MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 SPORTS Haddin ready for a break Benghazi topple Ahly Ref in penalty confusion ITALY: Italian World Cup referee Nicola Rizzoli was involved in an extraordinary incident when DHAKA: Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin would be disappointed with his form at the World JOHANNESBURG: A couple of stunning goals helped Al-Ahly Benghazi eliminate title-holders Al-Ahly from the CAF Champions League this he awarded a penalty and then changed his mind after five minutes of angry protests during T20 in Bangladesh after outstanding test series against England and South Africa, according to second-placed AS Roma’s 2-0 win at Sassuolo yesterday. coach Darren Lehmann. Haddin missed a regulation stumping chance to dismiss hard-hitting weekend. Farag Abdel Hafiz and Moataz El-Mahdy scored within seven second-half minutes to earn the Libyans a shock 3-2 triumph over their Rizzoli initially awarded Sassuolo a penalty when their forward Nicola Sansone went down Chris Gayle when on 26 and the batsman went on to score 53 in the defending champions’ six- under a seemingly innocuous challenge by Roma defender Mehdi Benatia in the 36th minute wicket victory on Friday that all but dumped Australia from the tournament. Egyptian namesakes in Cairo. Benghazi took a one-goal lead into the sec- ond leg of the last-16 tie and qualified 4-2 on aggregate for the lucrative of the Serie A match. Both teams protested the decision, with Roma angry over the penalty “His keeping has been poor. That’s okay, he won’t mind me saying that,” Lehmann told and Sassuolo claiming that Benatia should have been sent off. Sassuolo reporters. “He’s honest enough for that. He’s been fantastic over a long period group stage. Democratic Republic of Congo clubs TP Mazembe and Vita and had already put the ball on the spot and were preparing to take the of time for us. “He took a great catch (to dismiss Samuels) and missed a kick when Rizzoli, after consulting his assistants, changed his mind couple of opportunities. “At the end of the day he’s been exceptional for Tunisians CS Sfaxien also secured places in the April 29 mini-league draw. Ahly entered the second leg at a spectator-less Air Defence Stadium in and awarded a drop ball. There were more protests at halftime as us. He’d be disappointed in his own form in these two games. That’s Sassuolo players again surrounded Rizzoli to protest the deci- not hiding away from the truth.” Haddin was hardly alone in strug- the Egyptian capital hoping to keep alive dreams of a record third con- secutive title. And they were on course to succeed 38 minutes into the sion. Serie A uses the additional assistant referees system pre- gling, though, Lehmann suggested. ferred by UEFA with extra match officials on each goal line. “The simple fact is (he’s) one of our better performers and a first half in an eerie atmosphere created by the authorities banning sup- porters because of previous clashes with police. Roma had taken the lead in the 16th minute with Mattia couple of our experienced blokes - Shane Watson, David Warner Destro’s 10th goal of the season. Sassuolo’s Simone Missiroli for example - they didn’t have the impact, those three, that Mohamed Naguib side-footed a cut-back across Benghazi goalkeep- er Wissem El-Boudi into the corner of the net for the opening goal. was caught in possession by Radja Nainggolan and he then we would’ve liked,” Lehmann added. slipped the ball through for Destro to lift the ball over “He’s had a lot of cricket ... But at the end of the day But disaster struck three minutes later as Egyptian captain Hossam Ashour fouled Zimbabwean Edward Sadomba and Abdulrahman Fetori Gianluca Pegolo with a neat finish. Roma’s second we all have jobs, we all have a lot of cricket to play. “But came at the end of a leisurely second half when he’s been fantastic around our group and we’ll stick with converted the penalty. Ahly had to score at least twice more under the away-goals rule to Sassuolo again lost possession in their own half him because he’s a brilliant person and he will get a rest avoid a first exit at the qualifying stage since losing to Nigerians Kano and Brazilian Michel Bastos was sent clear to place now and obviously freshen up and come back a better Pillars five years ago. —AFP his ball wide of Pergolo. —Reuters player.”