SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 SPORTS Huddersfield edge up Championship table LONDON: Huddersfield Town edged up gone ahead in the 81st when Danny Saturday. Birmingham City salvaged a 2- Birmingham with a left-footed strike late strike from Pawel Wszolek, pulling to fourth spot in England’s Graham headed in his seventh goal in 2 draw at Barnsley after going in a goal from the left side of the box. Lukas themselves away from the relegation Championship yesterday, rescuing a his last eight games. down at the break. Jutkiewicz levelled the scores for City zone. Preston North End drew 1-1 with point in a 1-1 draw at home to The draw left Blackburn in the rele- Early strikes from Tom Bradshaw and from the penalty spot in the 52nd Sheffield Wednesday, with Wednesday’s Blackburn Rovers with a stoppage-time gation zone ahead of their Monday Sam Winnall, who headed home his minute after Marc Roberts was sent off Adam Reach netting in stoppage time equaliser from striker Nakhi Wells. meeting with table-topping Newcastle 11th goal of the season, put the home for bringing down Che Adams. Queens to spare the blushes of his team mate Rovers were denied victory by a Wells United. None of the leading three teams team in charge before Jacques Park Rangers snatched a 2-1 win at Sam Hutchinson who earlier scored an free kick in the 94th minute, having in the second tier were playing on Maghoma pulled one back for Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to a own goal. — Reuters Barkley denies Hull crucial win psychological advantage as they levelled with the last action of the half. Hull 2 Marshall had his hands warmed early in the second-half but this time he made a sharp save from Romelu Lukaku’s deflected effort, tipping it onto the bar. Everton 2 Marshall was also equal to the task when Barkley ran on to Lukaku’s flick on but the England international shot straight KINGSTON UPON HULL: Everton’s mercu- at the goalkeeper. rial talent Ross Barkley’s header secured Hull went agonisingly close to regaining them a 2-2 draw with struggling Hull in the lead in the 55th minute as leading scor- their Premier League clash on Friday. er Snodgrass’ superb freekick beat Joel Barkley, who has lost his place in the Robles in the Everton goal but was denied England squad and been in and out of the by the post. Everton first team under manager Ronald Robles, who has earned a run in the Koeman, allowed the visitors to level for team with the injury to Maarten the second time. Stekelenburg, did well to prevent Dawson Hull skipper Michael Dawson and then doubling his tally on the hour mark when Robert Snodgrass, with his eighth of the the centreback was found by Egyptian season, had given Hull the lead on two Ahmed Elmohamady. occasions. An own goal by Hull ‘keeper However, there was nothing Robles David Marshall at the end of the first-half could do with Snodgrass’s second superb had gifted Everton their first equaliser. freekick. It was awarded after Leighton The point sees Hull, who have not won Baines had fouled the impressive Harry in their last eight, climb off the bottom and Maguire who had seized on an error by go a point ahead of managerless Swansea Idrissa Gueye and run deep into Everton LEICESTER: West Ham United’s English striker Andy Carroll (2nd R) vies with Leicester City’s Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel during the who play later this weekend. territory. English Premier League football match between Leicester City and West Ham United at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England yes- Everton, with just two wins in their last Hull were edging towards an invaluable terday. — AFP nine games, remain marooned in seventh victory when Barkley struck, heading home spot, six points adrift of Manchester United. from Baines’s pinpoint cross. Dawson pounced with a lovely strike for his Everton could have stolen all three third goal of the season although Everton points in the final minute of normal time as Leicester edge clear would look askance at veterans Phil Coleman’s superb cross was met by substi- Jagielka and Gareth Barry. tute Dominic Calvert-Lewin but his header Jagielka was beaten to a header at the flashed wide of the post. —AFP near post by Curtis Davies while Barry reacted too slowly when the ball fell to of relegation zone Dawson. Everton awoke to give Hull a few scares, Matches on TV Andy Carroll, who also did enough to deny Shinji goal-bound header was blocked as City hung on Kevin Mirallas’s deflected shot being scram- (Local Timings) bled away for a corner