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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016

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MIDDLESBROUGH: Chelsea’s Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard (L) hurdles a challenge from Middlesbrough’s English defender Calum Chambers during the English football match between Middlesbrough and Cheslea at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England yesterday. — AFP Poacher Costa sends Chelsea top of table

Rodriguez hit the bar midway through the second half, Costa reacted first to volley the loose ball home from for the Uruguay international, but it was a rare threat during which Middlesbrough were forced to hang on inside the six-yard box, taking him to double figures for from the hosts. Boro have forced draws against Arsenal Middlesbrough 0 for long spells. the campaign. Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes and Pep Guardiola’s City this season, but after falling Aitor Karanka’s side retained hope while the deficit was partially at fault for failing to come off his line. behind they rarely looked like troubling Chelsea’s three- remained at a single goal, but the gulf in class between man back line. the sides was clear and it leaves Boro one point above FINGERTIP SAVE Having not conceded a league goal since September Chelsea 1 the relegation zone in their first season back in the His indecision was in stark contrast to earlier in the 24 — almost 10 hours of football-Chelsea are on their Premier League following promotion. half when the former Barcelona man produced a stun- best defensive run for six years. MIDDLESBROUGH: Diego Costa scored his 10th goal of Costa rewarded Chelsea’s dominance as the Spaniard ning fingertip save to deflect a first-time Pedro shot Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois preserved their latest the season as Chelsea won 1-0 at Middlesbrough to put the visitors-unchanged for the fifth consecutive over the bar. shut-out late on when he parried a powerful Negredo record a sixth consecutive victory and take over at the league game-ahead four minutes before the end of a It was one of few clear-cut chances before the inter- volley as the hosts belatedly pushed bodies forward. Premier League summit. tight first half. val as Boro were largely successful in their attempts to The majority of chances arrived at the other end. Costa struck for the third straight game with half- It stemmed from a disputed corner, as negate the threat of Conte’s side by packing midfield Alonso almost doubled the visitors’ advantage within time approaching as Antonio Conte’s side underlined Middlesbrough claimed debutant full-back Fabio da and looking to counter-attack. seconds of kick-off in the second half, the Spaniard forc- their title credentials by posting a sixth clean sheet in a Silva had not touched the ball as it ran out of play. The out-of-touch Alvaro Negredo wasted their two ing a fine low save from Valdes after Hazard helped on row. It took them a point clear of Liverpool and Eden Hazard’s in-swinging set-piece looped into the main openings, first firing across the face of goal and Victor Moses’s cross. The second goal failed to materi- Manchester City, and three ahead of fourth-place air as Calum Chambers and Gaston Ramirez challenged then heading wide from Antonio Barragan’s deep cross. alise, but Chelsea closed out their latest victory with rel- Arsenal. Only the woodwork prevented Chelsea from Marcos Alonso at the near post. Ramirez shot over early in the second half after ative ease to secure another valuable three points winning by a more handsome margin as Pedro Despite the hosts having numbers back to defend Negredo’s dummy created space on the edge of the box towards their growing title challenge. — AFP Dwight Gayle Australia crush NZ brace fires in Four Nations final Newcastle five LIVERPOOL: Australia demolished New Kangaroos and New Zealand crumbled Zealand 34-8 in yesterday’s Four Nations thereafter. Dugan followed over twice, points clear series final at Liverpool’s stadium either side of a Trent Merrin score, and to avenge their loss to their regional with Thurston’s kicking assured, Australia LONDON: Dwight Gayle scored twice as Rafael Benitez’s rivals in the 2014 decider. Josh Dugan took in a 24-0 lead at the break. relentless Newcastle United won 2-0 at Leeds United yester- scored two tries and Johnathan Australia’s pace slowed in the second half, day to move five points clear at the top of the Championship. Thurston kicked three conversions and despite Darius Boyd’s try, as the game Gayle punished a howler by Leeds goalkeeper Rob Green two