D Tuesday, September 22, 2009 METROSPORT 23 Derby hero Owen gives victims the thumbs upMICHAEL OWEN is in no doubt Manchester City will be among the leading lights in the Premier League this season. Owen is still basking in the glory of scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner for Manchester United in Sun- days derby at Old Trafford. The goal, his first for his new club at home, ended an epic afternoon with United winning 4-3 and City striker Craig Bel- lamy confronting a fan who invad- ed the pitch. But when the dust has finally settled there it will become clear City were within seconds of claiming a morale- boosting draw against their illustrious neighbours. Owen certainly feels Mark Hughes team will be a force this term. City have been quite impressive since the start of the season, said the former Liverpool striker. You would think they will be up at the right end of the table. Everyone is guessing how far up the table that is. Whether it is a European place or a Champions League place I am not sure. But I definitely think they will be up there. Owen admitted he had an unusual attack of butterflies leaving the bench on Sunday, adding: When I start a game I never get nervous. I always feel in control. But when you are sat on the bench the game rubs off on you. When you go on youre a little nerv- ous because you have felt all the emo- tions of everyone sat around you. The first couple of minutes are quite hard. It is not like just going down to the park for a kickaround. At this level you have to be right into the game, despite sitting on your backside for the previous hour or so. But you get sent on to get a goal. Thankfully that is what I did. BEN FOSTERS place as Manchester Uniteds No.1 is under threat from Tomasz Kuszczak this week. Kuszczak takes over in goal for the Carling Cup visit of Wolves tomorrow and a decent display could see the Pole keep his place after Fosters error led to Manchester Citys first goal at Old Trafford on Sunday. Edwin van der Sar will also soon be back from broken fingers to challenge England international Foster. Michael Owen, who scored the winner on Sunday, is also expected to start against Wolves. Paper boy: Owen spent the day at Kempton races yesterday Picture: Getty Angered: Lescott Lescott looks for answer to goal glut JOLEON LESCOTT refused to blame the match officials for Manchester Citys derby defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday. Michael Owens controversial strike six minutes into injury-time handed Manchester United a 4-3 victory in a thrilling encounter. But England defender Lescott was disappointed his team, who kept clean sheets in their first four games, have now conceded six times in eight days against Arsenal and United. They also lost their 100 per cent Premier League record at the weekend despite two fine Craig Bellamy goals, the last of which appeared to have sealed a point for Mark Hughes side at the death. Ahead of tomorrows Carling Cup third-round tie with Fulham at Eastlands, Lescott said: There are no excuses. We are pros and have to look at ourselves collectively and as individuals and realise it just wasnt good enough. Youre disappointed to lose any game Craig scored two wonder goals and we thought wed done enough to get a point but it wasnt to be. Weve made mistakes. We started the season with four clean sheets and now weve conceded goals. We have to correct that. You cant come to Old Trafford, concede four goals and expect to get anything. FIXTURES SOCCER (7.45pm unless stated) Carling Cup Third Round Arsenal v West Brom................................................. Barnsley v Burnley..................................................... Bolton v West Ham............................................. 8.00 Carlisle v Portsmouth ................................................ Leeds v Liverpool ...................................................... Nottm Forest v Blackburn ......................................... Peterborough v Newcastle........................................ Scunthorpe v Port Vale.............................................. Stoke v Blackpool ..................................................... Sunderland v Birmingham......................................... Setanta Cup Group 3 Derry City v St Patricks ............................................. League of Ireland First Division Longford Tn v Kildare County ........................... 8.00 HORSE RACING Beverley, Folkstone, Stratford RESULTS City were impressive they will be up at the right end of the table SoccER PREmIER LEAGuE By KEvIN AITKEN McCarthy tips hitman Doyle to strike it big WOlvES manager Mick McCarthy believes record signing Kevin Doyle will establish himself as a proven Premier league goalscorer. The 6.5million summer signing from Reading opened his account for the club with a close- range header in Sundays 2-1 victory over Fulham. It was Doyles fifth appearance for Wolves and McCarthy admitted it was good for the Republic of Ireland international, who scored just six goals in his last top-flight season with the Royals, to have got up and running on the goalscoring front. Its brilliant for Kev. Hes a Premier league striker and a Premier league goalscorer, McCarthy said. Unfortunately, when we took him he had a hernia and hes never been fit, even yesterday. He has been getting his fitness on the hoof but he has not been fit enough in games. Its great for him to get his first goal and that will help his confidence not that he lacks self-belief. It is more to do with the acceptance of him by everyone at the club as a centre-forward who is a big signing and who has to score goals. Home draw puts Sligo in pole position SlIgO ROvERS, winners in 1983 and 1994, were last night installed as favourites to lift the FAI Ford Cup after receiving a home draw against First Division Waterford United in the semi-finals at the Showgrounds on Friday, October 22. Having overcome Premier Division rivals Derry City, Cork City and Bohemians already, Sligo boss Paul Cook will be quietly confident that the Westerners can reach the big decider at Tallaght Stadium on November 22. The other semi-final sees First Division Sporting Fingal take on the top flights bottom side Bray Wanderers at Santrys Morton Stadium on Sunday, October 25. FaI cUp caRLIng cUp Staying put: Babel has denied rumours of Ajax loan deal Rafa wary of Leeds crowd RAFAEL BENITEZ insists Liverpool will respect Leeds when they visit Elland Road for a third-round tie tonight. While the Reds are getting their Premier League title challenge back on track, Leeds are top of League One. The 2001 Champions League semi- finalists have fallen two divisions since then but a sell-out crowd will present a different proposition for Liverpools stars, and Benitez says he expects a tough test from Simon Graysons team. I believe the game will be a sell-out and it is a surprise to me Leeds find themselves in League One these days, said the Reds boss. Leeds will be difficult, we know they are a big club and we respect their history. I have been watching DVDs of them and it is clear their supporters are very important. They back their team all the time and make it tough for their opponents. It will be tough. Benitez is likely to bring in Diego Cavalieri, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio, Andreas Dossena and Ryan Babel, who yesterday denied he will join Ajax on loan in January. League Of iReLanD fiRst DivisiOn Sporting Fingal ....0 Wexford yths .......1 Sheahan 41 P W D L F A Pts UCD 26 18 4 4 43 14 58 Shelbourne 25 18 4 3 45 18 58 Sporting Fingal 26 17 4 5 48 18 55 Waterford Utd 25 16 5 4 42 13 53 Wexford Youths 26 12 4 10 22 23 40 Monaghan Utd 25 10 5 10 37 41 35 Limerick FC 26 9 7 10 36 31 34 Finn Harps 25 6 9 10 25 36 27 Longford Town 25 5 5 15 34 46 20 Athlone Town 26 4 8 14 24 43 20 Mervue Utd 26 5 4 17 23 52 19 Kildare County 25 2 3 20 15 59 9 index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html