The Soccer Blog: Ground

Showing posts with label Ground. Show all posts

Monday, 21 March 2011

Neville targets higher ground

Everton captain Phil Neville believes finishing above arch-rivals Liverpool is still a realistic target for David Moyes’ side.

The Toffees have had a wildly inconsistent season, but a 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday leaves them unbeaten in four games and in eighth place on the English Premier League table.

That run leaves them well-positioned to challenge for a Europa League berth and get one over their cross-town rivals in the process.

“The thing with the league this year is that there have been so many times when we’ve thought we can push into the top half and make inroads into the top seven and we’ve always faltered,” Neville said.

“We’ve just got to finish as high as possible. There are eight games left and I don’t think one team from that middle section have put a run together yet.”

“We aim to be above Bolton, Sunderland and Liverpool. If we finish in front of Liverpool and don’t achieve anything, that’s still a failure for me.”

“We need to do the basics. That’s what the manager said after the Birmingham game and we did it against Fulham. On the quiet we’re developing a nice little run.”

Neville said it was important to grind results out and not let points slip away in the remaining eight games, and said his team-mates needed to follow the example of veteran defender Tony Hibbert.

“The teams around us are all scrapping too, and maybe we have to go back to three or four years ago when we had to grind out results,” Neville said.

“This club is ingrained in that kind of spirit and that’s what the manager wants from us now.”

“Tony Hibbert epitomised that. He was dogged as ever (against Fulham) and he’s a great defender. It was a special day for him because this is his 10th year at the club. He is an unsung hero in the dressing room but epitomises everything we’ll need in the next eight games.”

“Tony Hibbert is well respected at this club, I don’t think he realises how highly sometimes.”

Mon 21 March, 2011

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Championship wrap: Watford near promotion pack, Burnley lose ground

Watford moved within four points of the Championship promotion places with a 3-0 win at Ipswich Town on Tuesday, while Burnley were held.

Danny Graham scored in his fifth successive match and Watford recorded their fifth straight points result over Ipswich, who remain in 16th following their third straight home loss.

Watford leap to eighth on table, four points away from Nottingham Forest at the edge of the promotion places with nine rounds left in the Championship season.

Troy Deeney had Ipswich reeling when he produced a fine finish to put Watford up 1-0 in the third minute, an advantage they widened when Graham found the net again after 61 minutes.

Don Cowie managed to sneak in a third goal in added time for the visitors, who will look to press their playoff hopes further in the coming weeks against struggling sides Middlesbrough and Coventry City.

Elsewhere, Burley missed an opportunity to draw within one point of Forest when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Coventry.

A Jay Rodriguez brace was enough to secure a point for the hosts, who conceded goals to Lukas Jutkiewicz (61) and Gary McSheffery (75) in 14 second-half minutes.

Preston North End ran out 3-0 winners at fellow relegation battlers Scunthorpe United.

Keith Treacy (32), Billy Jones (37) and Iain Hume (43) buried Scunthorpe with three quick goals, leaving the hosts four points adrift of safety following three straight losses.

Bottom-placed Preston are still 10 points away from Crystal Palace in 21st place.

Tue 15 March, 2011

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Belgian First Division wrap: Gent lose ground

Gent missed a chance to close the gap on Belgian First Division leaders Genk and Anderlecht when they were held 1-1 at Mechelen on Saturday.

The third-placed side could have drawn within five points of both teams, who are split by goal difference at the top of the league table, with victory.

But they were forced to settle for a point when David de Storme nabbed an injury-time equaliser for the hosts.

Senegalese striker Elimane Coulibaly had earlier put Gent into the lead with his eighth goal of the season, finding the net in the 77th minute.

Elsewhere, Kortrijk ended a run of four straight league losses thanks to a visit from bottom-placed Charleroi, running out 3-0 winners to climb to ninth on the table.

Davy De Beule scored a first-half brace for the hosts, interrupted by a rare goal from defender Sven Kums.

Lokeren consolidated their place in the top six with a 2-1 win at home over 10-man Zulte-Waregem.

Alfredh Finnbogason and Benjamin de Ceulaer scored within the first 10 minutes for the hosts, before Zulte-Waregem threatened a second-half comeback with Thomas Matton’s 49th-minute goal.

But the danger quickly passed as defender Miguel Dachelet was sent off for a second caution in the 56th minute.

Finally, Sint-Truiden defeated fellow relegation battlers Germinal Beerschot 1-0 on Gregory Dufer’s 61st-minute winner, and Westerlo triumphed 1-0 at Cercle Brugge courtesy of Dieter Dekelver.

Sun 6 March, 2011