dash.
At the bottom, there is a mad scramble to avoid relegation with two points separating Barrow AFC in 17th and Altrincham in 22nd.
All the teams expect Barrow have played 41 games with the Cumbrian outfit having the benefit of a game in hand.
As it stands tonight, Barrow have 43 points with that game in hand, Tamworth also have 43 points, Southport and Hayes & Yeading are on 42, and Forest Green Rovers and Altrincham currently occupy relegation places on 41.
Below them, there is little hope for Eastbourne Boro on 32 points and Histon on 27 despite both having a game in hand on all the teams above them - except for Barrow.
In Blue Square North, Alfreton Town look set to take the automatic promotion place while the title in Blue Square South is up for grabs between Braintree and Farnborough.
Braintree currently hold a one-point lead with five games left but Farnborough are in better form with 19 points out of their last 21, including most recently a 3-0 win over Hampshire rivals Eastleigh.
Table
WAYNE ROONEY picked up a two-match ban today for his foul-mouthed tirade at the camera after scoring a hat-trick in Manchester United's 4-2 win at West Ham United.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men came from 2-0 down at half time with a fine second half performance as Rooney struck three times and Javier Hernandez once.
Two Mark Noble penalties had given the Hammers their deserved two-goal half time lead with Nemanja Vidic lucky to stay on the pitch for a foul on Demba Ba.
But the Rooney show began on 65 minutes with a brilliant curling free-kick before the England striker equalised eight minutes later.
Rooney tucked away a penalty on 79 minutes to give the Red Devils the lead before Hernandez wrapped up the win with a tap-in.
The victory came on a potentially decisive day in the Premier League title race as Arsenal and Chelsea later drew with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City.
Manchester United are now seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal while Chelsea dropped to fourth behind Manchester City.
City moved third with perhaps their finest display of the season as five different scorers contributed to a 5-0 thumping of Sunderland.
Roberto Mancini's men were 2-0 up in 15 minutes after an Adam Johnson strike and a Carlos Tevez penalty.
Another two quick goals in the second half by David Silva and Patrick Vieira ended the game as a contest before Yaya Toure rubbed further salt in the wounds late on.
City have 56 points from 31 games - ahead of Chelsea by one point and Tottenham Hotspur by six - but both London clubs have a game in hand.
Fifth-placed Spurs disappointed this weekend with their third successive 0-0 draw in all competitions, this time against Wigan Athletic.
There was the feeling that Harry Redknapp's men were keeping their powder dry for their Champions League quarter final clash against Real Madrid this week.
But, at this rate, they will struggle to qualify for Europe's elite competition through the league this season.
Instead, Spurs may have to make do with the Europa League but that is more than Liverpool can expect from their woeful campaign.
The Reds lost their 12th league game of 2010/11 against West Bromwich Albion though Kenny Dalglish's team still look set for a sixth-place finish.
West Brom's win at the Hawthorns came thanks to two penalties from Chris Brunt and pulled the Baggies four points clear of the drop zone.
It was a good day for Roy Hodgson who got one over on the club who sacked him while another of his previous clubs, Fulham, also pulled themselves clear.
On the day that a Michael Jackson statue was unveiled outside of Craven Cottage, Mark Hughes' men produced a thriller of a performance to beat Blackpool 3-0.
Ian Holloway's Seasiders struggled defensively as Bobby Zamora scored twice to leave them vulnerable in 17th, just one point and one place above the relegation zone.
West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic currently fill those places they all failed to win this weekend.
While West Ham lost against Manchester United and Wigan Athletic drew at Spurs, Wolves were dreadfully disappointing in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
The Magpies stormed into a 3-0 lead just after half-time following goals from Kevin Nolan, Shola Ameobi and Peter Lovenkrands.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake gave Mick McCarthy's men some hope but Jonas Gutierrez killed that off with the fourth in stoppage time.
West Ham and Wolves are one point adrift of safety with Wigan two points behind their Lancashire rivals Blackpool.
Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Aston Villa all remain in trouble at the bottom, just two points clear of the drop.
The pressure on Villa increased further after they failed to win at Everton despite Darren Bent giving them the lead twice.
But Blackburn and Birmingham had better days with Rovers gaining a point in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal while the Blues beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0.
