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Lionel Messi missed a slew of chances before squeezing home a late strike to
give Barcelona a 1-0 win at third-placed Valencia in La Liga on Wednesday and
stretch the champions lead over Real Madrid to 10 points.

With Barca looking like they might drop points for only the fourth time this
season, the Argentina forward struck a low shot in the 77th minute at the
Mestalla that spun just inside the post off the outstretched arm of goalkeeper
Vicente Guaita.

Messi’s league leading 27th goal lifted Barca to 71 points from 26 matches.
They have now won 12 of 13 away games, drawing last month at Sporting Gijon in
their only slip-up on the road.

They are also unbeaten in their last 20 away matches, beating a La Liga
record set by Basque club Real Sociedad at the end of the 1970s.

Real Madrid can trim the gap to seven points with a win at Malaga on
Thursday, when the Andalusian club’s coach Manuel Pellegrini returns to the
Bernabeu to face the man who replaced him at Real at the end of last season,
Jose Mourinho.

Another of Pellegrini’s former clubs, Villarreal, breathed life into their
bid for a place in next season’s Champions League earlier on Wednesday when
Giuseppe Rossi struck to give them a 1-0 home win over promoted Hercules.

The Italy forward sped on to Cani’s through ball in the 21st minute at the
Madrigal and finished past Juan Calatayud to lift Villarreal to 50 points from
26 matches, one behind Valencia.

Juan Carlos Garrido’s Villarreal side, who are still alive in the Europa
League, had lost two and drawn two of their last four league matches.

Desperate defence

Messi should have put Barca ahead in the
ninth minute at a noisy Mestalla in Valencia when he was denied three times in
quick succession by some desperate defence.

He had another great chance when he was clean through in the 31st but his
chipped effort landed on the roof of net and he also skewed a shot just wide of
goal early in the second half.

Valencia, who had hassled and harried the Barca players impressively
throughout the match, had several good opportunities of their own but Pablo
Hernandez and substitute Roberto Soldado were unable to convert.

Barca’s Brazilian defender Adriano, who provided the assist for Messi’s goal
when he cut in from the left wing, said his team had been made to work hard for
the three points.

“It was our most difficult away game, together with the (Real match
next month), but the work is not over,” he said in a television interview.

“We have to work a lot to win the championship,” he added, with an
eye on Barca’s games at Sevilla on March 13 and at Villarreal on April 3.

Europa League champions Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao stumbled in
their campaigns for a European berth.

Atletico were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Getafe and Bilbao squandered
the lead to lose 2-1 at Real Zaragoza.

Atletico are eighth on 35 points, three behind Bilbao and Sevilla, who beat
visiting Sporting Gijon 3-0 on Tuesday.

Espanyol lost 2-1 at home to Real Mallorca on
Tuesday and remain fifth on 40 points.

In other matches on Wednesday, Osasuna drew 0-0 with visiting Deportivo
Coruna and Real Sociedad and Levante drew 1-1 in San Sebastian.

REUTERS

Birmingham city today at Wembley dashed Arsenal’s hope of winning their first trophy since the FA Cup in 2005.

The game started with great expectation as over 88,000 fans made it to the venue to cheer their teams as they looked to end frustrating spells without silverware.

While Arsenal were victorious six years ago, Birmingham have not lifted a major trophy since they won the 1963 League Cup, and their desperation showed.

Tactically they were impeccable, with their three defensive midfielders an absolute handful. Arsenal were limited to 10 minute spells of superiority, and conceded two extremely soft goals from high balls into the box.

Nikola Zigic gave Birmingham the lead in the 28th minute, but Arsenal fought back with Robin van Persie levelling the scores in the 38th minute.

An awful defending from Arsenal gave Birmingham victory as a header on from Zigic caused panic between Koscielny and Szczesny. The duo fail to deal with the ball and allowing Nigerian striker, Obafemi Martins to knock the ball into the empty net.

Jose
Mourinho hit out at Spain’s football authorities after the 0-0 draw at
Deportivo Coruna on Saturday, saying his Real Madrid players had not
been given enough rest after Tuesday’s Champions League match. The
dropped points at Depor’s Riazor stadium enabled Barcelona to stretch
their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points with 25 games played
after the champions won 3-0 at Real Mallorca in Saturday’s earlier
kickoff. Mourinho, whose side drew 1-1 in their Champions League
last-16, first leg at Olympique Lyon on Tuesday, told a news conference
it would have been easier on Real if they had been allowed to play
Depor on Sunday.

Extra day

“I don’t know what would have happened if we had played on Sunday but it would have been fairer,” the Portuguese said.

“We could have given an extra day off to those who were most tired, we could have trained an extra day,” he added.