by Marshall and a Okazaki from the rebound, then Ogbonna’s for a vital win. —AFP superb Barry cross being headed against Leicester 1 the post by Seamus Coleman. English Premier League Barry, belying his 35 years, was at the King crowns rudderless heart of most of Everton’s attacking play Watford v Tottenham Hotspur 16:30 and he went close himself from long range. beIN SPORTS 2 HD West Ham 0 Hull, though, looked to be set to go in to Arsenal v Crystal Palace 19:00 Swansea another misery the break with a rare lead until Marshall’s beIN SPORTS 2 HD awful blunder instead gave Everton the LEICESTER: Premier League champions Leicester City eased their relegation fears as tipped over the bar by Lukasz Fabianski. Islam Slimani’s headed goal gave them a much- Swansea had few chances but Fernando Swansea 0 needed 1-0 victory over West Ham yesterday. Llorente, all of whose six goals this term have Brilliant Robson-Kanu Boosted by the inclusion of Riyad Mahrez, come at home, beat Artur Boruc with a head- Robert Huth and Danny Drinkwater, Leicester er only for it to clip the post. looked every inch the side who battered However, the hosts morale dipped when a Bournemouth 3 stunner fires Albion Manchester City just a few weeks ago in one of few minutes later Afobe was on hand to this season’s rare high points for the Foxes. knock the ball home after Jordi Amat had Southampton to play in the Africa Cup of Claudio Ranieri’s side now travel to come close to scoring an own goal, the ball Nations for Morocco shortly and he looked Middlesbrough on Monday looking to pull far- SWANSEA: Joshua King rounded off another rebounding off the inside of the post and Southampton 1 in the mood to bow out on a high. ther clear of the bottom three whilst Slaven miserable day for managerless Swansea yes- eagerly snapped up by the Bournemouth He was a constant menace, firing nar- Bilic’s West Ham host Manchester United terday as his goal secured Bournemouth a 3-0 striker. Amat’s frustrations boiled over shortly rowly over from long-range and then set The home side could easily have been a cou- victory over the Premier League tailenders. afterwards as his clattering challenge on the up Dusan Tadic for a volley that raced wide. ple of goals ahead in a fast and frantic opening King’s goal two minutes from time added impressive Fraser earned him a booking. West Brom 2 Boufal went close again when he whipped and were only denied by fine goalkeeping from to those of England Under-21 striker Benik Fraser, whose introduction as a substitute over a cross that curled just past the far West Ham’s Darren Randolph and the post. Afobe and Scottish midfielder Ryan Fraser engineered their remarkable comeback from post and the hosts’ pressure was finally Randolph worked wonders in tipping condemned Swansea-who sacked manager 3-1 down to beat Liverpool 4-3 recently, pro- SOUTHAMPTON: West Bromwich Albion rewarded in the 41st minute. Tadic swung Mahrez’s left foot shot over the crossbar follow- Bob Bradley last Monday-to their eighth vided the perfect riposte doubling the visi- forward Hal Robson-Kanu ended his long in a corner that picked out Long at the near ing a fine Leicester move. A minute later Marc defeat in the last 12 matches. tors lead on half-time. goal drought with a brilliant strike to seal a post and the Irish striker’s header was too Albrighton outpaced Dimitri Payet and sent over The Swans are a point adrift of Hull-who Stanislas was the provider after playing a 2-1 win against Southampton yesterday. powerful for Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster. a pin-point cross which the unmarked Slimani drew 2-2 with Everton on Friday and four shy 1-2 with the outstanding Jack Wilshere. Robson-Kanu marked his first Premier Yet in virtually their first incisive move of could only head directly against the woodwork. of safety. Victory brought Bournemouth their Wilshere, who has flourished during his on League start for Albion with his first goal the half Albion equalised two minutes later. A rare scare for Leicester followed when first away win in four matches and came on loan spell from Arsenal, was at the heart of since his memorable effort for Wales in Claudio Yacob fed Chris Brunt and his Aaron Cresswell’s ball from the right saw Wes the eighth anniversary when present manag- everything, teeing up Stanislas in the second- their shock Euro 2016 quarter-final win first-time pass was flicked on by Robson- Morgan flick the ball into Michail Antonio’s path. er Eddie Howe took over in a caretaker capac- half, his shot drifting just wide of the post.