The Championship
Table
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE scored twice as Queens Park Rangers continued their march to the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
Routledge, on loan from Newcastle United where he won the Championship last season, opened the scoring on 29 minutes with a volley.
Alejandro Faurlin doubled the lead with a 20-yard drive after a corner had only been half-cleared by the Blades' defence.
Then Routledge wrapped up the three points with a shot across the goalkeeper to put Rangers nine points clear.
Norwich City are in second place on 70 points after Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson both scored hat-tricks in a 6-0 win over Scunthorpe United.
The Canaries are four points clear of Welsh pair Cardiff City and Swansea City who enjoyed contrasting fortunes this weekend.
While Cardiff were beating Derby County 4-1, the Swans lost 2-1 at bottom of the table Preston North End thanks to Ian Hume's late goal.
Leeds United are fifth after their 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest, which was shown live on BBC1.
Simon Grayson's men took advantage of Chris Cohen's harsh sending off for Forest by hitting four second half goals in front of almost 30,000 at Elland Road.
Forest have now failed to win any of their last nine games meaning Reading have now moved above them into the playoff spots.
The Royals are the form team of the division with 16 points out of their last 18 propelling them into the top six.
They have a chance to extend that run further on Tuesday with their game in hand against Preston.
Of course, that match is just as vital for the Lilywhites who remain entrenched in the bottom three despite victory over Swansea.
At least that win lifted the proud Lancashire club off the bottom and above Scunthorpe, though both clubs have just 34 points.
But, whereas Phil Brown's Preston look up for the fight, the Irons' body language at Norwich suggested there was not much left in them.
Similarly, Sheffield United - who are just one point better off - look doomed after that defeat at Loftus Road.
Despite Preston's recent efforts, it looks like the bottom three, as they are now, will go down with fourth-bottom Crystal Palace seven points clear.
That is a lot of breathing room at this stage and the Eagles further boosted their chances with a 2-1 win over Barnsley at Selhurst Park.
James Vaughan, on loan from Everton, scored the late winner with a penalty after Neil Danns and Marlon Harewood had shared first-half goals.
League One
Table
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION look set to christen their new stadium in Falmer with Championship football after eight straight wins in March left them sitting pretty at the top of League One.
Gus Poyet's men actually dropped points for the first time since the end of February in a 2-2 draw with Rochdale on Saturday but the Seagulls still remain 11 points clear as it stands.
Huddersfield Town are in second place, on 73 points, on the back of a 19-match unbeaten run which stretches back to the end of 2010.
But third-placed Southampton are breathing down the Terriers neck after also hitting form. The Saints are just two points behind with two games in hand after their 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic tonight made it 19 points out of their last 21.
Peterborough United, in fourth on 70 points, also remain in the hunt for automatic promotion. But, despite taking their goal tally in the League to 93 for the season, Darren Ferguson's men have been hampered by poor recent form.
Posh took just two points from games against Milton Keynes Dons and Bristol Rovers away, and Bournemouth at home.
In fairness to Ferguson, those were tough fixtures with MK Dons in fifth, Bournemouth in sixth and Rovers having improved to drag themselves away from the bottom.
But, unlike Posh, neither the Dons nor the Cherries are in a position to join Brighton in securing automatic promotion, lying eight and 10 points behind Huddersfield respectively.
More likely, they will be satisfied with retaining their playoff spot and denying the likes of seventh-placed Rochdale and Leyton Orient, in eighth, both of whom continue to threaten a top-six finish.
That represents a magnificent effort in particular by the Dale having only been promoted from the basement division for the first time in 36 years last season.
Undoubtedly heading that way are Plymouth Argyle who were playing in the Championship last season.
Now the Pilgrims are staring into the abyss, having already been deducted 10 points for going into administration, leaving them nine adrift of safety on 33 from 39 games.
Swindon Town have similarly crashed hard this season after losing the League One playoff final last year. The Robins have now failed to win in 18 matches to lie seven points adrift of safety on 35 from 40 matches.
The other clubs currently in the relegation places, Walsall and Dagenham & Redbridge, retain more hope of survival as they are only two points and one point adrift respectively.
Fifth-bottom Notts County are in the most danger of being caught and they parted with Paul Ince by mutual consent, leaving Chris Powell at Charlton as the only black manager in English league football.
