New Zealand Resurgent snare 40-run Schalke earn third win over India straight victory

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 201417 19

Russia takes first gold, Mayer takes downhill Page 18

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Robin van Persie (top center) is thwarted by Fulham’s Sascha Riether during their English Premier League soccer match. — AP Bent stuns Old Trafford, United

earned them victory. tate for the home side and John Arne Riise low-up over the bar, before Nemanja Vidic But deep into added time, Bent headed in headed wide for a corner from Ashley headed the Mata corner that followed EPL results/standings Man United 2 from close range to earn the Cottagers a Young’s cross after another spell of pressure. straight at the goalkeeper. draw. After falling behind on 13 occasions in But the visitors took a shock lead with After United had finally managed to draw Manchester United 2 (Van Persie 78, Carrick 80) Fulham 2 the league this season, it was just the fifth their first proper attack. Riise won the ball the visitors further upfield four minutes into (Sidwell 19, Bent 90+4); Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Adebayor 65) Everton 0. time that United have subsequently avoided from Juan Mata in midfield and Lewis Holtby the second half, Rooney could not get on the Fulham 2 defeat, but they are now nine points adrift of clipped a pass over the top for Sidwell to end of Van Persie’s powerful cross. English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, fourth-place Liverpool. surge into the area and volley home. As a Stekelenburg was finally stretched when won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Meulensteen’s side looked much stunned United attempted to find a way back he tipped over Rooney’s close-range snap- Chelsea 25 17 5 3 47 20 56 improved and they will take heart from their into the game, Rafael lifted a cross to the far shot, before Moyes brought on Adnan Arsenal 25 17 4 4 48 26 55 MANCHESTER: Darren Bent snatched an stubborn performance as they avoided post and Van Persie thumped well off target Januzaj on the hour. Man City 25 17 3 5 68 27 54 equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time defeat for just the fourth time in 17 league from around five yards. Rooney thumped just wide of goal from Liverpool 25 15 5 5 63 30 50 as Manchester United slipped to a 2-2 draw games. When Carrick’s shot was blocked by well outside the area as United looked more Tottenham 25 14 5 6 32 32 47 against the Premier League’s bottom club United were predictably dominant in pos- Sidwell, Mata lifted a cross over from the and more desperate and short of ideas. Everton 25 12 9 4 37 26 45 Fulham yesterday. session from the start, but they struggled to right and Stekelenburg again denied Young. But the breakthrough finally came with 12 Man Utd 25 12 5 8 41 31 41 Steve Sidwell gave former United coach find gaps in the Fulham defence. Carrick also volleyed wide from 20 yards after minutes left when Fulham failed to clear Newcastle 25 11 4 10 32 34 37 Southampton 25 9 9 7 36 29 36 Rene Meulensteen’s side the lead in the 19th After 10 minutes the visitors, who were Mata’s cross was cleared to the edge of the Evra’s cross and Van Persie prodded in from Swansea 25 7 6 12 32 35 27 minute and the visitors looked like they penned in their own half, were grateful to a area by Riether. Mata’s pass. Hull 25 7 6 12 25 30 27 would cling on for a shock win. fine sliding challenge from Sascha Riether For all that pressure, Fulham should have In the 80th minute they had a second, Aston Villa 25 7 6 12 27 36 27 The visitors, who had conceded 27 goals after Van Persie had been slipped through by doubled their advantage seven minutes when Januzaj’s cross was knocked to the Stoke 25 6 8 11 26 40 26 in their previous nine league matches, were Darren Fletcher. before the interval. Kieran Richardson edge of the area by Richardson and Carrick’s Crystal Palace 25 8 2 15 18 34 26 compact and hard-working, which initially Van Persie threw his head at a Wayne cleared Rooney’s corner and Swedish young- shot deflected off Scott Parker and flew into West Ham 25 6 7 12 26 33 25 frustrated a United side who were desper- Rooney cross, but Fulham goalkeeper ster Muamer Tankovic ran 70 yards before the top-left corner. Norwich 25 6 7 12 19 37 25 ately short of inspiration. With 12 minutes Maarten Stekelenburg raced out of the squaring to an unmarked Richardson, who That looked sure to be enough, but after Sunderland 25 6 6 13 25 38 24 remaining, Robin van Persie tapped in to Fulham goal quickly enough to prevent the lifted his shot over with only De Gea to beat. three minutes of added time, Richardson’s West Brom 25 4 11 10 29 37 23 pull United level and two minute later United striker from making telling contact. Stekelenburg blocked from Carrick and shot was saved by De Gea and Bent headed Cardiff 25 5 6 14 19 44 21 Michael Carrick’s shot looked to have Carrick’s passing was continuing to dic- Sidwell managed to divert Van Persie’s fol- in Fulham’s equaliser. — AFP Fulham 25 6 2 17 24 55 20 Adebayor sinks Everton Enjoyment is key to Yet Adebayor’s winner was harsh on Roberto Martinez’s Everton, who Real form, says Bale Tottenham 1 dropped to sixth place despite being the superior force for long periods. MADRID: Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale Modric and the former Spurs’ man received a Everton didn’t take long to test had a perfect return to action after three standing ovation from the Bernabeu crowd Hugo Lloris for the first time when games out through injury, with a goal and an after another stellar performance on Steven Naismith alertly hooked a pass Everton 0 assist as Los Blancos moved to the top of La Saturday. Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said after towards Leon Osman, whose fierce Liga on Saturday. the game that Modric fully deserved the strike brought a fine stop from the Madrid’s 4-2 win over Villarreal at the praise he has received of late, but the Spurs goalkeeper. Santiago Bernabeu coupled with Atletico Croatian insists the plaudits won’t go to his LONDON: Emmanuel Adebayor boost- Sherwood’s team had conceded Madrid’s 2-0 defeat at Almeria allowed Real to head. ed Tottenham’s bid to qualify for the five against Manchester City in their go above Atletico just three days after they “They were three very important points Champions League as the Togo strik- last home game and again they were had also dealt Diego Simeone’s side a 3-0 for us, above all after the difficult game we er’s clinical finish sealed a vital 1-0 win sloppy at the back when Naismith has- defeat in the first leg of their Copa del Rey had against Atletico that left us very tired over Everton yesterday. sled Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen semi-final. physically and mentally. We played a great Tim Sherwood’s side moved two out of possession far too easily. Bale opened the scoring with his 11th goal game against a very difficult team in Villarreal. points clear of Everton into fifth place Naismith slipped a pass to Osman in a of the season before teeing up Karim “I am very proud that the fans sang my and within three points of fourth good position just inside the Spurs Benzema to make it 2-0 inside the first 25 name. It is incredible and I feel very at home placed Liverpool thanks to Adebayor’s area, but the Everton midfielder’s weak minutes. here. But, as I have said on previous occa- second half strike at White Hart Lane. shot was straight at Lloris. Jese Rodriguez and Benzema with his sec- sions, the important thing is that the team is Tottenham finally showed signs of Adebayor had spent much of the LONDON: Tottenham’s Danny Rose, falls to the ground after being ond rounded off the scoring for the hosts playing very well and winning. We will contin- season in exile after falling out with life when Danish midfielder Christian fouled by Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu during the English Premier after the break, whilst Mario Gaspar and ue to work hard to continue like this.” former boss Andre Villas-Boas follow- Eriksen fired a free-kick just the cross- League soccer match. — AP Giovani Dos Santos scored two brilliant con- It was a night of contrasting emotions for ing a training ground row that fea- bar. Even then there was still a sense of solation goals for Villarreal. the sides from the Spanish capital as Atletico tured the striker telling his then man- uncertainty at the heart of Tottenham’s Everton, sharper in thought and Sherwood remained just as agitat- Real are now unbeaten in 23 games lost for just the second time in the league this ager why his tactics weren’t going to defence that threatened to cost them deed than their leaden-footed oppo- ed in the second half and it wasn’t long stretching back to October and Bale believes season to relegation threatened Almeria. work. dearly. nents, were doing most of their dam- before a misplaced pass from Paulinho the results show he and his teammates are Simeone’s men were without goalkeeper But Sherwood has brought A mix-up between Lloris and age in the areas between Tottenham’s prompted him to boot a bag of energy enjoying their football right now. Thibaut Courtois due to injury and the Adebayor in from the cold and the for- Spurs captain Michael Dawson almost defence and midfield, and Seamus drinks in frustration, with the resulting “We managed to get three important Belgian’s presence was sorely missed as mer Arsenal star has repaid that faith let in Everton again before the danger Coleman galloped through unchecked spray flying towards Martinez, who points. I am very happy with my goal, but the replacement Daniel Aranzubia endured a with seven goals in 11 appearances was finally averted via a slapstick to drive in a low shot that was easily looked nonplussed before accepting important thing is that the team won and nightmare evening. since Villas-Boas’s sacking. sequence of miscued clearances. held by Lloris. his counterpart’s apology. that we put pressure on our rivals for the title,” The former Deportivo la Coruna keeper His latest heroics gave Spurs their That narrow escape brought the Kevin Mirallas was next to breeze While Sherwood simmered on the he told Real Madrid TV. was badly at fault as he flapped at Verza’s first win in three matches and kept always animated Sherwood to his feet past the Spurs rearguard, leaving touchline, his players were at last forc- “The team is doing very well and we are opener for Almeria 10 minutes from time and them firmly in the hunt for a lucrative in frustration, but his plea for more Dawson trailing in his wake, but the ing their way back into the match and enjoying ourselves on the pitch. The proof of he was then sent off just six minutes later for place in Europe’s elite club competi- composure seemed to fall on deaf forward’s wild shot was an anti-climac- Adebayor was just off target with a that is in the results.” A key figure in Real’s bundling over Jonathan Zongo inside the tion. ears. tic end to a scintillating run. glancing header. — AFP unbeaten run has been midfielder Luka area. — AFP