30 METROSPORT Friday, November 27, 2009 D today CRICKEt third one day International: South Africa v England (Cape Town) HoRSE RaCING Musselburgh, Lingfield, Newbury, Wolverhampton, Dundalk SatuRday SoCCER (3.00 unless stated) Barclays Premier League Aston Villa v Tottenham............. 5.30 Blackburn v Stoke............................ Fulham v Bolton ............................... Man City v Hull ................................. Portsmouth v Man Utd..................... West Ham v Burnley......................... Wigan v Sunderland ......................... Coca-Cola League Championship Bristol City v Sheff Utd..................... Crystal Palace v Watford.................. Derby v Reading............................... Newcastle v Swansea ...................... Nottm Forest v Doncaster ................ Peterborough v Middlesbrough........ Plymouth v Barnsley......................... QPR v Coventry................................ Scunthorpe v Leicester .................... Sheff Wed v West Brom.................... Coca-Cola Football League two Macclesfield v Grimsby.................... the Fa Cup sponsored by E.oN second round Accrington Stanley v Barnet............. Bournemouth v Notts County .......... Cambridge Utd v York...................... Gillingham v Burton Albion............... Hereford v Colchester ...................... Milton Keynes Dons v Exeter ........... Northampton v Southampton........... Northwich v Lincoln City .. (12.30pm) Oxford Utd v Barrow ........................ Rotherham v Luton........................... Staines Town v Millwall..................... Stockport v Torquay ......................... Wrexham v Swindon......................... Brighton v Rushden & Dmonds....... Bath City v Forest Green.................. Carlisle v Norwich............... (5.15pm) Tranmere v Aldershot ....................... Port Vale v Huddersfield................... Brentford v Walsall ........................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Aberdeen v Rangers................ 12.45 Celtic v St Mirren.............................. Hibernian v Falkirk............................ Kilmarnock v Hearts......................... Motherwell v Dundee Utd................. St Johnstone v Hamilton.................. HoRSE RaCING Newbury, Newcastle, Towcester, Lingfield, Fairyhouse, Wexford. RuGBy uNIoN Internationals: France v New Zealand (7.45), Ireland v South Africa (2.30), Italy v Samoa (2.00), Scotland v Argentina (2.30), Wales v Australia (5.15) SuNday SoCCER Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Chelsea...................... 4.00 Everton v Liverpool.................... 1.30 Wolverhampton v Birmingham 12.00 Coca-Cola League Championship Cardiff v Ipswich........................ 3.00 CRICKEt Fourth one day International: South Africa v England (Port Elizabeth) HoRSE RaCING Carlisle, Kempton, Leicester weekend fixtures GOLf wOrLd cup McIlroy quick to shake off Dubai disappointment RoRy McIlRoy proved last weeks disappointment in Dubai was in the past by again combining superbly with Graeme McDowell to put Ireland firmly in the driving seat after the first round of the omega Mission Hills World Cup. The close friends combined with devastating effect to shoot a superb 14-under-par total in yesterdays fourballs to open up a three-shot lead over Argentina. And after winning three out of four matches in September as Great Britain and Ireland claimed the Vivendi Trophy, Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie certainly has a firm contender for a pairing at Celtic Manor next year. The eagle three from world No.10 McIlroy at the heavily bunkered par-five 15th was the highlight as the 20-year-old reaped the rewards for his big- hitting style as the pair missed the tournament record by a single shot. Its nice to go out and prove I wasnt affected by last week. I got over it by the time I woke up on Monday morning to be honest, said World Cup debutant McIlroy, who was denied the Race to Dubai crown on Sunday by lee Westwood. Im looking back at it now, and Ive had a great season, its been brilliant. Its been a great, almost like a breakthrough year with 12 top fives, the win and I played well in the majors. This is the start of a new stage. This was a week I obviously wanted to do well because Im playing with Graeme and it would be great to win together, it would be awesome. Argentinas Rafa Echenique and Tano Goya lead the chasing pack at 11 under par with Hiroyuki Fujita and Ryuji Imada a further shot adrift for Japan. Successful pairing: McIlroy (left) and Mcdowell Brazilian soccer great Pel yesterday claimed Frances cru- cial World Cup play-off victory over ireland was unfair, but in- sisted Fifa was correct to rule out a replay. While the sporting superstar said he believed Thierry Henrys now infamous handball was an accident, he sided with the de- moralised irish over the result. i dont think it [the handball] was unfair, because this is some- thing that goes in one second, Pel said. The result was unfair no doubt, but unfortunately you cannot change that. Everybody can make a mistake. Pel does not believe that Hen- rys reputation has been damaged by the incident that has been a global debate for the past week. no, it was only a mistake, he said. Okay, i put my hand on the ball. i think he did it accidentally, i dont think he was thinking, Okay, im going to wait for the cross, im going to use my hand to cross the ball for us to score. He never thought like that. But unfortunately it happened, just something that happened in one second. There is no doubt ireland played very well. But it would have been very complicated to or- der a replay. You have a lot of other matches which were almost the same dif- ferent fouls, different calls, but almost the same. To have a replay, you need to find the dates, you have to have new rules. Would it be two games or one, extra time or no extra time, pen- alty kicks or no penalty kicks? if you have a new game, it would be very difficult. as to who wins the World Cup finals in South africa next sum- mer, Pel, who won the tourna- ment in 1958, 1962 and 1970, was quick to pin his hopes on an- other Brazil win. Brazil. i wish Brazil, of course. But we have some excellent teams at the moment. Spain have their best national team now. We have Holland, an excellent team, but they have never won a World Cup, he added. Pel backs Fifa over hard line on replay By PEtER MaGEE accident: Henry handball Backing Brazil: Pel, seen celebrating scoring against Italy in the 1970 World Cup, is tipping Brazil to win in South africa sOccer WoRLd CuP premier LeaGue Grant parachutes in to save Pompey FOrmEr Chelsea boss avram Grant is being backed to save Portsmouth from relegation after confirmation he will succeed Paul Hart at Fratton Park. Hart was sacked on Tuesday with the club rooted to the foot of the Premier league with only seven points from 13 games. israeli Grant, recently brought in as technical director, will take charge for the first time tomorrow at home to manchester United. and former Portsmouth owner milan mandaric, now chairman of leicester City, believes that the 54-year-old is the right man for the job. He is the best solution, said mandaric. With avram, Portsmouth have a very good chance of getting out of trouble. Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie added: The board believes he is the man to help steer the club out of the relegation zone. Grant was due to receive a work permit for his role as technical director this week and he will at first continue to work in that capacity. The club will then embark on the process of making Grant their manager. Problem solver: Grant Chelsea medal would mean more to Anelka NIColAS ANElKA maintains winning the Premier league for Chelsea would eclipse his triumph with Arsenal over a decade ago. Anelka scored the winner against Porto in the Champions league on Wednesday and now wants to fire the Blues to their first top- flight title since 2005. They face the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in confident mood after Anelkas winner in Portugal ensured they will win Group D. Now he wants to beat his former club to extend his sides lead at the top of the table and is desperate for a second Premier league medal after suffering years of frustration since helping Arsenal to the Double in 1998. The ex-Real Madrid forward said: Winning the title with Chelsea will be even bigger than when I did it with Arsenal. That will mean Im in one of the biggest teams in the world. Sometimes you only have one chance in your life. I have had a lot of time to wait to win something again in England. 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