Top teams successful

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33110, 28 December 1972, Page 16

Top teams successful

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON.

There was no change at the top of the English first division soccer table, the leading four clubs winning their matches on Boxing Day.

The league leader, Liverpool, had a resounding 3-0 victory over Sheffield United, and the second-placed Arsenal kept itself two points behind by beating Norwich City, 2-0.

Leeds United maintained third place with a narrow 1-0 win against Newcastle United, and Ipswich Town kept in the hunt by outplaying Chelsea, 3-0.

Mr T. Docherty, who took over the management of Manchester United four days ago, saw his club slump to the bottom of the table after losing, 1-3 to Derby County. Crystal Palace lifted itself off the bottom rung with a 3-0 win over Southampton. ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one.—Arsenal 2, Norwich 0; Coventry 0, West Bromwich 0; Crystal Palace 3, Southampton 0; Derby 3, Manchester United 1; Everton 1, Birmingham 1; Ipswich 3, Chelsea 0; Leeds 1, Newcastle 0; Manchester City 1, Stoke 1; Sheffield United 0, Liverpool 3; West Ham 2, Tottenham 2; Wolverhampton 2, Leicester 0.

Division two.—Aston Villa 2, Nottingham 2; Blackpool 1, Bumley 1; Bristol City 1, Cardiff 0; Carlisle 6, Preston 1; Fulham 1, Millwall 0; Hull 3. Middlesbrough 1; Luton 0, Sheffield Wednesday 0; Oxford 3. Brighton 0; Portsmouth 1, Swindon 1;

Queen’s Park Rangers 3, Orient 1. Postponed: Sunderland \ Huddersfield (influenza epidemic).

Division three.—Blackburn 1, Chesterfield 2, Bournemouth 3, Brentford 2; Chariton 0, South end 0; Grimsby 1, Scunthorpe 0; Halifax 0, Rotherham 1; Notts County 1, Watford 0; Oldham 1, York 1; Plymouth 3, Bristol Rovers 2; Port Vale 1, Walsall 2; Swansea 0, Shrewsbury 2; Tranmere 1, Bolton 1; Wrexham 3, Rochdale 3.

Division four.—Aidershot 0, Gillingham 0; Barnsley 1, Mansfield 1; Bury 1, Stockport 2; Crewe 1, Chester 1; Doncaster 1. Lincoln 1; Exeter 3, Torquay 2; Hartlepool 1, Bradford City 0; Hereford 2, Southport 2; Newport 1, Reading 0; Northampton 4. Colchester 0; Peterborough 1, Cambridge 1. Postponed: Darlington v. Workington (influenza) IRISH LEAGUE Coleraine 6, Lame 1; Distillery 0, Crusaders 8; Glentoran 9, Cliftonville 0; Linfield 2. Balis mena 0; Bangor 1, Ards 1; Portadown 1, Glenavon 0.