penalties as Australia claimed their ambled to an inevitable conclusion. to put Newcastle ahead in the 23rd minute and netted the fourth victory over New Zealand in 2016. To their credit, the Kiwis regrouped visitors’ second early in the second half to take his tally for the It leaves Australia as world champi- through a Jordan Kahu double, but campaign to 13 goals. ons, Four Nations holders and the num- Boyd Cordner had the last say for the It was Newcastle’s eighth straight win in the English sec- ber one team in the world. victors. ond tier, keeping them on course for an immediate return to “It was a goal of ours to win the Four the Premier League. Nations, so that is a big plus for us,” said BOYD BARRELS THROUGH “The performance of the team defending and attacking Australia coach Mal Meninga. As well as a third Four Nations title in has been brilliant,” Benitez told . “It’s good and all “We have built as the games have seven years, Australia had eyes on the we have to do is keep doing the same thing, keep playing progressed and that is a coach’s dream. Kiwis’ number one world ranking. with the same intensity, no complacency. “They’re one of the best groups we’ve In front of Anfield’s famed Kop in the “We know that until the end everything can happen, so LIVERPOOL: Australia’s hooker and captain Cameron Smith (C) holds the trophy we have to approach every game the same.” Benitez’s men seen in international rugby league, so first half, Australia looked every bit the after winning the rugby league Four Nations Final match between Australia and we’re lucky in that sense, but you’ve still world’s best. are five points clear of second-place Brighton and Hove New Zealand at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England yesterday. —AFP Albion and nine points above third-place Reading. got to build a team and everybody did Following a first-minute scrum was up. They went over again almost Australia flyer Boyd, spotting a sliver of Leeds remain a point outside the play-off places in sev- their job today.” beneath the posts, Meninga’s side enth place. “We gave them a goal, so obviously that against a Australia started as strong favourites, seized the initiative with Ferguson immediately after, Merrin this time tak- space, barrelled through and over the ing advantage after New Zealand had try-line. good side makes it difficult,” said Leeds manager . having won all three of their group- going over, unchallenged, on the right “I’m happy with my team’s effort. Obviously I’m disappointed stage games, while New Zealand were flank. Thurston, in his last appearance cheaply given up possession. Australia Some of the loudest cheers of the with the result, but it doesn’t change anything for us.” The held to a shock draw by rank outsiders on English soil in a Kangaroos jersey, showed no signs of relenting. Thurston afternoon were reserved for Kahu in meeting of two of England’s fallen giants brought a crowd of Scotland. Hosts England were the other added the conversion. slotted another simple penalty before the 57th minute as Kevin Proctor’s 36,000 to Elland Road-the first time Leeds had sold out a team. New Zealand coach David On the quarter-hour, centre Dugan the 33-year-old’s deft kick set up smart offload released the full-back for league game in almost six years. Kidwell said: “We spoke at half-time burst through a beleaguered New Dugan’s second. Thurston hit the post New Zealand’s first score. Green produced an alert early block to deny Gayle from about getting our completion rate up. Zealand rearguard after taking Boyd’s with his kick, but it was hardly a blem- Jason Taumalolo then crashed past ’s quick free-kick, but midway through the first “I wish we’d done that in the first half, pass to stretch the Australian advan- ish in a first half that ended with two defenders and the ball made its half the former England goalkeeper’s blunder gifted but there were encouraging signs that tage. Despite missing the resulting Australia a mammoth 24 points to the way to Kahu again to touch down over Newcastle the lead. we can compete when we do that.” conversion Thurston soon tapped over good. A promising New Zealand start the whitewash, but Cordner took on Forced back onto his goal-line by Jack Colback’s lofted Blake Ferguson needed just three min- an easy penalty to put the Aussies 12 to the second half came to a halt Thurston’s pass to add more Australian ball, Green appeared caught in two minds and dropped the utes to open the scoring for the points in front before the first quarter through another sloppy penalty before gloss. — AFP ball right in front of him, allowing the opportunistic Gayle to stab home. — AFP