SOCCER SHORTS:MANCHESTER City manager Mark Hughes has warned his team to raise their game against Martin Jol's Hamburg tonight in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup – or pay the price.
City arrived in Germany yesterday ahead of the first leg match on the back of a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal. But Hughes is expecting a better performance against a side currently joint top of the Bundesliga and managed by former Tottenham boss, Martin Jol.
Belgium midfielder Vincent Kompany has been ruled out of the game against his former club because of a hamstring injury.
The Belgium international's absence leaves Hughes short of numbers in midfield as another former Hamburg star, Nigel de Jong, is cup-tied. However, Martin Petrov (knee) and Stephen Ireland (ankle) both travelled to Germany after injury problems.
Tonight's games
Uefa Cup - Quarter-finals, first legs (7.45): Hamburg v Manchester City; PSG v Dynamo Kiev; Shakhtar Donetsk v Marseille (5.30); Werder Bremen v Udinese.
Republic retain their crown
REPUBLIC of Ireland FFA Schools held off strong opposition from Northern Ireland yesterday to retain the LD Home Nations Championship title. Although the Irish drew with Northern Ireland 1-1, the squad did enough after Tuesday’s performance against Scotland (4-2) to retain their crown.
The all-important goal came from Alan Larns, who made no mistake after a great 15-yard run. Steven McAllister replied early in the second half for the North.
Team coach Dave Bell said: “I’m delighted for the boys. When we got together three weeks ago, we were under pressure to retain our title because we have such a young squad. However, they responded and deserved to take the trophy based on yesterday’s and today’s performances. Today was difficult with Northern Ireland putting up a magnificent fight.”
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: J Kelly, W Smith, E Smith, Byrne, Ryan, Maher (capt), Stilwell (Karl McGrath, 65 mins), Larns, Deniffe, Mampuya, Campbell. Subs not used: Fitzgerald, McGrath, A Kelly, McCauliffe, Murray, O'Leary, O'Carroll.
Ireland drop eight places to 34th
DESPITE drawing 1-1 with world champions Italy in Bari last week, the Republic of Ireland have dropped eight places to 34th in the latest Fifa world rankings.
England have moved up two places to seventh, the rise coming on the back of a 4-0 friendly victory over Slovakia and a World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine.
Spain, who are now unbeaten in 31 matches, lead the way with a record 350 points ahead of Germany. Holland are third with Brazil fourth. Scotland are up four places to 24th, with Northern Ireland climbing 15 places to 27th.
* NORTHERNIreland's bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup received an indirect boost yesterday after their qualifying group rivals, the Czech Republic, sacked coach Petr Rada and captain Tomas Ujfalusi retired.
Limerick punter nets €650,000
WHEN Birmingham City were reduced to 10 men in their English League Championship game against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Monday night, after Lee Carsley had been sent off eight minutes before half-time, one Limerick man may have sensed his dreams of a jackpot were fading as fast as City's hopes of a win, reports Mary Hannigan.
The fixture was the 17th and last in a €5 accumulator bet, at odds of 130,000 to 1, placed by the construction worker at Ladbrokes in Davis Street, Limerick on Saturday. He was spot on with his first 16 forecasts, but needed Birmingham to beat Wolves to complete the set.
Despite being a man down Birmingham did just that, beating the Championship leaders 2-0 and ensuring that the man from Limerick collected a cheque for €650,000, Ladbrokes’ biggest single pay-out to a punter in Ireland and their fifth biggest worldwide.
“This will change my life,” said the winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous.
“I’ve been on protective notice at my job so for my wife and family this could not come at a better time.”
For Ladbrokes, then, it proved to be a toxic wager; budgeting for the future, though, should prove a whole lot more manageable for the lucky Limerick man.
The €5 accumulator
Saturday: Arsenal 1/2 (beat Manchester City 2-0); Bolton 11/10 (beat Middlesbrough 4-1); Hull/Portsmouth - Draw 11/5 (drew 0-0); Liverpool 8/13 (beat Fulham 1-0, the winner coming in the 92nd minute); Chelsea 4/6 (beat Newcastle 2-0); Stoke 12/5 (beat West Brom 2-0); West Ham 11/10 (beat Sunderland 2-0); Barnsley/Nott’m Forest - Draw 11/5 (drew 1-1 – Barnsley missed a penalty); Sheffield Utd 4/5 (beat Ipswich 2-0); Celtic 1/5 (beat Hamilton 4-0); Hearts 4/7 (beat Kilmarnock 3-1); Inverness 6/5 (beat St Mirren 2-1); Motherwell/Aberdeen - Draw 9/4 (drew 1-1).
Sunday: Everton 8/11 (beat Wigan 4-0); Manchester Utd 2/5 (beat Aston Villa 3-2, the winner coming in the 93rd minute); Rangers 4/9 (beat Falkirk 1-0).
Monday: Birmingham City 6/4 (beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0).
O'Neill charged by English FA
ASTON Villa manager Martin O’Neill has been charged with improper conduct by the English FA, following his behaviour towards referee Mike Riley after the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
O’Neill later claimed Riley missed a foul on Ashley Young in the build-up to Federico Macheda’s winner. He said after the match: “The officials also got three offside decisions wrong when we were clean through.”
