MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014 SPORTS Paterson double earns Hearts derby victory

EDINBURGH: Callum Paterson scored a of play,” Butcher said. double as relegated Hearts sealed their “We certainly put in a very good per- fourth Edinburgh derby win of the season formance that was full of commitment. We with a 2-1 victory over Hibernian at Easter passed the ball well and full of confidence Road. for a team that’s lost five on the bounce.” At The Jambos’ win means they have mus- Easter Road, the home side began to apply tered the same amount of points as their some early pressure and MacDonald was rivals, with only the 15-point deduction relieved as he saw a Jason Cummings loop- handed down to Hearts at the beginning of ing header bounce just wide after he con- the season for entering administration sep- nected with Liam Craig’s cross. arating the Scottish capital sides. Hibs had a penalty claim in the 30th Despite their lowly status, Hearts started minute when MacDonald pushed the match as favourites against a Hibs side Cummings to the ground as he tried to get without a win in 10 matches. However, the on the end of a corner but his pleas were home side started brightly with Jason ignored. Cummings coming close with a header Cummings came close minutes later before two goals in four minutes turned when his shot on the turn from 25 yards the game on its head. took a wicked deflection and MacDonald Paterson headed home his first from a had to scramble across his to make a corner in the 37th minute and four minutes diving save. later the Hibs defence showed they hadn’t However, it was Hearts who took the learnt their lesson when they allowed lead against the run of play in the 37th Paterson to again nod past Ben Williams to minute. Paterson rose at the back post to double the Jambos’ advantage. meet a corner and send a header bouncing Jordon Forster, who wrongly had a goal into the turf and over the head of Craig chopped off in the last Edinburgh derby, who was guarding the near post. pulled one back with a powerful header in Paterson got his second in the 41st the 69th minute before substitute James minute with an almost carbon copy goal. Collins blew a late chance to equalise with Kevin McHattie whipped in an inviting in- a fresh air kick eight yards out and was swinging free-kick from the right which then denied by a superb Jamie MacDonald Paterson attacked at the back post and save in stoppage time. headed down past Williams. Defeat means Hibs are just one point Hibs started the second half positively above Kilmarnock, who currently occupy and Sam Harris saw his shot deflected into the dreaded relegation play-off position the side netting before Thomson saw his SPAIN: Barcelona’s duels for the ball with Villarreal’s (right) during a Spanish League soccer match. —AP and would be bottom of the table if it fierce low drive pushed round the post by weren’t for Hearts points punishment. MacDonald. “For the last month we’ve won games The Easter Road side hadn’t scored for and played really well. Today was more over seven hours but deservedly pulled Emotional Barca battle back, about character and digging in and I think one back in the 69th minute through you saw that in abundance,” said Hearts Forster. Ryan McGivern’s excellent delivery manager Gary Locke. from the right picked out Forster who pow- Atletico edge towards title “Hibs have got players and a good man- ered a header past MacDonald. agement team and everyone has been Collins blew a glorious chance to MADRID: Barcelona maintained their slight goalbound effort. every game as it comes.” Despite the second leg of writing them off but I knew they would equalise for Hibs in the 85th minute when a title hopes as they came from 2-0 down to beat However, Villarreal were always dangerous on his side’s Champions League semi-final against make it difficult for us. I’m delighted my mistake in the Hearts defence saw the ball Villarreal 3-2 on an emotionally-charged night at El the counter-attack and after Marc Bartra had Chelsea being just three days away, Simeone players have stood up to that as maybe ear- break to him seven yards out but the Irish Madrigal when players and fans remembered Tito cleared Javier Aquino’s effort off the line, Barca named a strong side with David Villa and Tiago lier in the season that might not have been striker took a fresh air swipe at it and the Vilanova. However, Atletico Madrid remain in the were caught out again moments later when coming into the side that started the first leg the case.” danger was cleared. MacDonald then made driving seat for their first title in 18 years as they Jonathan Pereira crossed for Cani to slot home. against the English club in midweek. Hibs boss Terry Butcher thought the a fabulous save six minutes into stoppage ground out a 1-0 win away to Valencia. Trigueros doubled Villarreal’s advantage 10 min- However, Simeone claimed important victories result didn’t reflect the nature of the game. time to deny Collins and seal Hearts fourth The Catalans paid their respects to former coach utes into the second-half when he was well-picked for both Atletico, and Chelsea over Liverpool on “They’ve scored two goals against the run derby victory.