—Reuters Bruins get past Capitals WASHINGTON: Carl Soderberg and Jarome Iginla scored 41 seconds apart in the second period to break open a close game as the Boston Bruins clinched the Atlantic Division title Saturday with a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Iginla scored twice to reach the 30-goal mark, and Patrice Bergeron added a goal as the Bruins won for the 14th time in 15 games. Chad Johnson made 31 saves, and he and Tuukka Rask have combined to allow only 13 goals over 11 games. Jason Chimera and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored, and Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots for the Capitals, who were down 3-0 before they could find any traction against the possession-minded Bruins. NEW JERSEY: Sergey Kovalev (left) of Russia, punches Cedric Agnew, of the United States, during the sixth round of WBO light heavyweight boxing title in AVALANCHE 3, SHARKS 2 Atlantic City. Kovalev won by knockout in the seventh round. —AP Semyon Varlamov had a season- high 47 saves as Colorado clinched its first playoff berth in four years by Kovalev successfully beating San Jose. Center John Mitchell had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who defends title moved past Chicago into second place in the Central Division with 100 ATLANTIC CITY: Sergey Kovalev successfully with a fourth-round TKO over Nathan defended his WBO light-heavyweight title Cleverly in Wales on Aug. 17, 2013. In his points in what might have been a Saturday night, stopping Cedric Agnew in most recent outing, Kovalev stopped Ismayl costly victory. the seventh round at Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Sillah in the second round in Canada on Nov. Center Matt Duchene injured his Phillips Ballroom. 30, 2013. knee injury on the opening shift Kovalev improved to 24-0-1 with his 24th Saturday’s victory was his 11th straight Saturday when he collided with knockout, ending the bout with a powerful win via knockout or TKO. Because of his pow- teammate Jamie McGinn near the left jab to Agnew’s liver. Agnew (26-1) er, the 30-year-old is regarded as one of box- Sharks’ blue line. He fell to the ice and dropped to one knee in pain and remained ing rising stars. Kovalev entered the fight then gingerly skated to the bench. there for several minutes after referee with the second-highest knockout percent- Mitchell moved up to center Samuel Viruet completed his 10-count at 58 age among current world champions, Colorado’s top line, and came seconds of the seventh. behind only middleweight champ Gennady through with a big power-play goal to give Colorado a 3-1 lead at 6:32 of WASHINGTON: Jason Chimera No. 25 of the Washington Capitals and Kevan Miller No. 86 of the Kovalev had two other knockdowns in Golovkin. Skeptics wondered how focused Boston Bruins go after the puck during the second period at Verizon Center. —AFP the scheduled 12-round fight. He sent he would be for the Agnew fight after a the second period. Agnew to the canvas with a left hook to the potential unification bout against WBC light- scored for the Kings, who haven’t lost with a snap shot that trickled past The Devils earned one point, but jaw in the second and dropped him again heavyweight champ Adonis Stevenson fell DUCKS 5, CANUCKS 1 since March 17. Marian Gaborik and Khudobin. are still behind several teams in the with a body shot in the sixth. apart last week when Stevenson signed with Corey Perry and Saku Koivu each Willie Mitchell had two assists apiece Eastern Conference playoff race with had a goal and an assist, and Frederik Kovalev did have to overcome some HBO rival Showtime. Kovalev is under con- as Los Angeles took a 3-0 lead in the STARS 4, BLUES 2 eight games left. Nielsen gave the adversity, suffering cuts above both eyes tract to HBO. Andersen made 31 saves to help first period and cruised to its 14th win Colton Sceviour got the first two Islanders a 1-0 lead early in the sec- from a head butt in the fourth and an elbow “I don’t want to speak on Adonis Anaheim defeat Vancouver. in 17 games. goals for Dallas and Antoine Roussel ond before Henrique tied it. in the sixth. Stevenson,” Kovalev said. Agnew, 27, entered Luca Sbisa, Matt Beleskey and Matt Halischuk and Blake Wheeler scored on a breakaway in the third Mathieu Perreault also scored for “I tried boxing because he has good the fight as a considerable underdog. scored in the third period for the Jets, period to secure the victory over St. CANADIENS 4, PANTHERS 1 defense,” Kovalev said. “Then I went to the Despite his impressive record, he had not Anaheim, while Andrew Cogliano who hadn’t visited Los Angeles since Louis. Max Pacioretty had two goals and body. I saw how hurt he was.” Agnew spent fought anyone near Kovalev’s level in his first and Daniel Winnik added two assists Jan.