Ipswich still in the lead

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 18

Ipswich still in the lead

NZPA-Reuter London ' Ipswich added Coventry to its long list of victims at the weekend and stayed firmly on course for its first English League soccer championsltip since 1961-62. Coventry was trounced, 4-0, which kept Ipswich two points clear at the top of the first division. Its closest challenger, Aston Villa, had to wait until Peter Withe scored eight minutes from time before taking both points in . a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton. Last season’s champion side. Liverpool, now holding tMrd place, shrugged off a six-match run without a win by beating Southampton, 2-0, Ray Kennedy and Terry McDermott got the goals. The European champion Nottingham Forest, was given a testing time at Leicester, whose recent victories over Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United bely its lowly status. Steve Lynex,-signed from Birmingham two weeks ago shot Leicester ahead a minute, before the interval, but Forest scraped a late equaliser through Colin :WalsHss£'/:,s -. Norwich, with only" one point from its last eight games, defeated Brighton, 3-1, in a relegation clash.’ Mick McGuire hit Norwich’s first goal op the year in the ninth minute, then Dave Watson and Jpstin Fashanu collected two more. Mick Robinson replied for Brighton eight minutes from time. In the Scottish Premier division, the champion, Aberdeen, was surprisingly beaten, 2-1, by St- Mirren at home; and now trails the leader, Celtic, by four ’ points with 10 games left. Celtic maintained Its recent good form with a comfortable, 8-0, win at Morton, while Rangers beat Airdrie, 2-0 at home - ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one.—Arsenal ..2, Middlesbrough 2; Coventry 0, Ipswich 4; Crystal Palace 2, Everton 3; Leicester 1, Nottingham Forest 1; Liverpool 2, Southampton 0; Manchester United 0, Leeds 1; Norwich 3, Brighton 1; Sunderland 11 Tottenham 1; West • Bromwich 2, Birmingham 2; Wolverhampton 0,- Aston Villa 1. Division two.—Bristol Rovers O, Cardiff* T;. Cambridge 3, Shrewsbury. 1; Grimsby 0, Blackburn 0; Notts' Countv 2, Bristol City 1: • Oldham 0. Newcastle O; Preston 1, Chelsea 0; Queens Park Rangers *l, Sheffield Wednesday 2; Swansea 3. Bolton 0; Watford .1, West Ham 2; Wrexham 2. .Derbv 2. Division three. —Brentford ,2, Blackpool 0: Burnlev 1, Chester 0; Carlisle .0, Oxford 0;. Colchester 2, Charlton 0; Exeter 2, Millwall. 0; Gillingham 0. Plymouth 1; Newport 5. Chesterfield 1; Portsmouth 2, Hull 1; Reading 1, Rotherham 1; Sheffield United 2, Huddersfield 2; Swindon 2, Barnsley 0. Division four.—Bournemouth 4, Peterborough 1: Bury 0, Wiggan 0; Hereford 3, Hartlepool 0; Lincoln 0, Wimbledon 0; Southend 0. Doncaster 0; Stockport 2, Scun-, thorpe 0; other matches postponed. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier division.—Aberdeen 1. St Mirren 2; Hearts 1, Partick 1; Kilmarnock 0, Dundee United 1; Morton 0. Celtic 3; Rangers 2, Airdrieonians 0. Division one.—Berwick 1, Sterling 0: Cludebank 1. Hamilton 2; Dundee 0. Dumbarton 0 (abandoned after 62 minutes): Dunfermline 0. Hibernian 5; Falkirk 2, Ayr 1: Motherwell 3. St Johnstone 2: Ralth 0, East Stirling 0. Division two.—Albion 2. Arbroath 4; East Fife 2. Brechin 2; Meadowbank 2. Montrose 1; Queen of the South 0, Clyde 0; Queens Park 2. Alloa 1; Stenhousemuir 2. Stranraer 1.