Sunday, April 4, 2010

Live - Sunday football

GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)

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By Caroline Cheese

1544: Damien Duff's cross deflects off Maynor Figueroa and Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland has to claw it out. Kirkland is wearing a cap. I worry about keepers who wear caps.

1542: TEAM NEWS Everton v West Ham
Everton's only change from the side who drew 0-0 at Wolves last weekend is in midfield where Diniyar Bilyaletdinov starts in place of Jack Rodwell, who drops to the bench. The Russian was a late replacement for Rodwell in the game at Molineux. Mikel Arteta and Joseph Yobo remained sidelined through injury. West Ham make just one change themselves from the side that lost at home to Stoke last Saturday. Robert Kovac comes into midfield in place of Keiron Dyer, who was substituted at half time last weekend as he continues to regain match fitness following a long-standing hamstring injury.

1540: Rumours reaching me that Roy Hodgson may have been so angry after that Wigan goal went in, he kicked his chair and left a dent in it. This seems improbable, but brilliant if true.

1538: From a Birmingham corner, James McFadden shoulders the ball narrowly over the bar, with Pepe Reina flapping.

Someone has struck the woodwork
1536: After a sweet four-man move, Fernando Torres curls a cute ball into Maxi Rodriguez eight yards out and the Argentine crashes his shot against the bar. Joe Hart may have got a fingernail to the ball but the score remains goalless. Best chance of the game by a country and urban mile. However long that is.

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Wigan goal: Wigan take a deserved lead as Mario Melchiot's deep cross from the right is headed back by Marcelo Moreno and lashed home by Jason Scotland, the Wigan striker beating Mark Schwarzer at his near post. The Fulham keeper might be disappointed with that.

1535: GOALFLASH Fulham 0-1 Wigan (Scotland)

1534: Mark Schwarzer makes an awful mess of coming for a cross - scooping it straight to Paul Scharner, whose first-time lob is headed off the line by Brede Hangeland. The ball comes out to Maynor Figueroa, whose audacious 40-yard effort is tipped over by the Fulham keeper. He may have to settle for just one audacious goal for the season.

1532: Fernando Torres can't get enough curl or dip on his right-foot effort from outside the box. High and wide.

1530: Wigan win a corner. Paul Scharner meets it at the near post but heads well over. This has not been the Premier League's finest half an hour.

1527: Not much happening, if anything.

1523: TEAMS Everton v West Ham
Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Osman, Heitinga, Cahill, Bilyaletdinov, Saha. Subs: Turner, Hibbert, Yakubu, Senderos, Rodwell, Duffy, Wallace.
West Ham: Green, Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Spector, Noble, Parker, Kovac, Behrami, Mido, Cole. Subs: Kurucz, Gabbidon, Ilan, McCarthy, Daprela, Spence, Stanislas.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

1519: Boos at Craven Cottage as Fulham's Zoltan Gera goes down after an apparent trip by Mohamed Diame. Mark Clattenburg says no - and replays show Gera appearing to trip over his own foot.

1517: David Elm shoots low from the edge of the area, but it's straight at Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland who beats the effort away.

1515: Birmingham haven't lost a league game at home since September, a run of 12 games. The last team to win at St Andrews in the Prem was... Bolton. Obviously.

Yellow card
1514: Paul Scharner picks up a yellow card for Wigan for dragging back Fulham striker David Elm.

BBC Radio 5 live
BBC 5 live summariser Kevin Kilbane: "Liverpool have had a lot of possession so far but not done much with it."

1507: Fernando Torres suddenly breaks into the box, but his attempt to chest the ball into the path of Steven Gerrard is misdirected. Not sure why he didn't try to take that on himself. Meanwhile at Fulham, Zoltan Gera's diving header from Damien Duff cross is well saved by Chris Kirkland.

1505: Lovely skill from James McFadden on the right and he draws the foul from Emiliano Insua. Free-kick comes to nothing, as Martin Atkinson spots some mischief in the box.

1504: Jamie Carragher backheels to Lucas as Liverpool clear their lines. Fancy that.

1502: Both games are up and running.

1459: Gloomy stat from Infostrada Sports: "Fulham and Wigan are the two least productive Premier League teams in 2010, scoring just nine and eight goals respectively."

It's sunny
1458: The sun's out in Birmingham, and it's trying to show its face at Fulham too. Quite a contrast to the rain dump at Burnley in yesterday's late kick-off.

1455: Birmingham's mascot Beau Brummie (a dog) is merrily clapping along to a bit of Proclaimers at St Andrews, but his fun is ended by the arrival of the two teams.

