Harris, Johnson Liverpool secures heroes as Aussie 2-0 victory sweep16 Ashes over19 Oldham

MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014 Eusebio, the ‘Black Panther’ who lit up 1966 World Cup Page 17

OLD TRAFFORD: Swansea City’s Wilfried Bony, left, scores his side’s second goal of the game during the English FA Cup third round soccer match at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, yesterday. — AP Swansea dump Man United out of FA Cup

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s troubled season space of 48 hours, United hardly made the most auspi- markers Chico Flores and to finish from close the ascendancy. reached a new low yesterday as Wilfried Bony’s 90th- cious of starts, going behind to Routledge’s opening range. Pozuelo’s committed run opened a shooting oppor- minute header gave Swansea City a 2-1 FA Cup third- goal after just 12 minutes. United just about deserved to be level, based on the tunity for Routledge and won a corner, before the round victory at Old Trafford. David Moyes’s side had It was a goal carved out by the sort of slick, one- first half, but as has been the case throughout much of Spanish forward made room for himself to take a low been hoping for the FA Cup, and Tuesday’s League Cup touch passing football for which Swansea have the season to date, they were far from their former shot that skidded just wide of the home goal. semi-final first leg at Sunderland, to provide some relief become renowned under manager . best. Hernandez had an early run and shot well Bony also shot well wide at the end of another from his team’s travails. Bony and Alejandro Pozuelo exchanged passes and the blocked by Dwight Tiendalli and following the Swansea attack as the tie hung in the balance. But the 80th-minute dismissal of substitute Fabio da latter caught United’s back line square with a perfect exchange of goals, Antonio Valencia poked the ball Fresh injury concern arrived for Moyes as defender Silva-shown a straight red for a rash challenge on Jose pass. narrowly over after Danny Welbeck’s tidy lay-off. Rio Ferdinand, making his first appearance since the Canas-set the stage for Swansea to claim a dramatic Routledge did the rest, sprinting ahead of Chris In response, a Jonathan de Guzman free-kick, start of December, limped off with a knee injury in the first ever win at Old Trafford. Smalling before lobbing Anders Lindegaard in the steered directly at Lindegaard, was one of the few first- 75th minute after an accidental collision. Wayne Routledge’s opening goal was quickly can- United goal with a perfectly judged finish. It was a big half glimpses the visitors had of the United goal. By that stage, Moyes had brought on young winger celled out by Javier Hernandez, but in the last minute, test of United’s resolve, on the back of a home loss to United responded quickly in kind, with Buttner firing in Adnan Januzaj in an attempt to breathe some life into Routledge beat stand-in right-back Darren Fletcher and Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing, and their a direct free-kick that was comfortably saved by his team’s attacking play, with the absences of injured crossed for Ivorian Bony to head home from six yards. response was swift, with Hernandez equalising thanks Gerhard Tremmel. duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie keenly felt. Swansea’s reward will be a trip to either Birmingham to strong work from Alexander Buttner. Hernandez, with a misdirected header and a mishit But the rapid dismissal of Fabio was another blow City, Bristol Rovers or Crawley Town in round four. The Dutchman whipped over a dangerous cross volley, spurned a couple of other half-chances before for the home side, before Bony turned out the lights on Faced with the prospect of two domestic cup ties in the from the left and the Mexican forward arrived between the interval, but the visitors opened the second half in their hopes of reaching round four. — AFP Sanchez hat-trick puts West Ham humbled Barca back on top by Forest in FA Cup MADRID: Barcelona moved back to the top “I was happy for Alexis because, as a of La Liga on goal difference with a comfort- coach, you always like to see players like he able 4-0 win over Elche yesterday thanks to a and Pedro who work so hard for the team get MANCHESTER: West Ham’s gamble of after 20 games. hat-trick from Alexis Sanchez. The Catalans their reward.” Barca needed just seven min- playing a team full of youngsters and “We had a huge amount of problems are tied with Atletico Madrid on 49 points utes to open their account in 2014 as Jordi reserve players backfired spectacularly in terms of the available members of the with the two set to meet for the first time in Alba’s enticing cross from the left was expert- when the Premier League struggler was squad so I’ve got to keep them intact, the league this season next weekend