UFO Info Week-End

Their boldness was rewarded only two minutes from the end as the splendid Muzzy Izzet who combined skill

Their boldness was rewarded only two minutes from the end as the splendid Muzzy Izzet, who combined skill with work-rate to stand out in midfield, outjumped the goalkeeper Magnus Hedman to Neil Lennon’s cross and made it possible for Emile Heskey to stab in the equaliser. It should be said that Heskey had battled through a first- half back injury that required several applications of pain-killing spray.”They deserved something for the effort they had put in, not just today but in the last three games,” a relieved O’Neill said, confirming he had asked referee Mike Riley to reconsider the dismissal of Sinclair, the first Leicester player to be shown a red card this season.”Mike is one of the better referees but I thought he was a bit harsh on this occasion and he has said he will look at the incident again on video,” O’Neill added. The Leeds official booked four other players in addition to Sinclair.. Southampton 0

Derby County 1
Carbonari 33Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 14,762WITH SOUTHAMPTON’S Matt Le Tissier suspended and Derby’s Paolo Wanchope still struggling to recapture the kind of form that has drawn rave reviews over the past two seasons, this fixture was in effect deprived of any prospect of enlightenment before a ball was kicked and it duly lived down to most people’s expectations.The fact that the referee Stephen Lodge still managed to wring six bookings out of such a limp encounter was impressive testament to a zealous nature. “Angry?” replied Dave Jones, the Southampton manager when asked how he felt about that and a couple of other decisions that went Derby’s way, “that’s an understatement.

He was Bobbins – and if you need that to be translated it means he was crap.”There was little else for supporters of either side to get excited about even though victory, only their second in nine games, lifts Derby up to a comfortable eighth in the Premiership table. For Southampton it was a frustrating setback to their mini-revival although the debut performances of Hassan Kachloul, their Moroccan international recruit from the French club Metz, and the young central defender Gary Monk would have given Jones at least some cause for satisfaction.Jim Smith, his opposite number, declared himself happy with the three points but little else, which seemed about right. Wanchope had the first real chance to bring the game to life but he dawdled with the goal at his mercy and Jason Dodd cleared.The game was struggling to become anything more than fitful and a goal was desperately needed Derby’s record signing, Horacio Carbonari, obliged. Having just struck a free-kick from fully 40 yards into Paul Jones’ midriff, he suddenly found himself with time to spare on the edge of the Saints area after Wanchope had failed to control Rory Delap’s cross properly and the Argentine defender swept the ball in with a swing of the right boot.Southampton, seeking to avoid only their second defeat in seven matches, dominated proceedings after the break but an equaliser proved elusive.

Kachloul flashed two headers just over the bar, James Beattie wasted a better chance and Mark Hughes, pressed into service as a striker, produced a trademark overhead effort that had Mark Poom scrambling to save low to his right.Southampton were unlucky with two appeals for penalties in the closing stages the first of which, when Jacob Laursen seemed to haul down Beattie, looked distinctly justified. But it was not their day and not really the spectators’ either.. Crystal Palace 2

Tuttle 33, Curcic pen 75
Watford 2Wright 23, Kennedy 26Half-time:1-2 Attendance: 19,521AS MANAGERS of England, Terry Venables and Graham Taylor had vastly different success rates. While the former, now in charge at Crystal Palace, enchanted fans most of the way to the semi-final of Euro 96, the latter, now manager of Watford, earned the nickname “Turnip” as England blundered at Euro 92 and failed to reach the 1994 World Cup.Their current achievements at their respective clubs have diverged again, but not how you would expect, with Watford realistically aiming for promotion while Palace have spent most of this season in mid-table. But, for this afternoon at least, honours were even for Glenn Hoddle’s two immediate predecessors in the England job.Venables, who followed Taylor into the post in early 1994, did not have a chance to swap notes as Taylor is still recovering from a throat operation. Afterwards, Venables chose to downplay the significance of the game, which was the first time that previous England managers had found themselves in opposition at club level.