—AFP Vilanova with a minute’s silence before the game, out by Aquino and cushioned a header low past Sunday, won’t make any difference at Stamford but a miserable week looked set to end with a sixth Jose Manuel Pinto from the edge of the area. Bridge come Wednesday. league defeat of the season as Cani and Manu Barca got back into the game with a fortunate “The league doesn’t have anything to do with Trigueros gave Villarreal a commanding lead. break 25 minutes from time when Dani Alves’ cross the Champions League. Chelsea have a great team However, own goals from Gabriel and Mateo was deflected into his own net by Gabriel. as they have shown by rotating players and still Musacchio brought Barca level before Alves was then the subject of a shocking inci- winning 2-0 today. They are a very strong team that grabbed the winner eight minutes from time. dent as a banana was thrown at the Brazilian as he will cause us a lot of problems.” Atletico continue to lead Barca by four points prepared to take a corner, provoking the full-back Atletico made the vital breakthrough two min- with just three games remaining, whilst Real to take a bite of the banana before continuing on utes before half-time when Gabi’s lofted ball into Madrid fall to third, a further two points back, but with the game. And Alves was the source of Barca’s the area picked out the run of Garcia and he cush- with a game in hand. equaliser when Musacchio this time misjudged a ioned a header in off the inside of the post to regis- “We played with fire,” Barca Andres header from his cross to send the ball past the ter his 17th goal of the season. Iniesta admitted. “We weren’t playing badly but the helpless Asenjo. Messi then sealed the comeback Diego Costa should have put the game to bed goal just before half-time affected us. Then it went as a fine move involving and Cesc six minutes into the second half when he was 2-0, but we fought until the end because that is all Fabregas ended with the Argentine drilling home played clean through on goal, but he delayed his we can do until the end of the season.” his 40th goal of the season. shot and allowed Vicente Guaita to save with an And the Spanish international added that Earlier, Raul Garcia starred for Atletico as he got outstretched leg. However, despite having Vilanova’s example in his fight with cancer for over the only goal of the game just before half-time to Juanfran sent-off deep into stoppage time, the two years will remain with them. “Something like secure a ninth straight league win and move his league leaders held on for a sixth consecutive clean that always affects you a lot. We lived through a lot team within two more victories of sealing the sheet to move ever closer to the title. together and I am left with the example he has championship. “We have two incredibly powerful Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao strengthened their been to us until the end.” teams behind us that will give everything and grip on Spain’s fourth Champions League place for Despite another difficult week off the field, won’t allow us to relax,” insisted Atletico boss Diego next season with a 3-1 win over Sevilla at San Barca had started positively as Sergio Asenjo made Simeone. Mames. The Basques now lead Sevilla by six points a low save from Messi before Gabriel blocked ’s “We have to continue being calm and take with just three games remaining.—AFP Ajax clinch Dutch title

THE HAGUE: Ajax secured their fourth consecutive Dutch title yesterday, and the 33rd of their history, after a 1-1 draw away to Heracles Almelo on the penultimate week- end of the season. Lasse Schone gave Ajax the lead, and while Heracles ITALY; Torino’ forward scores a goal during a soccer match soon drew level, the result gives the Amsterdam side an between Torino and Udinese at the Olympic stadium.—AP unassailable lead of four points from second-placed Feyenoord, who won 5-1 at home to Cambuur. Frank de Boer’s side have now equalled the Dutch league record for Torino, Lazio and Verona the most successive titles. The triumph also guarantees direct qualification for next season’s Champions League keep Europa hopes alive group stage for Ajax, who bounced back from their shock 5-1 loss to Zwolle in the final of the Dutch Cup last week- MILAN: Torino, Lazio and Verona secured city. Veteran striker made up for end. De Boer, 43, won the title five times with Ajax as a crucial wins yesterday to make sure the his recent omission from Italy’s World Cup player and has added four more in a row as coach, some- fight for Europa League places will go to squad by opening the scoring in the sixth thing that neither Rinus Michels nor , two the wire in the remaining three games of minute. Despite heading home his and the Ajax coaching greats, ever managed. the Serie A season. hosts’ second on 28 minutes, it was later Ajax’s success comes despite the sale of a host of play- Omar El Kaddouri broke the deadlock in ruled as an own goal by Catania ‘keeper ers last summer, including defender Toby Alderweireld, Turin with a fine individual strike on the Alberto Frison following review by league who joined Atletico Madrid, and Danish playmaker quarter hour with striker Ciro Immobile officials. Christian Eriksen, who joined Tottenham Hotspur. stretching his league-leading tally to 21 Toni is now second in the Serie A scor- Feyenoord are guaranteed to finish second, which carries goals for the season on 56 minutes to er’s