Two month ban for Maradona outburst November 15, 2009 ARGENTINA coach Diego Maradona has been banned from any participation in the sport for two months and fined almost £15,000 for his foul-mouthed outburst at reporters. Maradona, who had been criticised in the press for his side’s lacklustre performances, erupted after Argentina sealed their place at next year’s World Cup with a 1-0 win in [...]
BOD ALMIGHTY November 15, 2009 IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll scored a last-minute try on his 100th Test appearance to snatch a 20-20 draw in yesterday’s clash with Australia. Tries from former Leinster back-row Rocky Elsom and Drew Mitchell had put the visitors in front at Croke Park, despite Tommy Bowe crossing in the first half for Ireland. But O’Driscoll’s late [...]
Djokovic beats fightback to land fifth title November 15, 2009 WORLD No3 Novak Djokovic needed all his resilience to see off a stunning fightback from Frenchman Gael Monfils and win the Paris Masters 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3). The Serb broke twice to race through the first set and was up 3-0 in the second before Monfils rallied, to the delight of his home crowd. The [...]
Fans flock to Enke memorial November 15, 2009 FOOTBALL: An estimated 45,000 mourners yesterday paid their last respects to Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who committed suicide last week. Fans, family and team-mates gathered at the ground of Hanover 96, where the 32-year-old played his club football, to watch his coffin placed on the pitch. “You were a No1 in the real sense of [...]
Tiger on top Down Under November 15, 2009 GOLF: World No1 Tiger Woods hit a steady final round of 68 to claim the Australian Masters in Melbourne. The American finished on 14 under par, two shots ahead of home hope Greg Chalmers, to scoop the £151,000 cheque and his maiden success on the continent. “Now I’ve won on every continent, except for Antarctica,” [...]
Well Chief stuns Master Minded November 15, 2009 HORSE RACING: Odds-on favourite Master Minded suffered a shock defeat to injury-prone Well Chief in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham.David Pipe-trained Well Chief, racing for only the second time in more than three years, and jockey Timmy Murphy held off Mahogany Blaze in second.Dual Champion Chase winner Master Minded could only manage third place.
Fletcher: Don’t blame Burley November 15, 2009 FOOTBALL: Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher has backed manager George Burley after their crushing 3-0 friendly defeat to Wales. Burley, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, is expected to be sacked this week when the Scottish Football Association board meets, but Fletcher insists it is not the manager’s fault. “It’s not anything to do [...]
Rampant SA too good for poor England November 15, 2009 STAND-IN skipper Alastair Cook admitted his side lacked the skill to beat South Africa after a humbling 84-run defeat in the second Twenty20 international at Centurion. England’s bowlers were put to the sword with Graeme Smith (88) and Loots Bosman (94) sharing a world-record 170-run opening partnership before Cook and co fell well short chasing [...]
Boss Smith quits after Four Nations final defeat November 15, 2009 TONY SMITH has resigned as England rugby league coach, citing family reasons for stepping down. The 42-year-old’s decision comes in the aftermath of Saturday’s crushing 46-16 Four Nations final defeat to Australia but he insists the result had no bearing on his departure. “Even if we had won last night I’d still have stepped down,” [...]
Steely Brazil are the team I fear, admits boss Capello November 15, 2009 ENGLAND head coach Fabio Capello has identified Brazil as the biggest obstacle on the path to long-awaited glory at next summer’s World Cup. The five-time winners barely broke sweat as they strolled to a 1-0 friendly win over Capello’s men in the heat of Doha, Qatar on Saturday. Brazil have long been known for their [...]