Ince leaves the Magpies on the edge of the trap door on 42 points though they have a game in hand on Walsall and Dagenham below them.
Bristol Rovers and Tranmere Rovers also remain in trouble on 43 points each with the former having played 40 games, more than any of their relegation rivals except Swindon.
Against that, though, the Pirates are sixth in the form table over the last six games, having won four and drawn one, including a 1-0 win over Bournemouth tonight.
By contrast, Tranmere have won just one of their last 11 games and went down to a 4-0 hammering by mid-table Sheffield Wednesday in their most recent match.
Meanwhile, at Wembley, the Football League Trophy Final was contested by two mid-table League One teams, Carlisle United and Brentford.
Greg Abbott's Carlisle, who were beaten 4-1 in the Final last season by Southampton, proved better for that horrid experience by grinding out a 1-0 win over the Bees in front of a crowd of 40,476 this time.
Long-serving defender Peter Murphy celebrated the birth of his first child two days prior by scoring the winner on 12 minutes and the Cumbrians held on for their second Football League Trophy from six finals appearances.
League Two
Table
CHESTERFIELD completed a routine 2-0 home win over Port Vale on Saturday as they consolidated their big lead at the top of League Two.
John Sheridan's Spireites hold a 10 point advantage over Wycombe Wanderers in second after the Chairboys failed to take full advantage of their game in hand by drawing 0-0 with Hereford United tonight.
Still, that point put Wycombe on 68 points, two clear of Shrewsbury Town in third after the Shropshire side improved their chances of promotion with a three-match winning run.
However, Bury - in fourth on 65 points - are just a point adrift of the Shrews with a game in hand though they have won just one of their last five matches.
Fifth-placed Stevenage look a better bet to sneak into the top three after their 2-1 win over Bradford City on Saturday made it six wins in a row and nine wins in 11 games.
If the Boro had not started the season so tentatively, then they would already be in an automatic promotion spot but, as it is, they are still just three points below Shrewsbury in third.
Accrington Stanley are also on 63 points after they won their game in hand over Southend United 3-1 to extend their winning run to three matches and their unbeaten run to seven.
And Torquay United, on 62 points, remain in contention after their 2-0 win over Lincoln City kept them in the last playoff position, just four points adrift of third.
Gillingham, on 61 points, Port Vale, on 60 points, and Rotherham United, on 59, all harbour realistic hopes of securing at least a playoff place as the season moves into its final six games.
The Gills have lost just twice in the League since November but nine draws out of their last 13 matches have rather undermined their promotion effort.
Meanwhile, Port Vale and Rotherham have started to struggle at the worst possible time. Vale have won just one of their last seven matches, while the Millers have won just one of their last eight.
The Yorkshire club also parted company with manager Ronnie Moore in the middle of that run after a 5-0 defeat to champions-elect Chesterfield before going on to beat Lincoln 6-0 in their next game.
Fifth-bottom Lincoln have now lost their last four matches and remain on just 46 points but this is still some eight clear of the bottom two in the relegation places, Barnet and Stockport County.
The struggling pair's best hopes lie in the form of Northampton Town and Burton Albion who cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium tonight.
The stalemate leaves the Cobblers on 43 points from 40 games - and without a win in 14 games - as they edge five points away from the drop zone.
Burton have two games in hand on all the teams around them though they currently have just 41 points from 38 matches.
And those extra games for the Brewers - at Bury and Bradford City - mean the bottom two remain strong favourites for the drop.
Barnet are in the slightly better position on 38 points having beaten Burton 4-1 in their most recent game, giving Martin Allen - nicknamed Mad Dog - a great start to life at Underhill.
Less likely to survive are Stockport whose 2-0 defeat at Wycombe left the Hatters six points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in the Football League.
Blue Square Premier
Table
CRAWLEY TOWN crept to within a single win of promotion to the Football League after gaining a 1-1 draw at York City to extend their unbeaten run in the Blue Square Premier to 24 games tonight.
The Red Devils, who also caused a fright to their identically-nicknamed superiors Manchester United in the FA Cup Fifth Round, are now 14 points clear of AFC Wimbledon.