“The calendar is
set by people who know what they are doing. They do what they want and
they will carry on like that.” Real, who twice struck a post late on,
face a stiff task to catch Barcelona and end their great rivals’
two-year reign as Spanish champions.

However, Real
director general Jorge Valdano said it would be absurd to give up on
the title with 13 matches remaining and 39 points still available.

“Nobody gives up on
the league in February so we will keep on fighting and see if we have a
bit more luck in the next few matches,” the former Argentina
international said in a television interview.

“The team played with a lot of intensity as usual but we were unable
to find the net,” he added. “We weren’t clinical enough in front of
goal and we were also lacking in luck.”

Chelsea defender David Luiz was the centre of attention after
scoring in their 2-1 comeback win at home to Manchester United on Tuesday as
visiting manager Alex Ferguson unleashed another rant at the match officials.

United led with a Wayne Rooney goal after half an hour but
Brazil centre back Luiz slammed home a well-taken equaliser nine minutes into
the second half and Frank Lampard completed the turnaround 11 minutes from time
with a penalty.

United had centre back Nemanja Vidic sent off in stoppage time
for a second booking but Ferguson was incensed that Luiz had not suffered the
same fate earlier and was also unhappy with the penalty given after Chris
Smalling tripped Yuri Zhirkov.

“The penalty kick was so soft but we played very well.

It was a great performance by us. We didn’t deserve that,”
Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“That’s three years in a row referees’ decisions have changed
the game (here).”

Luiz was booked by referee Martin Atkinson for a foul after 61
minutes then appeared fortunate to escape a second yellow card after flattening
Rooney.

“It was incredible. Even before that he’d done Chicharito
(Javier Hernandez) off the ball. He’d done him late. Nothing done, the
referee’s in front of it,” added Ferguson.

“He (Luiz) does Rooney clear as day, he’s six yards from it, he
doesn’t do anything. These are decisions that change the game and he’s going to
be refereeing every week.”

Proud Ferguson

Ferguson, who said before the game that Rooney was lucky not to
have been banned after a clash with Wigan Athletic’s James McCarthy at the
weekend, added:

“I’m proud of the players. They’ve endured a lot of decisions
against them but they’ve come through it, they’ve done their best and created
good chances.” Chelsea’s win took them within 12 points of leaders United and,
asked if they were back in the title race, Ferguson said: “If they get
decisions like tonight then it can change everything. They got a lot of
decisions that surprised me.”

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti did not want to discuss the
officials but said Luiz might have been lucky.

“There was a lot of intensity and it was not easy for the
referee to decide every time,” he said. “There was a lot going on on the pitch
so the referee decided he didn’t see this.” The Italian preferred to
concentrate on the spirit shown by his side after they had been outplayed in
the first half.

“We kept going with strength, intensity and power in our performance
against a fantastic United team,” he said.

“We actually started well but at halftime I told them that we
had to do it for 45 minutes, not just 15.

“It was not easy to come back but we had a good balance in the
second half.” The win took Chelsea back into the top four but Ancelotti said
the champions had no realistic hope of catching United, who are four points
ahead of Arsenal having played a game more.

“It’s too far, we can’t think we can get to the top,” he said.
“But the victory was important for us and our confidence.” Midfielder Lampard
added: “We’re still a lot of points behind but all we could do was win the
game.

“United are deservedly top but we’ve still got some fight in us and we
showed that tonight.”

The second stage of the MTN sponsored Lagos International Polo
Tournament got off on an exciting note yesterday with two high octane Open Cup
games thrilling the capacity crowd at the Polo Ground in Ikoyi, Lagos.

In the opening game of the day Lagos Goodfellas, who are still
basking on the euphoria of their Ibadan Cup success last month, came from
behind to beat Ibadan Origin who paraded their captain, Kenneth Edet, Jubrin
Ali, Seidu Umar and a professional from Europe, 8-7.

The Ibadan Origin, who are drawn in the same stream with highly
ambitious opponents like AGL Shoreline,

Tavia Trojan and Kano Titans, would now need to be in their best
form in subsequent games if their dream of carting home the Chapelhill
sponsored Open Cup is to come to pass.

Jostling for the winner of the Open Cup which attracted other
top teams like the Makanjuola’s Lagos Caverton and Lagos HST, will continue to
light up the event till Sunday when the two best playing teams will clash in
the final.

Open Cup campaign

Caverton would open their campaign for the Open Cup against
Goodfellas on Friday, just as HST would hope for better luck when they come up
against Tavia Trojan on Friday.

Competitions for the tournament’s biggest prize, the Majekodunmi
Cup, pitting defending champions, Fifth Chukkers against two Lagos based sides,
Ashbert/MRS and Linetrale/Trafigura, is billed to commence on Thursday with the
title holders taking on former champions, Ashbert/MRS.