From Dan, Hammers fan, via text: "I don't think many of us fans blame Fulham for their team selection, just like Zola doesn't. I bet it's Sullivan getting involved again. We need to concentrate on our own game, starting with a point today. COYI!"

1448: An anonymous texter points out that Roy Hodgson has resisted the temptation to partner Elm and Oak-aka up front. Stefano Okaka has to settle for a place on the bench.

From anon via text: "Why do I get the feeling that Liverpool and Birmingham will be like watching an omnibus edition of EastEnders?! 0-0, any takers?"

From TheSportsDirector on 606: "I think this complaint from West Ham is pathetic, I think this is Fulham's 54th game of the season, and you can't blame Fulham if West Ham go down, it's not our fault that West Ham haven't played well this season."

1437: As many of you have noticed, Alberto Aquilani is on the Liverpool bench, despite apparently suffering from an ankle injury. Benitez said this week: "He has some pain and we will just analyse that with the doctor. Some players maybe can manage with the pain, but some - when they have pain - cannot."

From Robi1993 on Twitter: "An attacking formation away from home. That's a rarity from Rafa. Perhaps it shows you how much we need to win this game."

1435: TEAM NEWS Fulham v Wigan
With all eyes on the Fulham teamsheet after West Ham's complaint to the Premier League about the team selected against Hull last weekend, Roy Hodgson makes just one change to the line-up that saw off Wolfsburg in the Europa League on Thursday night. Leading scorer Bobby Zamora drops out, paving the way for Swedish front man David Elm to make a rare start. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez makes three changes to the side beaten 3-0 at Manchester City on Monday. Chris Kirkland returns in goal following a virus, while Charles N'Zogbia and Jason Scotland also start.

1432: TEAM NEWS Birmingham v Liverpool
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish names the same starting XI from their 1-1 draw against Arsenal with striker Cameron Jerome looking for goals in front of James McFadden, who will make his 200th club career start. Maxi Rodriguez and Yossi Benayoun come into the Liverpool midfield, Sotiros Kyrgiakos starts at the back, while Javier Mascherano, Daniel Agger, and Ryan Babel settle for the bench.

From Fulham fan Anthony, currently in Germany, via text: "Not as many players being rested than I would have hoped by Sir Roy. However I'm still confident of three points today and progression to the semis on Thursday. Is this really the same Fulham I watched lose to Scarborough 15 years ago?"

1425: Sorry about that, but if I've got to put up with it, it's only fair you should too. I think I might actually be sick. Please don't send any more to 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) or put them on 606 or Twitter.

1423: Actual quote from Football League Danny: "Elm is a tree-mendous addition to the Fulham team but I'm surprised he's starting, I thought they might leaf him on the bench. In fact, I'm surprised he's in the squad at all because he doesn't know the root to the stadium."

1419: TEAMS Fulham v Wigan
Fulham: Schwarzer, Davies, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey, Gera, Elm. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Baird, Shorey, Okaka, Nevland, Smalling, Greening.
Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, McCarthy, Moreno, Diame, N'Zogbia, Rodallega, Scotland. Subs: Stojkovic, Gohouri, Amaya, Watson, Moses, Gomez, Sinclair.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)

1417: TEAMS Birmingham v Liverpool
Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey, Jerome, McFadden. Subs: Taylor, Larsson, Phillips, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Benayoun, Gerrard, Lucas, Maxi, Torres, Kuyt. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Agger, Babel, Mascherano, Ngog, Degen.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

1415: Reports suggest Bobby Zamora won't be starting for Fulham today, which may prompt more gnashing of teeth by the West Ham hierarchy. The Hammers have made an official complaint about the team Roy Hodgson put out against Hull. But Gianfranco Zola refused to criticise Hodgson: "Roy Hodgson is a person I respect for his loyalty and I have no complaints with that. He decided to do that and I'm sure he has done the right thing for the club."

1412: And it's a big day at the bottom as first Wigan travel to Fulham, who have understandably stopped bothering with the Premier League since they started mixing it with Juventus and all those fancy European teams. Then, desperately out-of-form West Ham, with a manager who seems unlikely to stay regardless of whether they survive, are at Everton - who have won their last SEVEN home games.

1409: Rafa Benitez hasn't tasted victory against Birmingham in seven top-flight games. They are the only Premier League to deny him.

1406: In the absence of hot cross buns, this live text will be fuelled instead by chocolate - and a lot of it. Three days after the battle at Benfica, Liverpool, who are five points adrift of fourth, travel to Birmingham, who have drawn all their home games with the top five this season.

1400: An estimated seventy million hot cross buns sold by Tesco this year and not a SINGLE ONE in this office. Happy Easter everyone!


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