15th December

Birmingham 1 - Reading 1

Forssell headed in from a corner ball hit the far post but he caught the ball with his right foot to tap in on 4th min putting the Blues ahead. Hahnemann managed to save two shot on the trot, Sonko looked like a statue. Harper forced a save just before half time with a low shot from the left. Hunt was taken down by Taylor as he went in for an attempt on goal Penalty awarded, Hunt took and scored to take it level on the 51st min. Jerome headed in a ball to try Hahnemann again but the American was good to save. McSheffrey took free kick hit high left wood work bounced back out for a deflected shot shot back into goal and saved off the line by Sonko who sent the ball high and almost scored an own goal as the ball hit the inside of the cross bar. Reading made an improvement as their away record has been very poor.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Schmitz, Ridgewell, Sadler, Larsson, Johnson, Muamba, McSheffrey, Forssell (O'Connor 75), Jerome.
Subs Not Used: Doyle, De Ridder, Parnaby, Jaidi.

Booked: Johnson, Ridgewell.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Hunt, Harper, Gunnarsson (Cisse 28), Convey (Long 84), Doyle, Kitson.
Subs Not Used: Federici, Lita, Bikey.

Booked: Murty.

Att: 27,300

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
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Fulham 0 - Newcastle 1

Healy took early shot going high left but palmed away by keeper. Barton got a head to ball to send low at far post But Davies cut in to clear away for any rebounded attempts. Dempsey missed a good chance from Bouazza as he croosed a good ball into the area. Emre took a free kick Butt got a head to it to send it low at far post but Niemi made the save. Omuzusi toko down Smith in the arae in the dying minutes of the game and a penalty was awarded to Newcastle Barton tok and scored in extra time 90 + 2 mins, big Sams men take another win and the Toon look a bit more stable, as Fulham into the relegation zone they go.

Fulham: Niemi, Omozusi, Hughes, Stefanovic, Bocanegra, Davies, Murphy, Davis (Kuqi 75), Bouazza, Healy, Dempsey.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Ki-Hyeon, Smertin, Baird.

Newcastle: Given, N'Zogbia, Rozehnal, Cacapa, Beye, Geremi (Emre 59), Butt, Barton, Milner, Smith, Martins (Viduka 77).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Edgar.

Goals: Barton 90 pen.

Att: 24,959.

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
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Sunderland 1 - Aston Villa 1

Gardner was very very lucky not to have been sent off in the first few mins for a really bad challenge in Yorke as he went high footed in to him sending Yorke onto the deck and Gardner getting away with a yellow. Danny Higgenbotham got the opening goal with a header from a corner on 10 mins. Carew tried a volley but hit the near post. Stokes was denied a goal as he got caught off side from taking advantage of a mistake by Carson. Maloney took a free kick Ward drifted the wrong way and the ball went in no problem on 73rd min to bring it all square. Sunderland had a last min corner Collins blocked Carson with his arm to cause an obstruction and the goal didnt stand, well the replay did show a foul.

Sunderland: Ward, Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Wallace (Cole 83), Etuhu (Leadbitter 61), Yorke, Murphy, Jones, Stokes (Chopra 70).
Subs Not Used: Gordon, O'Donovan.

Booked: Whitehead, Yorke.

Goals: Higginbotham 10.

Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Gardner (Maloney 67), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Agbonlahor, Carew.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Harewood, Berger, Osbourne.

Booked: Gardner, Young.

Goals: Maloney 73.

Att: 43,248

Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent).
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Derby 0 - Middlesbrough 1
O'Neil ahd early shot on target saved by Bywater. McEveley had a good shot on target low shot making Schwarzer work to save the shot. Tuncay made a good volley from a cross in from Downing to score on the 38th min. Kenny Miller had a good go with a turn and shoot but hit the far post. Barnes took a gopod shot as he chested down the bal and drove the ball on target but Schwarzer saved. Right in the last minutes Aliadiere had a goal dis allowed for being off side.

Derby: Bywater, Mears, Davis, Moore, Griffin (McEveley 29), Teale (Howard 56), Oakley, Leacock, Pearson, Barnes, Miller (Earnshaw 74).
Subs Not Used: Price, Lewis.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Woodgate, Pogatetz, O'Neil, Boateng, Rochemback, Downing (Johnson 89), Aliadiere, Tuncay.
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Huth, Lee, Cattermole.

Goals: Tuncay 38.

Att: 32,676

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).
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Portmouth 0 - Tottenham 1

Bent tried to curl shot around to go high right but went just over the bar. Boateng took shot rebounded off kepper back out for Malbranque to shot and score but off side. Kranjcar almost got a head to a cross from Johnson but Robinson was big and saved the ball. Muntari sent a rocket through the wall from a free kick but Robinson once agian on the ball and saved no problem. Lennon crossed a brilliant ball over to Bent but James managed to get the slightest of touches to the ball to keep away from Bent, then only minutes later once again Lennon sailed the ball in from the right took a deflection off Hreidarsson and over to Berbatov to sink in the back of the net and picked up a yellow for his celebration. Defoe took a shot hit the wood work high right in added time , Spurs kept the foot to the floor and out classed Pompey .

