Arsenal lead stretched to four points

Press, 22 October 1984, Page 15

Arsenal lead stretched to four points

NZPA-Reuter London Arsenal’s quest for its first league title in 13 years continued almost unnoticed on Saturday as Old Trafford and Anfield — homes of Manchester United and Liverpool respectively — stole the English first division spotlight. Arsenal stretched its first division lead to four points with a workmanlike 3-2 win over Sunderland at Highbury in London. The champion, Liverpool, lost 1-0 at home to Everton, its first defeat at Anfield to its city neighbour since 1970, and United grabbed a 1-0 win over Tottenham to send the London side sliding from second to fifth in the table. Striker Imre Varadi plundered, a hat-trick as Sheffeild; Wednesday crushed Leicester 5-0 and hauled itself into second place. United, which had a sixty-eighth minute goal from the Welsh striker, Mark Hughes, to thank for its hard-won triumph over Tottenham, moved into third. Defender Tommy Caton put Arsenal on the road to victory after just nine minutes when he headed home Graham Rix’s cross to record his first goal for the club. lan Allinson, deputising for injured England striker Paul Mariner, hit the second in the seventy-fourth minute as Arsenal coasted towards its first league victory over Sunderland in 15 years. But it was given a fright when Clive Walker reduced the deficit from the penalty spot four minutes later. Midfielder Brian Talbot restored his side’s two goal advantage nine minutes from time before Walker netted Sunderland’s second. Graeme Sharp ended Everton’s barren run of results at Anfield and compounded Liverpool’s problems. He struck three minutes after half-time, as the champions, which have not won in the league since September 4, slipped to 17th in the table. Even last season’s goalscoring sensation, lan Rush, could not reverse Liverpool’s miserable, trend. He. returned on Saturday, his twenty-third birthday, after cartilage surgery but was superbly contained by Everton’s defenders. : Tottenham came to grief when its captain, Steve Perryman, lost possession in his own half. The Scottish winger, Alan Brazil, sold by Spurs to United before the start of the season, floated a perfect cross which Hughes met first time to score from 15 metres. Tottenham brought on’ Glenn Hoddle, now recovered from injury, for his first league action since last February. But the gifted England midfielder could do little to save his side as United closed ranks to defend its hard-fought three points. Former Everton striker Varadi was in splendid form as newly promoted Wednesday routed Leicester. Varadi struck after just

five minutes, added a second 21 minutes later, and completed his tally 14 minutes after the interval. Andy Blair made it 4-0 in the seventy-sixth minute before John Ryan netted the fifth in the dying minutes.

West Ham also found its goal touch at Stoke, where Tony Cottee, Paul Goddard and" Paul Allen scored second-half goals in the London side’s 4-2 win. The Stoke defender, George Berry, had earlier put the visitor 1-0 up when he, scored a thirty-fourth minute own goal. Nottingham Forest remained in contention with a 1-1 draw at Newcastle while. Southampton’s revival continued with a 1-0 home win over Chelsea. Southampton, bottom of the table last month, moved into eighth place thanks to a twelfth-minute goal from England under-21 striker Steve Moran. Results of British football matches played on Saturday. ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one.— Arsenal 3, Sunderland 2; Aston Villa 2, Norwich 2; Ipswich 2, West Bromwich Albion 0; Liverpool 0, Everton 1; Luton 3, Watford 2; Manchester United 1, Tottenham 0; Newcastle 1, Nott-' ingham Forest 1; Queens Park Rangers 2, Coventry 1; Sheffield Wednesday 5, Leicester 0; Southampton I, Chelsea 0; Stoke 2, West Ham 4 Division two.— Blackbum 1, Oldham 1; Brighton 0, Barnsley 0; Charlton 1, Shrewsbury 1; Fulham 3, Cardiff 2; Grimsby 1, Carlisle 0; Huddersfield I,';’’ Leeds 0; Middlesbrough 2, Manchester City 1; Notts • ■ County 1, Birmingham 3; » Oxford 5, Sheffield United 1; Wimbledon 3, Portsmouth 2;,.> Wolverhampton 2, Crystal Palace 1. Division three.— Bolton 4,,‘; Preston 0; Bradford 1, Bristol . City 1; Brentford 5, Gillingham “ 2; Bristol Rovers 1, Doncaster ” 1; Derby 3, Hull 1; Lincoln 0,„ Bournemouth 0; Newport 2, a, Orient 0; Plymouth L Rother- ; ham 0; Reading 5, Bumlev 1; ~ Swansea 1, Walsall 2; York 1, . Millwall 1. Cambridge 1, - Wigan 1 (played Friday even- ' 1 ing). Division four.— Blackpool 0; i ■ Bury 0; Chester 1, Colchester 2; Chesterfield 5, Exeter 1; Here-, G ford 2, Tranmere 1; Mansfield., 1, Wrexham 0; Northampton 4, - Aidershot 0; Rochdale 2, Peterborough 1; Swindon 0, Port - Vale 1; Torquay 0, Hartlepool 1. Played last night.— Halifax 0, Darlington 1; Southend 1... Scunthorpe 1; Stockport 0, Crewe 1. ’ SCOTTISH LEAGUE , Premier Division.— Aberdeen 4, St Mirren 0; Dundee United 1, Celtic 3; Hibernian 2, *' Dundee 0; Morton 2, Hearts Rangers 0, Dumbarton 0. Division one.— Ayr 0, Air ? „ drieonians 2; . Brechin 4» M Meadowbank 1; Clyde 3, Motherwell 3; Clydebank 1, Partick 0; East Fife 0, Kilmarnock I;'* Falkirk 4, Forfar 6; Hamilton - 3, St Johnstone 2. • Division two.— Albion o,’ Dunfermline 2; Arbroath 2,, East Stirling 2; Berwick 0, .♦ Alloa 0; Cowdenbeath 4, Queen of South 1; Queens Park Stranraer 2; Raith 0, Montrose 1; Stirling 1, Stenhousemuir 2.NORTHERN IRELAND ’ Ulster Cup.— Cliftonville 1, Glenavon 2; Coleraine 2, Ban->» gor 1; Distillery 0, Ballymena 2; Glentoran 2, Carrick 0; ' Larne 1, Portadown 0; Linfield 0, Crusaders 2; Newry 4, Ards 0.