Wimbledon now appear to have recovered from a four-game winless wobble by winning their last two but it is blatantly clear now that the Dons must now prepare for the playoffs.
Third-placed Luton Town are also resigned to an extension of their season having won just one of their last six games despite replacing manager Richard Money with Gary Brabin during that run.
Wrexham, in fourth on 70 points, look fairly likely to be in a playoff spot but the last place is very much up for grabs.
Fleetwood Town, only just promoted from Blue Square North last season, currently occupy fifth spot on 66 points but Kidderminster Harriers are level on points with a game in hand.
The Harriers would already been in there, save for a five-point deduction, but they enter into the run-in on the back of a 14 match unbeaten run making them clear favourites for fifth.
Nevertheless, York - who are three points behind on 63 points - and Newport County - six behind on 60 - will still harbour hopes of a late dash.
At the bottom, there is a mad scramble to avoid relegation with two points separating Barrow AFC in 17th and Altrincham in 22nd.
All the teams expect Barrow have played 41 games with the Cumbrian outfit having the benefit of a game in hand.
As it stands tonight, Barrow have 43 points with that game in hand, Tamworth also have 43 points, Southport and Hayes & Yeading are on 42, and Forest Green Rovers and Altrincham currently occupy relegation places on 41.
Below them, there is little hope for Eastbourne Boro on 32 points and Histon on 27 despite both having a game in hand on all the teams above them - except for Barrow.
In Blue Square North, Alfreton Town look set to take the automatic promotion place while the title in Blue Square South is up for grabs between Braintree and Farnborough.
Braintree currently hold a one-point lead with five games left but Farnborough are in better form with 19 points out of their last 21, including most recently a 3-0 win over Hampshire rivals Eastleigh.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Carling Cup Final 2011: Martins benefits from last-minute Arsenal mix-up
ARSENAL 1 van Persie 39'
BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 Zigic 28', Martins 89'
Arsenal Szczesny - Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy - Rosicky, Song, Nasri, Wilshere - Arshavin (Chamakh 77), van Persie (Bendtner 69).
Subs not used: Almunia, Denilson, Squillaci, Eboue, Gibbs.
Booked: Koscielny, Clichy
Birmingham Foster - Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell - Fahey (Martins 83), Gardner (Beausejour 50), Ferguson, Bowyer, Larsson - Zigic (Jerome 90+2).
Subs not used: Taylor, Murphy, Phillips, Parnaby.
Booked: Larsson, Jerome, Ferguson
Attendance 88,851 at Wembley Referee Mike Dean (Wirral)
OBAFEMI MARTINS took advantage of a dreadful late defensive muddle to fire Birmingham City to their first major trophy since 1963.
Martins pounced on the mix-up between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and centre-back Laurent Koscielny to tap the ball into an empty net from 12 yards in the 89th minute.
It was no less than the Blues had deserved after they stunned strong favourites Arsenal with a surprisingly enterprising performance.
Birmingham are the most goal-shy team in the Premier League with just 25 from 26 games but they could have been 1-0 up within three minutes.
Nikola Zigic slipped the ball through to Lee Bowyer who was brought down by Szczesny in the box.
It would have been a red card for the keeper and a penalty for the Blues but Bowyer was incorrectly flagged offside.
Undeterred, the Blues continued to play above the standard of a team sitting 16th in the league and they took the lead on 28 minutes.
The goal predictably came from the head of 6ft 8in striker Zigic who exposed the Gunners' continued inability to deal with set pieces.
More than half of the goals conceded by Arsenal have come from dead-ball situations in the league this season while Birmingham have had notable success in this area.
And, this time, Roger Johnson and Zigic won successive headers in the box with Szczesny stranded in no-man's land.
Zigic could have made it 2-0 shortly afterwards but he proved to be less adept with his feet after the ball had broken to him kindly in the box.
But, as the half drew to a close, Arsene Wenger's men finally began to respond. It looked as if Jack Wilshere had brought the Gunners level but his 25-yard screamer crashed off the bar.
It did not matter as the ball rebounded back into play where Andrey Arshavin twisted and turned before fashioning a cross for Robin van Persie to score with a fantastic finish.
However, in the process of hooking the ball from behind him, the Dutchman appeared to pick up a knock and he was replaced midway through the second half by Nicklas Bendtner.