Linetrale/Trafigura will have their first test of the
Majekodunmi Cup battle on Friday when they would try Ashbert/MRS for size,
before confronting Fifth Chukkers who arrived with a squad that boost the likes
of Adamu Atta, Babangida Hassan and two Argentine professionals.

The first stanza of the MTN polo extravaganza ended with fanfare
last weekend with Lagos Arkpolo and Kano Yakassai carting home the Lagos Low
Cup and the Dansa Cup respectively.

The second part of the tournament is billed to end this weekend,
with the finals of the Open and the Majekodunmi Cups respectively.

Other laurels up for grabs during the grand finale include the Governor’s
Cup, played in honour of Lagos state governor Raji Fashola, and the
Independence Trophy, reputed as the oldest polo prize in Nigeria.

Both the para-swimming and weightlifting federations of Nigeria
have announced some of the events they plan to organise for athletes this year,
in preparation for international championships most notably the All-African
Games billed for Mozambique.

Top of the list of events lined up by the Nigerian para-swimming
body, which has the task of organising events for physically challenged
swimmers, is a four-day para-swimming workshop.

The event will take place in Ibadan at the Obafemi Awolowo
Stadium, formerly known as the Liberty Stadium, between March 14-18.

Sunny Obot, the secretary general of the federation, disclosed
in Lagos that the workshop is geared towards classifying all physically
challenged swimmers in the country and camping them ahead of the forthcoming
All-African Games.

Obot urged the various states sports councils to release their
athletes for the workshop, which would be handled by national coaches.

Weightlifters also meet

In a similar development, weightlifters will be converging on
the National Stadium, Lagos at the end of the month for the National Men and
Women Open Weightlifting Championship. The championship is their first event of
the year.

The event which comes up from March 21 to 25, is expected to
bring together athletes from across the country.

Uche Onwumeh, the secretary general of the Nigerian
Weightlifting Federation, organisers of the championship, said that the event
is aimed at selecting weightlifters to compete at this year’s African
Championship, as well as the World Championships which will be coming up
between April and May.

Onwumeh also explained that participating states, clubs and
individuals are to take care of their accommodation, feeding and transportation
throughout the duration of the event as no provision has been made by the
federation.

Chimdi Ejiagu, who is the president of the weightlifting federation, also
advised all interested weightlifters to avail themselves of this opportunity as
camping for the international tournament would commence immediately after the
championship.

There were no surprises on Wednesday at the
ongoing National Tennis Open Championship in Port Harcourt as all the top seeds
advanced to the tournament’s third round.

On centre court, Sunday Emmanuel showed why he was the
tournament’s number one seed by defeating Onyeka Mbanu 7-5, 6-3, while former
Nigeria number one Sunday Maku was able to win his game by beating Kehinde
Alabi.

Abdulmumini Babalola also cruised to the third round along with
Clifford Enosoregbe who progressed after his opponent Amidu Abdullahi failed to
recover from an injury he had sustained during the course of the game.

Enosoregbe was ahead 6-4, 4-1 at the time.

In another game decided in the men’s singles event, Aliyu Umar
defeated Taiwo Owolabi in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the third round.

In the women’s singles event, Fatima Abinu remained in the race
for the women’s title after seeing off the challenge of Christy Mbadinwe 7-5,
6-2, just as Anu Ayegbusi also easily disposed of Amina Quadri in an encounter
that ended 6-4, 6-1.

Blessing Anuna also progressed to the next round after her
opponent, Deola Akewula, withdrew due to cramps, while Blessing Samuel also
cruised to the third round after beating Sade Ogunsola 6-0, 3-6, 6-0.

Doubles underway

In the men’s doubles event, which got underway on Wednesday, top
seeds Emmanuel and Babalola easily ended the tournament aspirations of the
doubles pair of Vincent Itodo and Yenjo Sunday 6-1, 6-1.

It was, however, tougher for the duo of Sani Adamu and Henry
Atseye who came from a set down to defeat the hard-fighting duo of Samuel Jonah
and Bala Musa in an encounter that ended 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.

The pair of Taiwo Owolabi and Ganiyu Salami also came from a set
down to advance to the next round of the men’s doubles event, defeating the
partnership of Amidu Abdullahi and Rah 3-6, 6-3, 10-3.

In the women’s doubles event, the pair of Samuel and Christy
Abugnom made quick work of the duo of Ngozi Dirisu and Evelyn Enuwah 6-0, 6-0,
while Chidinma Abbah and Mbadinwe also easily saw off the pair of Odunayo
Boluwaduro and Akosile Folarin in an encounter that also ended 6-0, 6-0.