list with 19 goals, one ahead of with it a place in the qualifying rounds for the Champions THE NETHERLANDS: Ajax Amsterdam players pose with their trophy after the Dutch secure a 2-0 win. Torino moved up to sixth Juventus striker and two League. —AFP Eredivisie match against Heracles Almelo, in Almelo. —AFP place and what is, in theory, a virtual ahead of Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli. Europa League qualifying spot. Brazilian midfielder Marquinho scored With Napoli facing off against Fiorentina Verona’s third to virtually secure the points, in the final of the Italian Cup, the team who with first-half substitute Juan Gomez Hamburg deep in relegation mire finishes sixth is set to be awarded a place in adding a fourth on 74 minutes to give the Europa League irrespective of next Andrea Mandorlini’s side a European boost. : Former European champi- inside 42 minutes as Turkey striker in 1983 but have not won any major Schalke in third and seven points week’s result in . , who began the day in sixth, saw ons Hamburg remain in danger of Halil Altintop scored a brace and honours since 1987, and now their adrift of neighbours Dortmund with Napoli, who sit third, have virtually their Europa hopes dented by a 1-0 defeat being relegated from the Andre Hahn added another goal for status as the only club in Germany’s two games left. secured the third and final Champions away to Cagliari where Mauricio Pinilla’s for the first time in their history after the hosts, and Heiko Westermann’s top flight never to have been relegat- On Saturday, Bayern Munich League place while Fiorentina, eight points 35th minute spot-kick secured the points losing 3-1 away to Augsburg yester- reply just before the interval proved ed is under serious threat with only warmed up for Tuesday’s Champions adrift in fourth, are five points better off and the Sardinians’ top flight survival. day. to be a mere consolation for HSV. two games of the season remaining. League semi-final second leg at than fifth-placed Inter and nine ahead of Parma, who were reduced to 10 men on 53 They were three goals down Hamburg won the European Cup Mirko Slomka’s side lie 16th in the home to Real Madrid with a 5-2 Torino with three games remaining. minutes when Felipe saw red for striking table, only a point clear of the auto- come-from-behind win against Torino, however, are not alone in dream- Luca Rossettini in the face-an incident matic relegation places and with a Werder Bremen. ing of an unlikely place in Europe’s second which caused a melee between both sets home game against reigning Three days after their 1-0 first-leg tier club competition next season. of players-are now ninth at one point adrfit European champions Bayern Munich loss in Madrid, Bayern fell behind Lazio, whose coach Edy Reja said only and a tricky trip to Mainz still to twice against Bremen at the Allianz two weeks ago he wouldn’t bet one euro of Torino, Lazio and Verona. Also in the Europa League mix are Milan, come. Arena before scoring four second- on his stuttering side sealing their Europa Should Hamburg remain third half goals without reply. ticket, came away from relegation-threat- who despite a 2-0 reverse to Roma on Friday, sit on the same points as Parma in from bottom, they will earn a The flattering scoreline failed to ened Livorno with a 2-0 win which moved reprieve in the form of a two-legged mask Bayern’s woeful first-half them up to seventh on the same points as 10th place. Sampdoria overcame the sending off of play-off against the side which finish- defending, which must sound the Torino (52). es third in the second tier for the alarm bells for coach Captain Stefano Mauri opened Lazio’s Shkodran Mustafi, which allowed Chievo’s Cyril Thereau to put the visitors 1-0 up from right to play top-flight football next given the danger of conceding an account on the quarter hour after pounc- season. , who away goal to Real. ing on a blunder from Livorno ‘keeper the spot on 66 minutes, by scoring two late goals thanks to Eder and Roberto Soriano drew 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen on Bayern have conceded the first Francesco Bardi. Saturday, will finish the season sec- goal in seven of their nine matches to snatch a crucial win in Genoa. doubled the lead ond to Bayern for the second year since winning the Bundesliga title Juventus travel to relegation-haunted from the spot six minutes after the restart running after third-placed Schalke late last month with a record seven Sassuolo today and will be expected to after Rinaudo handled in the area from lost 1-0 at home to Borussia matches to spare. Mauri’s first-time shot. restore their eight-point lead on second- Moenchengladbach yesterday. Once again the Munich defence Verona sit in eighth position on the placed Roma and take another step GERMANY: Augsburg’s midfielder Daniel Baier (right) and Hamburg’s A first-half strike from winger was left wanting in the first 45 min- same points as Torino and Lazio following a towards a third consecutive title under Turkish midfielder Kerem Demirbay vie for the ball during the German Patrick Herrmann gave Gladbach the utes before the reigning European 4-0 rout of Catania in the rain-hit northern . —AFP First Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP win in Gelsenkirchen which left champions roared back.—AFP