If van Persie is injured, it would cause Wenger a further headache after he was deprived of the services of Theo Walcott and captain Cesc Fabregas for the Final today.
There are worries that, after this defeat, the injuries and fixture pile-up may cause Arsenal's season to be derailed with further important cup matches against Barcelona and possibly Manchester United coming up.
But the truth is that deficiencies in the Gunners' defensive armoury was well-known before this season's assault on all four competitions - and yet Wenger has still not sought to rectify this.
To give too much focus to Arsenal's weakness would be doing a disservice to Birmingham, though.
The Blues were unlucky not to have retaken the lead earlier than they did when Irish midfielder Keith Fahey hit the inside of the post.
But, in a refreshingly entertaining and open Cup Final contest, Arsenal threatened with notable efforts from Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri.
Clearly looking to avoid a period of extra time, Wenger's second half changes pointed towards an attempt to win the match inside the 90 minutes as Marouanne Chamakh replaced Arshavin and Bendtner stepped in for the ailing van Persie.
It was the equally-positive substitution from Alex McLeish which ended up making the difference, though.
With extra time looming, former Newcastle United man Martins, on for Fahey, found himself in the perfect place at the perfect time to capitalise on Koscielny's indecision.
And, with such little time left - four minutes of added time - Arsenal were unable to find a second equaliser.
Indeed, Martins could have made doubly sure of Birmingham success in stoppage time but he could not find a finish to his mazy run.
But, in the end, that mattered nought as McLeish became only the second-ever Birmingham manager to win a major trophy, after Gil Merrick beat Aston Villa over two legs in the 1963 Final of this competition.
In the build-up to the match, much had been made of Arsenal's supposed 'Cup drought' of almost six years but Blues fans had been waiting for 48 years until today.
Now, for the blue half of the Second City, the wait is over.
ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Arsenal
R3 beat Tottenham Hotspur (a) 4-1 after extra time
R4 beat Newcastle United (a) 4-0
R5 beat Wigan Athletic (h) 2-0
SF1 lost to Ipswich Town (a) 0-1
SF2 beat Ipswich Town (h) 3-0 to win 3-1 on aggregate
Birmingham City
R2 beat Rochdale (h) 3-2
R3 beat Milton Keynes Dons (h) 3-1
R4 beat Brentford (h) 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw a.e.t
R5 beat Aston Villa (h) 2-1
SF1 lost to West Ham United (a) 1-2
SF2 beat West Ham United (h) 3-1 after extra time to win 4-3 on aggregate
PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCES
Arsenal
1968 lost 0-1 to Leeds United
1969 lost 1-3 to Swindon Town after extra time
1987 won 2-1 against Liverpool
1988 lost 2-3 to Luton Town
1993 won 2-1 against Sheffield Wednesday
2007 lost 1-2 to Chelsea
Birmingham City
1963 won 3-1 against Aston Villa on aggregate (3-1 home, 0-0 away)
2001 lost 4-5 on penalties to Liverpool after 1-1 draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 Zigic 28', Martins 89'
Arsenal Szczesny - Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy - Rosicky, Song, Nasri, Wilshere - Arshavin (Chamakh 77), van Persie (Bendtner 69).
Subs not used: Almunia, Denilson, Squillaci, Eboue, Gibbs.
Booked: Koscielny, Clichy
Birmingham Foster - Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell - Fahey (Martins 83), Gardner (Beausejour 50), Ferguson, Bowyer, Larsson - Zigic (Jerome 90+2).
Subs not used: Taylor, Murphy, Phillips, Parnaby.
Booked: Larsson, Jerome, Ferguson
Attendance 88,851 at Wembley Referee Mike Dean (Wirral)
OBAFEMI MARTINS took advantage of a dreadful late defensive muddle to fire Birmingham City to their first major trophy since 1963.
Martins pounced on the mix-up between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and centre-back Laurent Koscielny to tap the ball into an empty net from 12 yards in the 89th minute.
It was no less than the Blues had deserved after they stunned strong favourites Arsenal with a surprisingly enterprising performance.
Birmingham are the most goal-shy team in the Premier League with just 25 from 26 games but they could have been 1-0 up within three minutes.
