Frustration for league leaders

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 27

Frustration for league leaders

NZPA-Reuter London Southampton winger Danny Wallace ended Arsenal’s 16match unbeaten sequence when he scored the only goal of the game at Highbury on Saturday. The sole consolation for Arsenal, which had strung together a run of 10 league wins, was that the nearest challenger, Liverpool, toiled to a goalless draw at home to struggling Norwich and the London side stayed at the top of the English first division. It was a bad day for the clubs sitting near the top of the table. Everton, the defending champion, was the only winner among the leading six.

It won 1-0 at Portsmouth thanks to a 77th minute goal by Scottish striker Graeme Sharp. Third-placed Queen’s Park Rangers was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Newcastle and both Nottingham Forest and Manchester United were beaten.

Arsenal leads the way with 35 points, followed by Liverpool, which has played two games fewer, with 34, Q.P.R. 32, and Forest 30.

Arsenal, with its sights set on the league record of 14 successive wins, lacked any cutting edge after losing striker Perry Groves through injury after only five minutes. A goalless draw had looked the likely outcome of a dismal match until Wallace squeezed through a chink in the normally sound Gunners' defence to fire his ninth goal of the season in the 78th minute.

Goalkeeper Bryan Gunn was Norwich’s hero at Anfield where Liverpool boasted a 100 per cent record in the league. He made three outstanding saves from John Aldridge and two from defender Gary Gillespie to earn his side an unexpected point. Q.P.R., which made the early running in the first division, was unable to get the better of a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men from the 30th minute when England under-21 midfielder Paul Gascoigne was sent off.

A Kenny Wharton own goal gave Q.P.R. a half-time lead but Newcastle equalised through Peter Jackson 12 minutes from time. In-form Forest must have fancied its chances of improving its title hopes against injury-hit West Ham. But two goaUf early in the second half, twice-taken penalty by Ray Stewart and the other by Tony Cottee, his second of the

match, took the game beyond its reach and it was eventually beaten 3-2. Manchester United lost for only the second time in the league when John Scales scored for Wimbledon in the 88th minute to earn the Londoner a 21 win. Results of British soccer matches played yesterday.— ENGLAND Division one: Arsenal 0, Southampton 1; Charlton 2, Coventry 2; Liverpool 0, Norwich 0; Luton 2, Tottenham 0; Oxford 1, Watford 1; Portsmouth 0, Everton 1; Queen’s Park Rangers 1, Newcastle 1; West Ham 3, Nottingham Forest 2; Wimbledon 2, Manchester United 1; playing today, Derby v. Chelsea. Division two: Barnsley 2, Shrewsbury 1; Blackbum 2, Crystal Palace 0; Bournemouth. 0, Huddersfield 2; Hull 1, West Bromwich 0; Ipswich 2, Oldham 0; Leeds 4, Swindon 2; Leicester 0, Bradford 2; Manchester City 3, Birmingham 0; Plymouth 0, Middlesbrough 1; Sheffield United 4, Reading 1; Stoke 1, Millwall 2. Division three: Brentford 2, Wigan 1; Bristol City 2, Chester 2; Bury 4, Bristol Rovers 1; Chesterfield 1, Sunderland 1; Grimsby 5, York 1; Mansfield 1, Brighton 1; Northampton 2, Gillingham I; Notts County 3, Walsall 1; Preston 1, Doncaster 2; Rotherham 0, Fulham 2; Southend 0, Aidershot 1; playing today: Port Vale v. Blackpool. Division four Burnley 2, Bolton 1; Colchester 0, Wolverhampton 1; Crewe 2, Scunthorpe 2; Exeter 2, Stockport 1; Hartlepool 1, Tranmere 2; Newport 1, Cardiff 2; Scarborough 1, Halifax 1; Swansea 2, Peterborough 1; Torquay 1, Hereford 0; Wrexham 4, Carlisle 0. SCOTLAND Premier division: Aberdeen 1, Motherwell 0; Celtic 4, Dunfermline 0; Dundee 2, Hibernian 1; Falkirk 0, Rangers 1; Hearts 0, St Mirren 0; Morton 0, Dundee United 1. Division one: Airdrieonians 3, Raith 0; Clyde 2, Kilmarnock 0; Clydebank 2, Meadowbank 1; East Fife 0, Hamiltotf 1; Forfar 1, Partick 4; Queen of the South 2, Dumbarton 0.

Division two: Alloa 2, Albion 0; Berwick 3, Arbroath 3; Brechin 2, Stranraer 0; Cowdenbeath 2, Stirling 4; Queen’s Park 0, Ay# 2; St Johnstone 3, East Stirling 1; 1 Stenhousemuir 0, Montrose 2.