D Monday, December 21, 2009 METROSPORT 21 christmas fixture list today SoCCER Barclays Premier League Wigan v Bolton .......................... 8.00 Coca-Cola League two Bournemouth v Notts County ... 7.45 daRtS (all week) Ladbrokes.com World darts Championship (London) HoRSE RaCING Musselburgh, Kempton, Ffos Las tuESday HoRSE RaCING Bangor-on-dee, Southwell SatuRday SoCCER (3pm unless stated) Barclays Premier League Birmingham v Chelsea ............ 12.45 Burnley v Bolton........................ 2.00 Fulham v Tottenham.................. 1.00 Liverpool v Wolverhampton....... 5.30 Man City v Stoke.............................. Sunderland v Everton....................... West Ham v Portsmouth ........... 1.00 Wigan v Blackburn ........................... Coca-Cola Championship Cardiff v Plymouth..................... 1.00 Coventry v Doncaster....................... Crystal Palace v Ipswich ........... 1.00 Derby v Blackpool ............................ Leicester v Sheff Utd................. 6.00 Middlesbrough v Scunthorpe........... Preston v Barnsley ........................... QPR v Bristol City...................... 1.00 Reading v Swansea.......................... CRICKEt Second test Match (day 1 of 5): South Africa v England (Durban) HoRSE RaCING Huntingdon, Kempton Park, Market Rasen, Sedgefield, Towcester, Wetherby, Wincanton, Wolverhampton, Down Royal, Leopardstown, Limerick RuGBy uNIoN Magners League: Leinster v Ulster (5.30), Munster v Connacht (7.30), Scarlets v Ospreys (2.05) SuNday SoCCER Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Aston Villa.................. 1.30 Hull v Man Utd........................... 4.00 Clydesdale Bank Premier League Hibernian v Rangers................ 12.00 HoRSE RaCING Kempton Park, Southwell, Wetherby, Leopardstown, Limerick RuGBy uNIoN the Magners League: Cardiff Blues v Newport-Gwent Dgons (6.00), Glasgow v Edinburgh (3.05) MoNday dECEMBER 28 SoCCER Barclays Premier League Blackburn v Sunderland............ 3.00 Chelsea v Fulham...................... 3.00 Everton v Burnley ...................... 3.00 Stoke v Birmingham.................. 3.00 Tottenham v West Ham ........... 12.45 Wolverhampton v Man City ....... 7.45 Coca-Cola Championship Barnsley v Middlesbrough......... 3.00 Blackpool v Sheff Wed .............. 3.00 Bristol City v Watford................. 3.00 Doncaster v Leicester................ 3.00 Ipswich v QPR........................... 3.00 Newcastle v Derby .................... 5.20 Nottm Forest v Coventry ........... 3.00 Peterborough v Cardiff .............. 3.00 Plymouth v Reading .................. 3.00 Scunthorpe v West Brom .......... 3.00 Sheff Utd v Preston ................... 3.00 Swansea v Crystal Palace......... 3.00 Coca-Cola League one Brentford v Charlton.................. 3.00 Colchester v Southampton........ 3.00 Exeter v Gillingham.................... 3.00 Hartlepool v Oldham ................. 3.00 Huddersfield v MK Dons ........... 3.00 Leyton Orient v Southend ......... 3.00 Millwall v Bristol Rovers ............ 3.00 Stockport v Leeds ................... 12.00 Swindon v Yeovil ....................... 3.00 Tranmere v Carlisle.................... 3.00 Walsall v Norwich ...................... 3.00 Wycombe v Brighton................. 3.00 Coca-Cola League two Bournemouth v Torquay............ 3.00 Accrington Stanley v Bury......... 3.00 Barnet v Northampton............... 3.00 Bradford v Shrewsbury.............. 3.00 Burton Albion v Notts County ... 3.00 Chesterfield v Rotherham.......... 1.00 Dag & Red v Cheltenham.......... 3.00 Darlington v Lincoln City ........... 3.00 Grimsby v Port Vale................... 3.00 Hereford v Aldershot ................. 3.00 Macclesfield v Crewe ................ 3.00 Rochdale v Morecambe ............ 3.00 HoRSE RaCING Catterick Bridge, Chepstow, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Leopardstown, Limerick tuESday dECEMBER 29 SoCCER Barclays Premier League Aston Villa v Liverpool ............... 7.45 Bolton v Hull.............................. 8.00 Clydesdale Bank Premier League Aberdeen v Falkirk..................... 7.45 HoRSE RaCING Musselburgh, Newbury, Southwell, Leopardstown, Limerick WEdNESday dECEMBER 30 SoCCER (7.45 unless stated) Barclays Premier League Man Utd v Wigan....................... 8.00 Portsmouth v Arsenal....................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Hamilton v St Mirren......................... Hearts v Motherwell ......................... Kilmarnock v Celtic ................... 