at the ly finished by Sanchez at the back post. thrashed 5-0 by second-tier Nottingham that’s a major priority,” Allardyce said. Vicente Calderon. Victor Valdes was making his return in goal Forest in a third-round shock in the FA “Many, many managers have changed Lionel Messi was once again watching for Barca after six weeks out with a calf injury, Cup yesterday. the team in all divisions, but my changes from the sidelines as he nears a comeback but he was very nearly beaten on 14 minutes However, it was relatively plain sailing had to be severe. I didn’t want it to be from a hamstring injury and Neymar was left when Richmond Boakye fired a powerful for other top-flight teams, with Chelsea but it had to be.” on the bench having recently returned from a drive off the outside of the post. and Liverpool relying on improved sec- Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho also Christmas break in Brazil. Moments later, though, Barca had made ond-half displays to secure 2-0 wins over rested many of his top players against However, Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez the game safe as Cesc Fabregas’ 10th assist of Derby and Oldham, respectively, and Derby at Pride Park. But the depth of his once again proved able deputies as they slot- the season released Pedro to round Elche Sunderland beating third-tier Carlisle 3-1. squad shone through as John Obi Mikel ted home inside the opening 15 minutes. keeper Tono and roll the ball into an unguard- Manchester United hosts fellow headed home Willian’s devilish free kick Xavi Hernandez also missed a second-half ed net. Premier League side Swansea in the late in the 66th minute for only his fourth penalty for the hosts, but it mattered little as Pedro could have added to his tally twice game. With his squad hit by injury and goal for Chelsea in 300 appearances, Sanchez rolled home his second goal from more in the first-half as he flashed a shot just the first leg of a League Cup semifinal before Brazil playmaker Oscar struck a Pedro’s pass shortly afterwards. past the far post before seeing an attempted against Manchester City to come on fierce shot in at the near post five min- And the Chilean sealed his first hat-trick chip over Tono also float off target. Wednesday, West Ham manager Sam utes later. for the club with a stunning free-kick 21 min- Barca had a great chance to extend their Allardyce fielded an unrecognizable Chelsea will host Stoke in the fourth utes from time. Barca now lead Real Madrid advantage four minutes after the break when starting XI that was humbled at The City round while Liverpool must travel to by eight points, but Madrid can cut the gap Cristian Sapunaru upended Fabregas inside Ground. Bournemouth or Burton after avoiding a on the leaders to five with victory over Celta the area and was extremely fortunate not to Djamel Abdoun’s goal gave Forest a 1- repeat of last season’s embarrassing exit Vigo today. be shown a red card for denying a clear 0 lead at halftime before Jamie Paterson “We played very well. We had variation, goalscoring opportunity. at the hands of third-tier Oldham. precision, control and we had a lot of And Elche had another slice of luck when scored a hat trick and Andy Reid com- Brendan Rodgers’ side was never at its chances,” said Barca boss Gerardo Martino. Xavi side-footed the resultant spot-kick wide pleted the humiliation with the fifth in best without the rested Luis Suarez, but “We were always concentrated through the of the target. injury time. West Ham’s lineup further Iago Aspas’ 54th-minute goal - his first for game and limited the opponent to very few The third goal did finally arrive just after highlights the FA Cup’s increasing lack of the club - and a late own goal by James sights of goal. the hour mark as Pedro unselfishly squared appeal in the eyes of many top clubs Tarkowski was enough for the Reds. “In the second-half especially we con- for Sanchez to double his tally for the after- nowadays but Allardyce made no apolo- Sunderland will play either trolled the game completely.” And the noon. Six minutes later Sanchez sealed his BARCELONA: FC Barcelona’s Pedro Rodriguez, left, gies, even though the humiliating result Kidderminster or Peterborough thanks to Argentine was particularly pleased with the hat-trick with a fine curling free-kick from 25 duels for the ball against Elche’s David Lomban during will pile the pressure on him after his goals from Adam Johnson and French contribution of Pedro and Sanchez in the yards that brought wild celebrations from a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadi- team’s poor start to the season. West debutant El Hadji Ba and an own goal by absence of Messi and Neymar. Martino on the touchline. — AFP um in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. — AP Ham is next to last in the Premier League Sean O’Hanlon against Carlisle. — AP