No change in first division leadership

Press, 23 April 1984, Page 16

No change in first division leadership

NZPA-Reuter London Mark Hughes emerged as Manchester United’s unlikely hero on Saturday as Ron Atkinson's patched-up side thrashed Coventry 4-1 to keep pace with the leaders, Liverpool, in the race for the English first division title.

Hughes, more familiar to followers of United's reserve team, was included by Mr Atkinson instead of the experienced World Cup striker. Norman Whiteside.

The move paid rich dividends as the Welshman, aged 20, scored twice as injury-hit United turned on a dazzling display to stay two points behind Liverpool with five games remaining. Liverpool, chasing their third successive crown, had little trouble crushing West Bromwich 3-0, scoring all their goals inside the opening 30 minutes.

However, for once lan Kush, scorer of 99 goals in his carrer with Liverpool and the first division’s leading marksman this season, failed to find the net to bring up his century. Hughes put his side on the road to victory four minutes before the interval and added his second and United's fourth 12 minutes from time.

Other second-half goals from Paul McGrath, his first in senior football for United, and the England midfielder, Ray Wilkins, completed the rout to give United a much-needed boost before the second leg of their European Cup winners' Cup semi-final against Italy’s Juventus on Wednesday. The top five teams in the first division all won with third-placed Nottingham Forest crushing luckless Birmingham 5-1.

There was also no holding Liverpool, who eased up after rattling three goals in nine minutes mid-way through the first half.

Ken McNaught turned an lan Rush shot past his own goal-keeper after 20 minutes to set the champions on their way. The captain, Graeme Souness, scrambled the second five minutes later and his fellow Scottish international, Kenny Dalglish, swept home a pass from the full-back, Phil Neal, to make it 3-0 in the twenty-two minute. Fourth-placed Queen’s Park Rangers beat struggling Leicester 2-0 with goals from Clive Allen and Simon Fereday, while a goal in each half from Nick Holmes and Steve Moran guided Southampton to a similar win over West Ham.

At the foot of the table, Wolverhampton became the first relegation certainty after losing 3-0 at home to Ipswich. The result eased Ipswich’s own relegation fears but ensured Wolves will be playing second division soccer next season.

Aberdeen moved closer to securing the Scottish premier division title after beating St Johnstone 2-0. However, their cause was helped by Celtic’s 1-0 defeat of Glasgow rivals, Rangers, and the champions, Dundee

United's 1-1 draw at Dundee. Second-half goals by Billy Stark and Mark McGhee secured the points for Aberdeen to make them almost certain to lift the title. Celtic crashed to a Rangers side reduced to 10 men in the second half when the Irishman. Jimmy Nicholl, made captain for the day before returning to Canadian soccer, was ordered off after his second foul. Bobby Williamson hooked the winning goal for Rangers 11 minutes after the break to leave the second-placed Celtic trailing Aberdeen, who have three games in hand, by four points. United, who go to Italy defending a 2-0 first leg lead over Roma in their European Cup semi-final on Wednesday, went ahead through a John Clark goal one minute before half-time. However, Walker McCall equalised in the second half to earn Dundee a share of the points. Results: English league Division one.—Arsenal 3. Tottenham 2; Aston Villa 2. Watford 1; Liverpool 3, West Bromwich 0; Luton 3, Notts County 2; Manchester United 4. Coventry 1; Norwich 2. Stoke 2; Nottingham Forest 5, Birmingham 1; Queens Park Rangers 2, Leicester 0; Southampton 2, West Ham 0; Sunderland 2. Everton 1; Wolverhampton 0. Ipswich 3. Division two.—Brighton 3, Crystal Palace 1; Cambridge 0. Barnsley 3; Charlton 2. Portsmouth 1; Chelsea 3, Shrewsbury 0; Derby 1, Fulham 0; Huddersfield 2, Leeds 2; Sheffield Wednesday 1, Grimsby 0; Swansea 3, Cardiff 2; Blackburn 1, Newcastle 1; Carlisle 1, Middlesbrough 1; Oldham 2. Manchester City 2. Division three.—Bolton 0, Wigan 1; Bradford 2, Burnley 1; Bristol Rovers 1, Oxford 1; Exeter 1, Plymouth 1; Newport 2, Bournemouth 1; Orient 5, Millwall 3; Port Vale 1, Preston 1; Rotherham 0, Sheffield United 1; Scunthorpe 2, Hull 0; Walsall 0, Lincoln 1; Wimbledon 2, Brentford 1. Division four.—Blackpool 0, Tranmere I; Chester 1, Wrexham 0; Chesterfield 0, Mansfield 0; Colchester 1, Peterborough 1; Crewe 1, Hereford 1; Darlington 2, Hartlepool 0; Northampton l f Doncaster 4; Reading 1, Aidershot 0; Rochdale 0, Bury 2; Stockport 0, Bristol City 0; Swindon 2, Torquay 3; York 4, Halifax 1. Scottish league

Premier division.—Dundee United 1, Dundee 1; Hibernian 0, Hearts 0; Motherwell 1, St Mirren 0; Rangers 1, Celtic 0; St Johnstone 0, Aberdeen 2. Division one.—Airdrieonians 1, Partick 0; Alloa 2, Raith 0; Ayr 1, Hamilton 1; Brechin 0, Dumbarton 3; Clyde 2, Kilmarnock 1; Clydebank 1, Meadowbank 1; Falkirk 0, Morton 1.

Division two.—Albion 1, Stenhousemuir 1; Arbroath 6, Queen of South 3; Dunfermline 0, East Fife 1; Forfar 4, East Stirling 3; Montrose 0, Stirling 0; Queens Park 1, Berwick 1; Stranaer 1, Cowdenbeath 1.