Nikola Zigic slipped the ball through to Lee Bowyer who was brought down by Szczesny in the box.
It would have been a red card for the keeper and a penalty for the Blues but Bowyer was incorrectly flagged offside.
Undeterred, the Blues continued to play above the standard of a team sitting 16th in the league and they took the lead on 28 minutes.
The goal predictably came from the head of 6ft 8in striker Zigic who exposed the Gunners' continued inability to deal with set pieces.
More than half of the goals conceded by Arsenal have come from dead-ball situations in the league this season while Birmingham have had notable success in this area.
And, this time, Roger Johnson and Zigic won successive headers in the box with Szczesny stranded in no-man's land.
Zigic could have made it 2-0 shortly afterwards but he proved to be less adept with his feet after the ball had broken to him kindly in the box.
But, as the half drew to a close, Arsene Wenger's men finally began to respond. It looked as if Jack Wilshere had brought the Gunners level but his 25-yard screamer crashed off the bar.
It did not matter as the ball rebounded back into play where Andrey Arshavin twisted and turned before fashioning a cross for Robin van Persie to score with a fantastic finish.
However, in the process of hooking the ball from behind him, the Dutchman appeared to pick up a knock and he was replaced midway through the second half by Nicklas Bendtner.
If van Persie is injured, it would cause Wenger a further headache after he was deprived of the services of Theo Walcott and captain Cesc Fabregas for the Final today.
There are worries that, after this defeat, the injuries and fixture pile-up may cause Arsenal's season to be derailed with further important cup matches against Barcelona and possibly Manchester United coming up.
But the truth is that deficiencies in the Gunners' defensive armoury was well-known before this season's assault on all four competitions - and yet Wenger has still not sought to rectify this.
To give too much focus to Arsenal's weakness would be doing a disservice to Birmingham, though.
The Blues were unlucky not to have retaken the lead earlier than they did when Irish midfielder Keith Fahey hit the inside of the post.
But, in a refreshingly entertaining and open Cup Final contest, Arsenal threatened with notable efforts from Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri.
Clearly looking to avoid a period of extra time, Wenger's second half changes pointed towards an attempt to win the match inside the 90 minutes as Marouanne Chamakh replaced Arshavin and Bendtner stepped in for the ailing van Persie.
It was the equally-positive substitution from Alex McLeish which ended up making the difference, though.
With extra time looming, former Newcastle United man Martins, on for Fahey, found himself in the perfect place at the perfect time to capitalise on Koscielny's indecision.
And, with such little time left - four minutes of added time - Arsenal were unable to find a second equaliser.
Indeed, Martins could have made doubly sure of Birmingham success in stoppage time but he could not find a finish to his mazy run.
But, in the end, that mattered nought as McLeish became only the second-ever Birmingham manager to win a major trophy, after Gil Merrick beat Aston Villa over two legs in the 1963 Final of this competition.
In the build-up to the match, much had been made of Arsenal's supposed 'Cup drought' of almost six years but Blues fans had been waiting for 48 years until today.
Now, for the blue half of the Second City, the wait is over.
ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Arsenal
R3 beat Tottenham Hotspur (a) 4-1 after extra time
R4 beat Newcastle United (a) 4-0
R5 beat Wigan Athletic (h) 2-0
SF1 lost to Ipswich Town (a) 0-1
SF2 beat Ipswich Town (h) 3-0 to win 3-1 on aggregate
Birmingham City
R2 beat Rochdale (h) 3-2
R3 beat Milton Keynes Dons (h) 3-1
R4 beat Brentford (h) 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw a.e.t
R5 beat Aston Villa (h) 2-1
SF1 lost to West Ham United (a) 1-2
SF2 beat West Ham United (h) 3-1 after extra time to win 4-3 on aggregate
PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCES
Arsenal
1968 lost 0-1 to Leeds United
1969 lost 1-3 to Swindon Town after extra time
1987 won 2-1 against Liverpool
1988 lost 2-3 to Luton Town
1993 won 2-1 against Sheffield Wednesday
2007 lost 1-2 to Chelsea
Birmingham City
1963 won 3-1 against Aston Villa on aggregate (3-1 home, 0-0 away)
2001 lost 4-5 on penalties to Liverpool after 1-1 draw
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