Moore Joy for WBS

West Brom Strollers once more won the battle of the top two to extend their lead to five points at the head of Division One. West Brom shut down the Legends of Arsenal side and created several good chances themselves to have won the game with something to spare. As it was one goal would suffice as Lee Hughes got his head to a Darren Moore cross to beat Sattler in the home goal. Once again the performance of Moore at the heart of the visiting defence proved invaluable to the side and, after putting in a 13-bar performance, he left many observers putting him alongside defensive greats like Maldini, Beckenbauer et al. Demetrio Delpiano was the home side’s biggest threat but the fact that he put in a below-par performance tells you all you need to know about the superb Moore. West Brom enjoyed a night out after the win as Dave ‘treated them’ following their ‘4 massive games in 2 weeks’, a sequence in which they won three to take a firm hold of the Division One title race. Josef09 will know his side are still well-placed despite the defeat and will undoubtedly make sure his side are ready for their next match against Three Lions.

Manchester United are the other side that make up the top three and they enjoyed a 5-1 victory against Tropical Thunder. The game turned out to be Jamesfreeman’s last in charge as he left the league to join up with a friend’s set-up much to everyone’s disappointment at Thunder. The game was a poor one in which to bow out as United trampled all over the visiting side. Dimitar Berbatov shot the hosts in front and Wayne Rooney added a similar second as the opening half saw United create four chances to Thunder’s none. The second-half started in surprising fashion as Pasqual Arellano pulled one back for Thunder following a breakaway but their joy was short-lived. Berbatov quickly headed home his second goal of the game and United went on to dominate from that point. Berbatov it was who would net two late strikes to add some realism to the score and take his tally for the game to four, strangely enough his first goals of the season. United are still four points clear as the games begin to tick by and Pakya will surely be delighted with their position. Tropical Thunder will want to appoint a new manager quickly but after seeing 3 managers come and go in the course of the season some may see the position as a poisoned chalice.

Three Lions FC kept up the pressure on the top spots by defeating Pahang United 2-0. In a tight match both sides only managed three chances in the game and so the finishing expertise shown by the home side won the day. The first goal came after eight minutes as Izu Kaka pulled the trigger from distance to beat Hussain in goal. Pahang created the other two chances of the half but couldn’t take them nor could they take advantage of an injury to Ricardo Izalho which forced the defender off injured. Pahang had injury problems of their own on 70 minutes as Tim Gloden’s match was also cut short. Lions were edging the second-half at this point and duly added the killer second goal when Luis Carlos Almeida completed the fine move which Robin van Izu had played a massive part in. Despite the victory, Izu was keen to state his need for ‘sponsor money’ to train his players although he did offer hope to fans by saying they could ‘break into the top 3.’ Pahang’s defeat won’t have done much for TrueBlue’s hopes of keeping his side in the division but he can take heart from the fact that results elsewhere meant they remain just outside of the bottom three.

The Vikings also have shouts of a promotion spot following an excellent 2-0 win at home to an in-form Kirkbride Strollers. The Vikings got the ideal start and were 2-0 ahead after 14 minutes. A penalty from Vassilis Papakostas opened the scoring on 12 minutes and two minutes later Colin Crouch defied his name to head in number two and give Kirkbride a mountain to climb. The Strollers have been in fine form, though, and set about their task with quality and belief and with a bit more assurance in front of goal they might have salvaged a point. Creating seven chances in the game the Strollers were let down by two below-par performances from their front pairing which, effectively, scuppered any hope they had. The Vikings also had chances to extend their lead but 2-0 proved more than enough to put them within six points of Manchester United. Eaglesrjh was quick to play down promotion talk, saying, ‘the current top 3 are too strong and already too far ahead’ but should they get any closer his competitive streak will surely kick-in and a battle will be on the cards. The result leaves the Strollers in mid-table but after easing their relegation fears in recent weeks, Jazza will want them to maintain their progression up the table.

Juventus made sure it was a disappointing start to management in the RMI for Popepiusx2 as his Goals Aloud side were beaten 2-0 at the Delle Alpi. Popepiusx2 can be happy enough with his side’s performance, though, as they more than matched their hosts for large periods but suffered in the finishing stakes. Juve were to score the two chances they created in the opening 45 minutes and GA would never recover from this setback. Mairthin Foley was the hero for the hosts as he built upon an already excellent season with two goals. His first was a header from a Jorn Fruh corner after 22 minutes and his second came 16 minutes later as he curled a beautiful free-kick into the top corner to leave Harper with no chance. Goals Aloud did force the issue in the second-half but didn’t show enough quality to break down the home defence. However, with a bit of stability and an experienced man in charge the Goals Aloud fans will be hopeful that their side can get out of the relegation zone where they currently reside. SuperJuve has his side comfortably in mid-table but will be keen they retain their concentration as any slip might see them fall back into a relegation fight.

PSV Eindhoven (Liverpool) responded to new manager Kadri from the start and recorded a 2-0 victory over Newry City. Buoyed on by a capacity crowd, PSV surged out of the blocks to take a second minute lead as Dirk Kuyt headed past Wellens. With a strong-looking midfield, PSV managed to stifle any attacking threat from Newry and this enabled them to control the game. An early goal at the beginning of the second-half settled the encounter with Ryan Babel running onto a Martin Skrtel through ball before beating the ‘keeper and giving new hope to PSV’s fans. The win was only PSV’s second of the season but with a new manager in and a new belief amongst the players the team may have every reason to believe they can bridge the six-point gap between themselves and Pahang who occupy the last position of safety. Newry remain just above PSV and will be concerned by their plight, a couple of wins, though, and they’ll find themselves shooting up the table so there will be no panic in Mickeymoose’s house this evening.