2 April 2007 ASTON VILLA 1 (Agbonlahor 83) EVERTON 1 (Lescott 15) Honours even at Villa Park as Aston Villa came from behind to earn a point against Everton. Everton had by far the better of the first half and went ahead through a scrappy goal by Joleon Lescott. It came from a free kick on the left by Mikel Arteta which took a couple of deflections on it's way to the far post when Lescott nodded in via the head of Wilfred Bouma. Villa showed little in attack and could have been further behind by the break as both James Vaughan and Phil Neville had long range efforts which scorched just wide. Villa began the second half better with John Carew denied twice in quick succession in an early scramble and then again from clise range after Gabriel Agbonlahor nodded the ball into his path. At times, the ball was pinging around the Everton area like a pinball machine but a combination of good luck and good defending kept Villa out, however with seven minutes to go the equaliser finally arrived. Carew was again involved only for keeper Tim Howard to block him, however the ball fell nicely for Agbonlahor to tap into the empty net. Attendance : 36,407 Assists : n/a, n/a 1 April 2007 TOTTENHAM 1 (Keane 41 Pen) READING 0 Spurs move into sixth after a narrow win against Reading in a game which they dominated and should have scored a hat full. The game got off to a very open start with Spurs beginning with a mission as Steed Malbranque smashed a shot against the post whilst both Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov were denied by keeper Marcus Hahnemann when they should have scored. Reading also hit the woodwork when Leroy Lita sent an unmarked header against the post and Dave Kitson forced a fine point blank save out of Paul Robinson. For all the neat, free-flowing football, it took a penalty to finally break the deadlock as Greg Halford handled in the area and Keane hammered the spot kick into the corner. The second half began with Reading changing their keeper as the injured Hahnemann was replaced by Adam Frederici as the game closed up compared to the first half, although Jermaine Jenas had a goal rightly ruled out for offside. Berbatov had a decent chance but blazed wide and Malbranque scorched a shot just over as Spurs pushed for the second goal. Jermain Defoe replaced Keane and almost netted with a solo run only to be kept out by the keeper and then he also had a goal ruled out for offside although Berbatov was the guilty party and had he not moved for the ball, Defoe's effort would probably had been allowed. Reading showed little in attack in the second half although Lita sent a header wide with eight minutes to go to give the hosts a warning although they were constantly being caught on the break with the pace of Aaron Lennon as he set up Tom Huddlestone to shoot just wide and a minute later Defoe missed a sitter as he blazed over with only the keeper to beat. Attedance : 36,067 Assist : n/a 31 March 2007 WATFORD CHELSEA 1 (Kalou 92) Chelsea kept their title hopes alive thanks to a stoppage time goal to see off bottom club Watford who themselves edged closer to a return to the Championship. Watford had chances, notably to Steve Kabba who sliced wide from close range early in the second half. The goal was simple enough when it came as Salomon Kalou headed in a cross from Andrij Shevchenko to keep the gap between them and Man United to six points. Attendance : 19,793 Assist : Shevchenko BOLTON 1 (Davies 80) SHEFFIELD UNITED 0 Sheffield United are just a point ahead of the drop zone after a late Bolton goal sent them to defeat at the Reebok. Whilst it was a long time in coming, the goal was a cracker as Nik Anelka laid the ball off to Kevin Davies who drilled a low shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards. Attendance : 24,312 Assist : Anelka CHARLTON 1 (Bent 86 Pen) WIGAN 0 With Sheffield United looking over their shoulders, Charlton edged to within a point of them after a controversial late penalty gave them a crucial win against Wigan who themselves are right in the battle at the bottom. The spot kick was conceded by Fitz Hall however whether it was for a tug on Hermann Hreidarsson or a possible foul on Darren Bent remains a doubt, however Bent himself dipatched the penalty although keeper John Filan did get his hands to it. Attendance : 26,500 Assist : M Bent (won pen) FULHAM 1 (O'Neil 92 og) PORTSMOUTH 1 (Kranjcar 4) David James was denied a Premiership record of 142 career clean sheets by a late equaliser as Portsmouth drew at Fulham. Pompey took an early lead when Kanu's header found Niko Krancjar who cut in from the left and curled a beauty into the top corner. It looked to be the goal to decide matters until stoppage time when Vladimir Smertin set up Ian Pearce whose deflected effort wrong-footed James and dribbled into the net. Attendance : 22,806 Assists : Kanu, n/a MANCHESTER UNITED 4 (Scholes 61, Carrick 73, Park 83, Solskjaer 90) BLACKBURN 1 (Derbyshire 29) Man United stay six points clear with seven games to go as they came from behind to hammer Blackburn. The visitors were ahead at the break after Matt Derbyshire walloped the ball into the roof of the net after Michael Carrick almost put through his own net from Morten Gamst Pedersen's cross. The second half was a different story as Rovers lost possession on the edge of their area and Paul Scholes jinked through the defence to drill in the equaliser. Carrick then made amends for his earlier error when he side footed in Cristiano Ronaldo's low cross and Ronaldo had a hand in the third as his free kick was saved only for Ji-Sung Park to score from the rebound. Ole Gunnar Solskjear added a stoppage time fourth with a low shot from Park's chip as United edge towards regaining their title. Attendance : 76,098 Assists : n/a, n/a, Ronaldo, n/a, Park NEWCASTLE 0 MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Mpenza 80) Man City eased their relegation concerns with a late winner as Newcastle. Emile Mpenza grabbed the only goal with a comprehensive finish having been put through by Michael Johnson. Attendance : 52,004 Assist: Johnson WEST HAM 2 (Zamora 2, Tevez 45) MIDDLESBROUGH 0 West Ham did their chances of survival the power of good after victory over Middlesbrough put them to within five points of safety. The Hammers had it all wrapped up by half time as Bobby Zamora had blasted in a deflected cross from Carlos Tevez inside two minutes and on the stroke of half time, Tevez netted himself after George McCartney's cross had bounced off the legs of Andrew Taylor. Attendance : 34,977 Assists : n/a, n/a LIVERPOOL 4 (Crouch 4, 35, Agger 60, Crouch 81) ARSENAL 1 (Gallas 73) A hat trick from Peter Crouch helped Liverpool to a thumping win at home to Arsenal as the clubs swapped places in the league. Liverpool were well in control by half time thanks to Crouch who opened the scoring early on when he converted a cross from Alvaro Arbeloa with a near post shot. The lead, and his personal tally, was doubled when Fabio Aurelio crossed for Crouch to send a superb header into the back of the net. Early in the second half, Emmanuel Adebayor thudded a shot against the post for the Gunners and within minutes, Liverpool increased their lead. Aurelio was again the provider with another excellent cross this time headed in by Daniel Agger. Arsenal had some brief hope when Alexander Hleb's corner was nodded on by Kolo Toure and bundled in at the far post by William Gallas, however the three goal cushion was restored with Crouch's hat trick goal as a cross from Jermaine Pennant found him on the edge of the area and after decent control he hammered past Jens Lehmann. Trivia fans note that this was only the third Prem hat trick of the season after earlier ones from Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba. By the end of March last season there had been twice as many. Attendance : 43,958 Assists : Arbeloa, Aurelio, Aurelio (fk), n/a, Pennant Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Topica Premier-L list http://www.topica.com/lists/premier-L/ Leeds United and Scotland and proud of it http://footiemad.fortunecity.com http://www.peanutsfan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/footiemad The Unofficial Premiership Site |