United keeps top spot

Press, 16 December 1985, Page 27

United keeps top spot

NZPA-Reuter London Injury-hit Manchester United retained its position at the top of the English soccer first division when it recaptured something of its earlyseason form to win 3-1 at Aston Villa on Saturday. In spite of an injury Ust that would have left most clubs unable to field a worthy first division team, United played with verve and style, and thengoals, from Clayton Blackmore, Gordon Strachan and Mark Hughes, were well deserved. Its victory stretched its lead at the top to five points as the nearest rival, uverpool — which had crept nearer and nearer in recent weeks, reducing a ten-point gap to just two points — was beaten, 2-0, at Arsenal. Arsenal’s triumph, inspired by an unexpectedly influential debut by the former Gaelic footballer Niall Quinn, aged 19, ended Liverpool’s run of 14 games without defeat, and provided its hardy fans with the Londoners’ first goals in four league games, London’s chief challengers for the title. West Ham and Chelsea, both won. West Ham beat Birmingham, 2-0, and Chelsea overcame fifth-placed Sheffield Wednesday 2-1, but the champion, Everton, was surprisingly beaten, 2-1, at home by Leicester. West Ham’s victory was its ninth in a row, and included yet another goal from its prolific Scottish international striker, Frank McAvennie, his nineteenth of the season. McAvennie side-footed home in the thirty-sixth minute, and his fellow Scot, Ray Stewart, added the second from a penalty three minutes later to leave Birmingham languishing in the bottom three of the league table, and extend West Ham’s unbeaten run to 17 games. West Ham remains third, behind Manchester United and Liverpool, but ahead of Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday, Everton and Arsenal, whose win enabled it to leapfrog Luton and regain eighth place. The Scottish striker, Charlie Nicholas, put Arsenal on the way to victory, with a third minute goal against Liverpool after a good run by Quinn. Quinn, who had scored 18 goals in 19 games for Arsenal reserves, only learned he was playing one hour before the Kick-off. But he showed no nerves, and added the second goal after 25 minutes, when he converted a rebound after the Liverpool goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar, had failed to hold a shot by Paul Davis. Manchester United went in front at Aston Villa through the reserve wing, Blackmore, after 19 minutes, but the home side equalised through Steve Hodge only 10 minutes later. United lifted the pace in the second half, however, and Strachan and Hughes put the result beyond doubt with the goals that unexpectedly recreated a gap at the top of the division. The fourth-placed Chelsea owed its win over the fifthplaced Sheffield Wednesday to goals from David Speedie and Nigel Spackman, Brian Marwood replying with a secondhalf penalty. Everton, in sixth position, slipped up badly against struggling Leicester. Kevin Richardson put the champion ahead with a fine individual goal, but Gary Mcallister and Alan Smith replied after the interval.

Luton, seventh this morning, lost for the first time in four games, when it was beaten 2-0 at Nottingham Forest, Nigel Clough and Neil Webb ensuring Forest’s victory. Manchester City, which has struggled since its promotion, found its form and crushed

Coventry City 5-1, the Welsh international striker, Gordon Davies, scoring twice. Elsewhere, Newcastle beat Southampton, 2-1, while the London clubs, Queens Park Rangers, and 'Tottenham, were each beaten, 1-0, at Ipswich and Watford respectively. In Scotland, the champion, Aberdeen, made up for its surprising midweek defeat by Clydebank, by crushing Hibernian, 4-0, to re-establish its lead at the top of the premier division. But on a day of at least 10 dismissals in English and Scottish soccer, the match was marred by the fifty-sixth minute sending-off of the Hibernian striker, Gordon Durie, for a foul on Aberdeen’s Neale Cooper. Aberdeen was leading through lan Angus’s first-half goal at the time, and took full advantage, Peter Weir, Joseph Miller and Alex McLeish adding to their total. The .other top-of-the-table clashes ended in draws, both Hearts, Celtic, Rangers and Dundee United settling for 1-1. Hearts extended its unbeaten league run to 10 games. John Robertson shot secondplaced Hearts into a ninth minute lead against fourthplaced Celtic, but Mark McGhee equalised for the Glasgow side 15 minutes after the interval when he collected a flick from the Scottish international, Maurice Johnstone, and fired in a smart left-foot shot. Rangers was a goal behind to Dundee United, after Davie Dodds had opened the scoring in the first minute, but Ally McCoist equalised late in the second halt to salvage a point and keep it in third place. Results of week-end matches: English division one: Arsenal 2, Liverpool 0; Aston Villa 1, Manchester United 3; Chelsea 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1; Everton 1, Leicester 2; Ipswich 1, Queen’s Park Rangers 0; Manchester City 5, Coventry 1; Newcastle 2, Southampton 1; Nottingham Forest 2, Luton 0; Oxford 2, West Bromwich 2; Watford 1, Tottenham 0; West Ham 2, Birmingham 0. English division two:— Barnsley 2, Charlton 1; Blackburn 2, Sunderland 0; Bradford 1, Carlisle 0; Grimsby 0, Brighton 2; Leeds 1, Fulham 0; Middlesbrough 1, Wimbledon 0; Millwall 2, Huddersfield 1; Oldham 1, Norwich 3; Portsmouth 1, Hull 1; Sheffield United 1, Stoke 2. English division three:— Bolton 2, Chesterfield 1; Brentford 1, Bury 0; Bristol Rovers 1, Gillingham 0; Lincoln 0, Cardiff 4; Newport 1, Blackpool 1; Plymoutn 4, Darlington 2; Reading 1, Bristol City 0; Rotherham 1, Notts County 0; Swansea 1, York 0; Walsall 4. Bournemouth 2; Wolverhampton 2, Wigan 2. English division four:— Burnley 1, Orient 0; Chester 1, Scunthorpe 1; Crewe 0, Exeter 1; Hartlepool 4, Colchester 1; Hereford 1, Tranmere 4; Northampton 2, Port Vale 2, Peterborough 4, Mansfield 2; Preston 1, Aidershot 3; Stockport 2, Wrexham 0; Swindon 3, Halifax 2; Torquay 1, Cambridge 1. Scottish premier division:— Aberdeen 4, Hibernian 0; Dundee 3, St Mirren 1; Hearts 1, Celtic 1; Motherwell 3, Clydebank 0; Rangers 1, Dundee United 1. Scottish division one:— Alloa 4, Hamilton 5; Ayr 0, Airdrieonians 4; Dumbarton 1, Clyde 1; Forfar 2, Falkirk 1; Montrose 4, Kilmarnock 1; Morton 2, Brechin 0; Partick 1, East Fife 0. Scottish division two: Albion 2, St Johnstone 4; Arbroath 2, Raith 2; Berwick 0, Queen of the South 1; Dunfermline 1, Stranraer 0; Meadowbank 2, East Stirling 1; Queen’s Park 2, Cowdenbeath 0; Stirling 1, Stenhousemuir 0.