7.30 Rangers v Dundee Utd..................... St Johnstone v Hibernian................. HoRSE RaCING Haydock Park, Kempton, Lingfield, Taunton tHuRSday dECEMBER 31 HoRSE RaCING Lingfield, Uttoxeter, Warwick, Punchestown, Tramore RuGBy uNIoN the Magners League: Newport- Gwent Dgons v Scarlets (2.05) FRIday JaNuaRy 1 RaLLyING (until Sunday) 32nd dakar Rally (Buenos Aires, Argentina) RuGBy uNIoN the Magners League: Ospreys v Cardiff Blues (5.15) SatuRday JaNuaRy 2 SoCCER (3.00 unless stated) the Fa Cup sponsored by E.oN third Round Accrington Stanley v Gillingham ...... Aston Villa v Blackburn..................... Blackpool v Ipswich ......................... Bolton v Lincoln City ........................ Brentford v Doncaster ...................... Bristol City v Cardiff................. 12.30 Everton v Carlisle.............................. Fulham v Swindon............................ Huddersfield v West Brom................ Leicester v Swansea ........................ Middlesbrough v Man City ............... Millwall v Derby ................................ Milton Keynes Dons v Burnley ......... Nottm Forest v Birmingham ............. Plymouth v Newcastle...................... Portsmouth v Coventry .................... Preston v Colchester........................ Reading v Liverpool................... 5.15 Scunthorpe v Barnsley..................... Sheff Wed v Crystal Palace .............. Southampton v Luton....................... Stoke v York ..................................... Sunderland v Barrow........................ Torquay v Brighton ........................... Tottenham v Peterborough............... Wigan v Hull ..................................... Coca-Cola League one Leyton Orient v Yeovil....................... Walsall v Charlton............................. Wycombe v Norwich ........................ Coca-Cola League two Bournemouth v Northampton .......... Bradford v Cheltenham .................... Chesterfield v Shrewsbury ............... Darlington v Port Vale....................... Grimsby v Bury................................. Hereford v Crewe ............................. Macclesfield v Morecambe .............. Rochdale v Rotherham..................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Dundee Utd v Aberdeen................... Falkirk v St Johnstone...................... Motherwell v Hamilton...................... St Mirren v Kilmarnock..................... RuGBy uNIoN the Magners League: Connacht v Leinster (4.00), Edinburgh v Glasgow (3.05), Ulster v Munster (6.00) SuNday JaNuaRy 3 CRICKEt third test Match (day 1 of 5): South Africa v England (Cape Town) Sheff Wed v Newcastle ........... 12.45 Watford v Nottm Forest........... 12.00 West Brom v Peterborough.............. Coca-Cola League one Brighton v Leyton Orient ........... 1.00 Bristol Rovers v Walsall.................... Carlisle v Huddersfield ..................... Charlton v Swindon................... 1.00 Gillingham v Brentford............. 12.30 Leeds v Hartlepool ........................... Milton Keynes Dons v Stockport...... Norwich v Millwall.................... 12.45 Oldham v Tranmere .......................... Southampton v Exeter...................... Southend v Colchester.............. 1.00 Yeovil v Wycombe ............................ Coca-Cola League two Aldershot v Barnet............................ Bury v Bradford ....................... 12.00 Cheltenham v Bournemouth ............ Crewe v Rochdale ............................ Lincoln City v Chesterfield................ Morecambe v Accrington Stanley .... Northampton v Dag & Red ............... Notts County v Grimsby................... Port Vale v Burton Albion ................. Rotherham v Darlington ................... Shrewsbury v Macclesfield............... Torquay v Hereford........................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Celtic v Hamilton .............................. Dundee Utd v Kilmarnock ................ Falkirk v Hearts................................. Motherwell v St Johnstone............... St Mirren v Aberdeen........................ Samaras refuses to point fingers GeorGios samaras insists the whole Celtic team must be blamed for the defensive frailties that surfaced again in yesterdays 2-1 defeat by Hearts that kept them four points behind rangers in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. When the visitors took the lead at Tynecastle through the Greek striker after 21 minutes, it looked like they would go within a point of their old Firm rivals with some ease. However, ten minutes later, after hesitancy by Glenn Loovens in the Hoops defence, an attempted saving tackle by Gary Caldwell on Jamie mole saw the Celtic skipper sent off, with Jambos captain michael stewart scoring from the spot. and, although Celtic bossed the rest of the match, ismael Bouzids header from a searching David Templeton cross after the break, in what was a rare threat from the Gorgie side, gave Hearts three unlikely points. However, in-form samaras, who scored for the fifth consecutive game with his tenth of the season, said: We are a team. if you want to blame somebody, you must blame the team, not just one player. it is just mistakes, they are part of the game and there is nothing we can do about that. They had only one chance in the whole game and they scored and there is nothing we can do about that now. We have to keep the many positive things and playing good football. What a dive: Hearts defender Ismael Bouzid heads the ball past Celtic keeper artur Boruc for the winner at tynecastle Picture: SNS scottish premier league soccer PREMIER LEaGuE Micks gamble pays off trust me: McCarthy BOSSMickMcCarthysalutedhisWolves players after a crucial victory at Molineux lifted them out of the Premier Leagues bottom three and up to 12th place. McCarthy came in for criticism after fielding a second-string team against Manchester United at Old Trafford in midweek. But he reinstated his first- choice team against the Clarets and Nenad Milijas and Kevin Doyle netted to secure a third win in the last four games. McCarthy said: Did the win justify my midweek team selection? Im not looking for it at all, justification or vin- dication. I have to be able to manage the club, manage the players, maximise my resources, pick teams and be trusted with it by everyone concerned. The day Im not trusted is the day I get out of the door, isnt it? So I have to be allowed to do that. I am delighted but I kind of expected the performance because of the decisions I made. The players were 100 per cent behind the decisions I made and they played well today and won the game. It is all about results. Peoples opin- ions of my decisions, Im not bothered with. One or two peoples opinions of me, and my character, I might have trou- ble with. Im not going to appease people just because we won. Im not really both- ered. Weve got 19 points. Wolves: Hahnemann, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Ward, Foley, Henry, Milijas (Mancienne 68), Jarvis (Iwelumo 87), Ebanks-Blake, Doyle (Elokobi 90). Booked: Henry, Doyle. Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle (Duff 34), Caldwell (Gudjonsson 67), Jordan, Alexander, Elliott, McDonald, Bikey (Nugent 52), Eagles, Fletcher. Booked: Gudjonsson. Ref: M Atkinson wolves..... 2 burnley ... 0 England escape with Test draw CRICKET: Andrew Strauss admitted he did not expect England to be hanging on at the end of their first Test with South Africa in Centurion. England, who were 169 for three at tea, collapsed from 205 for four to 209 for eight before finishing on 228 for nine to salvage a draw. Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions (pictured) saw the tourists over the line. Strauss said: I dont think it feels like a win as at tea time we didnt see that coming. It was a crazy hour at the end. It was a fantastic effort by Paul Collingwood in particular at the end there and also Graham Onions. The England captain added: It was an excellent Test match full of ebbs and flows. We are pretty relieved to still be 0-0. Ramsay cooks up Pearl of a victory GoLF: Scotlands Richie Ramsay carded a final-round 65 and then beat Indian Shiv Kapur in a play- off to win the South african open at Pearl Valley yesterday. the pair tied on 13 under par, Kapur also coming from behind with a 67, but the last title of 2009 was settled when 26-year-old Ramsay birdied the opening extra hole to win his first European tour title. Ramsay had started the day five adrift of Pablo Martin but the Spaniard carded a 73, dropping to sixth. Pavlik floors rival BOXING: Kelly Pavlik retained his WBC and WBO middleweight titles with a fifth- round stoppage of Miguel Espino in Ohio on Saturday. Pavlik (pictured) had the Californian on the canvas twice in round four before another knockdown at the start of the fifth forced Espinos corner to throw in the towel. Hearts: Kello, Craig Thomson, Bouzid (Zaliukas 77), Goncalves, Wallace, Templeton, Michael Stewart, Jonsson, Palazuelos, Robinson (Nade 59), Mole (Kucharski 86). Booked: Wallace, Bouzid, Jonsson, Goncalves, Templeton. Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel (McGinn 77), Caldwell, Loovens, Daniel Fox, Crosas (McManus 33), NGuemo, Robson, McGeady, McDonald (Fortune 62), Samaras. Sent off: Caldwell (31). Booked: Robson. Referee: W Collum hearts..2 celtic ...1 SPORT Digest index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html