SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015 SPORTS Eriksen’s late show sees Spurs past Sunderland

Vertonghen felled Defoe, the ball passing over the wall and into the far corner. Tottenham 2 In first half stoppage time Kane hit the woodwork, with Pantilimon keeping out former Sunderland player Danny Rose’s fol- low-up strike. Sunderland 1 After the restart Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino brought on Emmanuel Adebayor in place of the out of sorts Roberto Soldado for the Togo forward’s first LONDON: Christian Eriksen’s goal two min- appearance since November 9. utes from time and crucial late saves from And Adebayor almost instantly repaid Hugo Lloris helped Tottenham to a 2-1 that vote of confidence when he flicked the win over Sunderland at ball onto Nacer Chadli only for Pantilimon’s White Hart Lane yesterday to lift Spurs hand to get in the way of the Belgian above Arsenal and into fifth. winger’s volley. Struggling Sunderland turned up in Defoe’s proud record of scoring on his north London proudly fielding their new debut for every club he’s played for in his signing, former Tottenham striker Jermain long career ended at White Hart Lane when Defoe, the 32-year-old having only joined after a quiet start he made way for Danny from FC Toronto on a three-and-a-half year Graham. deal on Friday. With 10 minutes left on the clock, Spurs In-form Harry Kane returned after skip- keeper Hugo Lloris produced a fine double ping Spurs’ FA Cup replay win over Burnley save to deal with strikes from Adam in midweek. Tottenham raced into a third Johnson and Graham. Then, just as the minute lead when defender Jan match appeared to be heading for a draw, Vertonghen’s shot found the back of the Eriksen popped up to bag the points for net with significant assistance on its way Tottenham. from a deflection off John O’Shea. Andros Townsend, shortly after coming The hosts went close to doubling their on for Mousa Dembele, set up the Danish BRISBANE: (R) of fights for the ball with Kwak Taehwi (L) of during the first round Asian Cup football match advantage as the half hour approached, midfielder to shoot right-footed from out- between South Korea and Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane yesterday.— AFP with only Costel Pantilimon’s fine save side the box and into the bottom left cor- denying Eriksen’s goalbound effort. ner of Pantilimon’s net. Minutes later Steven Fletcher should There was late drama as first only a have levelled for Sunderland, the striker lightning reaction save from Lloris prevent- somehow managing to miss from six yards ed Graham’s drive from securing a draw, S Korea rock Aussies after charging onto Billy Jones’ cross at the while down at the other end Vertonghen’s far post. slotted into an empty net, but it was disal- Justice for the visitors arrived seconds lowed. This defeat left Sunderland fifth later when Sebastian Larsson curled in a from bottom, one point above the relega- 25-yard free kick awarded when tion zone. — AFP with shock defeat Gayle lifts resurgent Oman salvage pride with Kuwait win SYDNEY: Lee Jeong-Hyeop struck in the first took their chance, full credit to them. But I defi- mistakenly flashed up on the big screen. Palace at Burnley half as South Korea shocked Australia 1-0 yester- nitely feel like we could have finished top of the German-based midfielder Koo was day to top Group A and complicate the hosts’ group.” stretchered off in pain early in the second half weekend’s win over Tottenham. Burnley task at the Asian Cup. Australia had been the before Tomi Juric came close when he flashed a manager Sean Dyche, meanwhile, was form team with two big wins so far, but Ange Chorus of boos shot wide after a one-two with . Crystal Palace 3 looking to bounce back from his side’s mid- Postecoglou’s rejigged side were dealt a setback With clouds of moths swarming around Nathan Burns had a shot tipped onto the bar week FA Cup replay defeat to Spurs. after the Korean striker slid in to score on 32 Brisbane Stadium, Kwak Tae-Hwi nodded wide before Postecoglou threw on big guns Cahill and And the hosts had gotten off to a bright minutes. and Tomi Juric’s fierce shot was saved at the near Kruse with 20 minutes to go. Kruse soon had the start when Mee headed in from Kieran The Socceroos, who finish second in Group A, post as the teams exchanged early chances. goal at his mercy after a great first touch but he Burnley 2 Trippier’s corner after 12 minutes before will now play China in the quarter-finals in hot Nathan Burns clattered Park, who was was denied by the outstretched glove of Kim, their top scorer Ings made it 2-0 after Scott and humid Brisbane and face a likely semi-final stretchered off and later withdrew, in an aerial back in Uli Stielike’s side after recovering from a