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Pamarot (Hreidarsson 74), Utaka, Diop, Pedro Mendes (Davis 46), Muntari (Nugent 65), Kranjcar, Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Taylor.

Booked: Pedro Mendes, Kranjcar, Distin.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Zokora, Kaboul, Lee, Lennon (Tainio 86), Jenas, Boateng (O'Hara 78), Malbranque, Berbatov, Bent (Defoe 74).
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Stalteri.

Booked: Malbranque, Berbatov.

Goal: Berbatov 81.

Att: 20,520

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
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West Ham 0 - Everton 2

Ljungberg had an early chance but Howard kept ball out. Ashton tried to lolley a shot in high in over Howard but just went wide, good attempt. Parker tried to flick the ball high just over Howard but ended going wide. West Hams steam ran out and the Yak managed to score with a headed on 45 + 1 min.
Osman had a good run with a chance but sent the ball high. Yakubu again with a header steering the ball into the low right but Green saved. west ham threw everything forward in a bid to get something back and it failed as there where no defenders and Andy Johnson (sub 87th min) just ran through no defence as they where all forward and Green came out off his line (fatalmove) Johnson flicked the ball went in over Green for goal no.2 in added time 90 +3 mins. Everton deserved the win.

West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Noble 59), Parker, Mullins (Reid 79), Ljungberg, Ashton, Cole (Camara 46).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Spector.

Booked: Ljungberg.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Osman, Carsley, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu (Johnson 87).
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Hibbert, Gravesen, McFadden.

Booked: Yakubu, Johnson.

Goals: Yakubu 45, Johnson 90.

Att: 34,430

Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset).
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Wigan 5 - Blackburn 3

Now here's a scoreline you probably wont see again this season. Mark Hugh's was raging as he watched his men claw they way back and the get beaten . Blackburn made a n early error which cost them dearly as Landzaat took the ball ,ran and drove a low shot in right in 10th min. Bent beat Warnock to shot and score low shot in from right in 12th min. Penalty awarded against Heskey (couldt really see what for even on the replay, Mccarthy took the penalty and he was so slow my mum could have done better needless to say the shot was saved. Taylor took freekick from just out side the area (should have been a penalty Wigans way as was hand ball) Scharner headed in on the 37th min leaving Blackburn trailing 3 goals down, wow. Heskey was stretchered off with a ankle problem on the 39th min. Santa Cruz managed to claw back the hope as he chested down the ball turned and shot a brilliant ball to score on the 48th min, and again on the 50th min from close range. Emerton got his second yellow so an early shower for him. Warnock delivered a good ball into the area for santa cruz to score his hat trick as he headed in on the 61st min. Valencia then crossed a good ball through to Bent who headed away on the 66th min , just a Mark Hugh's thought he'd got a point it all Bent wrong. Agahower crossed a brilliant ball through for Bent on the 81st min and Wigan wrapped it up , fare play to them I know they dont always win but Steve Bruce is certainly doing something right.

Wigan: Kirkland, Taylor (Olembe 89), Boyce, Bramble, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Scharner, Landzaat, Bent, Heskey (Aghahowa 40), Aghahowa (Granqvist 90).
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Koumas.

Booked: Heskey, Taylor, Aghahowa, Brown.

Goals: Landzaat 10, Bent 12, Scharner 37, Bent 66, 81.

Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Reid, Savage, Pedersen, McCarthy (Derbyshire 74), Santa Cruz (Dunn 90). Subs Not Used: Brown, Mokoena, Olsson.

Sent Off: Emerton (57).

Booked: Samba, Emerton, Warnock, Savage.

Goals: Santa Cruz 45, 50, 61.

Att: 16,489

Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).
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Man City 4 - Bolton 2

Anelka had an early shot . Vassel's shot on target rebounded back out for Bianchi to score on the 7th min. Anelka then caught the faced to the far post ,so close. Nolan put ball through to Diouf who shot the the ball high right on target beating the keeper on the 31st min. Gardner crossed into middle for Nolan to to shoot low right on the 40th min. Hamann took a free kick which came off Michalik to count as an own goal on the 48th min. johnson took a shot from a Vassell pass hitting the far post. Petrov delivered a good ball through to Vassell to score on the 77th min. Etuhu wrapped it all up on the 90th min.

Man City: Isaksson, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Gelson (Etuhu 46), Hamann, Johnson, Petrov (Garrido 83), Bianchi (Mpenza 87), Vassell.
Subs Not Used: Hart, Geovanni.

Booked: Etuhu.

Goals: Bianchi 7, Michalik 48 og, Vassell 77, Etuhu 90.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt (McCann 85), Meite, Michalik, Gardner, Nolan, Campo (Giannakopoulos 86), Guthrie, Diouf, Davies, Anelka.
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Samuel, Speed.

Booked: Nolan.

Goals: Diouf 31, Nolan 40.

Att: 40,506

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
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