Arfield’s pass four minutes later. against holders Japan. challenge, before South Korea found a way flu bug. Australia’s reported Liverpool target Crystal Palace missed a chance to Australia threw everything at South Korea as through in the 32nd minute. Ryan also saved smartly from Jang Hyun-Soo in LONDON: Dwight Gayle scored a double as equalise just before the break when James they sought a vital equaliser, and Kim Jin-Hyeon Captain Ki Sung-Yueng threaded the ball to the closing stages before a frustrated Australia resurgent Crystal Palace claimed a 3-2 McArthur’s shot off Sanogo was saved by saved brilliantly from when the Lee Keun-Ho, whose cross-shot to the far post trudged off to a chorus of boos. comeback victory at relegation rivals Burnley keeper Tom Heaton. A Sanagoo substitute looked certain to score. was met by the sliding Lee Jeong-Hyeop with Meanwhile in Newcastle, Abdul Al Maqbali Burnley yesterday. header just before the half-time whistle also The game was not without controversy, with Aussie goalkeeper Mat Ryan given no chance. buried a second-half header as Oman beat Crystal Palace had been trailing 2-0 after went wide. Gayle got Palace back in the Park Joo-Ho and Koo Ja-Cheol both stretchered The goal rocked Australia but after striking Kuwait 1-0 in a dead rubber between two teams the first 16 minutes when Ben Mee and frame after Wilfried Zaha’s cross from the off and earning a caution eight times in their first two games, they would who had already been eliminated. Danny Ings pulled Burnley ahead. right. And just three minutes back after the that rules him out of their last-eight tie. have been confident of hitting back in front of a A scrappy encounter between the Gulf rivals But Gayle got the visitors back on track break Gayle set up Puncheon who pulled “I definitely feel that we could have got a sell-out crowd in Brisbane. appeared to be meandering towards the tourna- on 28 minutes, and after a Jason Puncheon Palace level from 25 yards. Mee had a draw out of the game,” said talismanic forward nearly found a response when ment’s first draw before Al Maqbali pounced equaliser, left it late to seal Palace’s first win chance to pull Burnley in front after 70 min- , who came on in the second half but his quick feet and shot bulged the side-netting- with a superb header to earn Oman their first at Turf Moor since August 2003. utes but his close range header was saved. this time was unable to rescue Australia. “Korea coming so close that the “Goal!” video message Asian Cup win since 2004. — AFP It maintained new Crystal Palace man- Glenn Murray missed two late attempts ager Alan Pardew’s unbeaten record after before Gayle completed the comeback their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. after he picked up Puncheon’s cross three Pardew gave on-loan striker Yaya minutes from time to fire past Heaton. The Krkic strike sees Sanogo his debut after joining from victory sent Palace four points clear of the Arsenal this week, as the French Under-21 relegation zone and left Burnley one place Stoke beat Leicester striker was one of two changes from last above the bottom three. — AFP LEICESTER: Bojan Krkic produced a touch of class to score Stoke City 1 the only goal of the game as Stoke won 1- 0 away to Leicester Leicester City 0 yesterday to leave the Foxes rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. The 24-year-old Spanish forward broke the deadlock at the King Power Stadium in the 63rd minute when he received the ball from Jon Walters on the edge of the box and spun away before beating Leicester goalkeeper Ben Hamer with a well-struck low shot. It was the former Barcelona forward’s fourth goal of the season and was eventually good enough to give the mid- table Potters a fourth away win. Defeat ended Leicester’s four-game unbeaten run and left the East Midlands club at the foot of the Premier League, two points behind fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers and four adrift of safety. For Stoke, this win saw ’s men bounce back from their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal last time out and kept the BATA: Equatorial Guinea’s defender Sipo Bohale (C) vies with Congo’s forward Thierry BURNLEY: Burnley’s Danny Ings, centre, scores his side’s second goal, during the Potters in mid-table. Bifouma eyed by Congo’s coach during the 2015 African Cup of English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Crystal Palace, at Turf New Leicester striker Andrej Kramaric, who signed from Nations group A football match between Equatorial Guinea and Congo at Bata Moor, in Burnley yesterday.—AP Croatian side Rijeka for £9.5 million ($14.4 million, 12.4 mil- Stadium in Bata yesterday. — AFP lion euros), found himself on the bench after securing a work permit on Friday. Leicester manager Nigel Pearson made four changes, Late Congo goal Matches on TV two enforced, with Dean Hammond injured and Matty James suspended. Pearson dropped Leonardo Ulloa, the (Local Timings) club’s eight-goal top-scorer this season, to the bench along spoils home party with Marc Albrighton, while Danny Drinkwater, Jamie English Premier League Elche v Levante 23:00 Vardy, Andy King and Jeff Schlupp all recalled. West Ham v Hull City 16:30 beIN SPORTS 1 HD beIN SPORTS 2 HD Sevilla v Malaga 23:00 Meanwhile Stoke boss Hughes also made four changes, BATA: Congo striker Thievy Bifouma secured all three points for Congo on the beIN SPORTS 11 HD beIN SPORTS 10 HD again with two forced upon him after and grabbed a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw to stroke of full time but fired straight at were sidelined through injury. deny hosts Equatorial Guinea a rousing Ovono from in front of the posts. The game Man City v Arsenal 19:00 Italian Calcio League beIN SPORTS 1 HD England striker Peter Crouch and Geoff Cameron were start to the African Nations Cup finals at the began with a dramatic goal for the under- beIN SPORTS 11 HD Lazio v SSC Napoli 14:30 on the bench, with Phil Bardsley, Marc Muniesa, Marc Estadio de Bata yesterday. rated home side as Nsue, a former Spanish beIN SPORTS 3 HD They led with a 17th minute goal from under-21 international playing at Asian Nations Cup Genoa v Calcio 17:00 Wilson and Victor Moses-the latter fit after eight weeks out English-based captain Emilio Nsue but their Middlesbrough, swept in a clever pass from Uzbekistan v Saudi Arabia 12:00 beIN SPORTS 10 HD with a thigh injury-in Hughes’s starting side. beIN SPORTS 6 HD AC Milan v Atalanta 17:00 A dull first half meant there was little work for either defence was finally breached in the 87th, winger Kike after his probing run at the China v North Korea 12:00 beIN SPORTS 3 HD Ben Hamer or Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. But after ending the celebrations of a capacity defence to sweep aside all the organisa- beIN SPORTS 4 HD Juventus v Hellas 22:45 the break, Stoke took charge of proceedings. Indeed they crowd almost exclusively clad in their tional problems that clouded the build-up beIN SPORTS 3 HD beIN SPORTS 11 HD should have been ahead inside the opening minute of the team’s red colours. to the event. beIN SPORTS 13 HD The small central African nation, handed Equatorial Guinea could have killed the second half with Marko Arnautovic eluding Paul Konchesky African Nations Cup beIN SPORTS 1 HD a place at the finals after stepping in as game with the first chance of the second to run on to an incisive ball from Moses, before wastefully Zambia v Congo 19:00 French League emergency hosts, were fortunate to lead as half when Balboa was one-on-one with the beIN SPORTS 6 HD shooting into the side-netting. replays showed Nsue was just offside when keeper but his effort was well saved by Cape Verde v Tunisia 22:00 PSG v Gaillard 16:00 Stoke had another chance when, an attempted clearing he scored. Bifouma earned Congo a . beIN SPORTS 6 HD beIN SPORTS 5 HD header from Leicester captain Wes Morgan fell to Steven beIN SPORTS 13 HD deserved draw after outpacing the defence Balboa also created a chance for Nsue to Spanish League beIN SPORTS 1 HD N’Zonzi, whose 20-yard right-foot volley led to an excellent and they might even have got the winner get behind the opposing defence with a Getafe v Real Madrid 14:00 Stade Rennes v Etienne 19:00 stop by Hamer on the hour. two minutes later but Dominque Malonga clever chip over the top in the 70th minute beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 5 HD However, minutes later the stalemate came to an end. squandered a golden chance. but again the effort was thwarted. beIN SPORTS 14 HD beIN SPORTS 13 HD Walters’s run and pass set up by Bojan, who took one touch Bifouma, who spent most of the game Nsue did find the net four minutes later Atletico v Granada 19:00 beIN SPORTS 1 HD with his right foot, turned and then beat Hamer with a left- moaning at the match officials, sped away with a clever lob but was wrongly ruled off- Marseille v Guingamp 23:00 beIN SPORTS 2 HD foot strike. Kramaric came off the bench for the final 25 to place the ball under home goalkeeper side. The home side’s failure to extend their beIN Sports Max 5 beIN SPORTS 5 HD Deportivo v Barcelona 21:00 beIN SPORTS 13 HD minutes but saw little of the ball while Ulloa, brought on by Felipe Ovono and just inside the post to lead meant Congo’s hopes remained alive beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 1 HD Pearson in the 71st minute, was equally ineffective as a lack stun the crowd. and eventually they broke through for the of service neutered the impact of both forwards. — AFP Substitute Malonga should have equaliser. —Reuters