Magret Olagundoye and Nosa Esorae also saw off Quadri and her
doubles partner Kelechi Njoku 6-0, 6-2 to progress to the next round.

The tournament continues today with third round
matches in both the men’s and women’s singles events, as well as second round
games in the men’s and women’s doubles category.

Defending
champions of the DStv Premier Basketball League, Kano Pillars
basketball club last weekend proved that it’s the true champion of the
Nigeria league when it ended the unbeaten run of reigning Savannah
conference leader, Kada Stars basketball club of Kaduna.

Kada Stars, hosts
of the week-5 high-profile pairing lost to the visitors by as much as
22-point margin of 67-89 points with Pillars being the only team in the
conference yet to taste defeat, 2009/2010 runner-up Royal Hoopers
basketball club of Port Harcourt made it a 1-1 record on its mission to
Lagos losing to Islanders basketball club of Lagos by 73-70 points. But
they woke up to defeat Dodan Warriors basketball club of Lagos by 88-87
points to move to the second spot in the Atlantic conference with a 4-1
record.

In other week-5 games, played last weekend, Comets basketball club
continued their fine run in the Atlantic conference by beating Police
Baton basketball club in a local derby by 73-58 points. The former
Nigeria league champions took the first, third and fourth quarters by
17-08, 25-12 and 23-18 points respectively losing the second quarter to
the Baton by 08-20 points.

Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi
recorded an away win over Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos by
76-68 points; Nigeria Immigration basketball club of Kano pipped
visiting Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos by 73-61 points for its
first win of the season while Bauchi Nets basketball club walked-over
Niger Potters basketball club of Minna.

Golfer, Martin
Kaymer looks to have the same drive, determination and mental strength
as former tennis champions, Steffi Graf, Boris Becker and seven-time
Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.

But unlike his
fellow German athletes, Kaymer’s own rise to the top of his sport,
before he took over as world number one from Britain Lee Westwood
Monday, has largely gone unnoticed in his home country.

Whereas Becker,
Graf and Schumacher captivated Germans with their exploits on the
courts and the racing tracks, boosting their sports’ popularity to new
heights, Kaymer has quietly shot up the rankings, enjoying only
occasional coverage.

Where the others
had TV spots, front pages and fly-on-the-wall coverage of their events,
Kaymer is much more low-profile, never making it on the best-selling
Bild newspaper’s front page.

Kaymer has not been
back to Germany for any length of time since clinching his first major
title at last year’s PGA Championship but he hopes to raise his sport’s
profile there even more now that he has become world number one.

“In Germany, it’s
very difficult to get (fan) respect and recognition because we have
only soccer and Formula One which are pretty big,” the 26-year-old said
at this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona.

“And as a golf
player, you barely get recognised at all. I’m trying to do what Steffi
Graf and Boris Becker did in tennis. If we can do the same with golf in
Germany, that would be very nice.” The U.S. PGA champion’s
head-spinning climb to the top of the rankings has made him one of the
hottest properties in golf and he has now emulated his role model and
compatriot Bernhard Langer, who was 29 when he became the first
official world number one in 1986.

Only recently,
however, a German consultancy was hired to help boost Kaymer’s profile
domestically with a series of media events prior to last year’s Ryder
Cup as his image within the country was lagging behind his
international success.

“There has been a
need to push his image in Germany a bit. He does not seem to have the
coverage he deserves,” a media expert who has been involved in the
golfer’s effort to boost his image, told Reuters on condition of
anonymity.

Switched focus

The soft-spoken
Kaymer almost chose football as a profession before switching his focus
to golf as a 16-year-old. Last year, he won four European Tour titles
before ending 2010 as the circuit’s number one player.

“All the goals I
set for myself happened — to win the Race to Dubai, to play in and win
the Ryder Cup and to win a major (PGA Championship),” Kaymer recalled.

Since clinching
that first major title at Whistling Straits in August, Kaymer has
triumphed three times on the European Tour, most recently at the Abu
Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January.

For the first time
in years, Chelsea’s prime concern in Tuesday’s Premier League match
against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge will not be the title.

Already 15 points
behind leaders United and 11 adrift of second-placed Arsenal, Chelsea’s
hopes of retaining the title are long gone and instead they must focus
on fighting it out with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur for the
remaining Champions League berths.

Chelsea have not
finished outside the top four since 2002, the year before Roman
Abramovich took them over, and after subsequently failing to land the
Champions League trophy he so desperately wants, the Russian
billionaire is unlikely to be impressed by the prospect of the Europa
League.

United have 60
points, four clear of Arsenal. City are third on 50, with Spurs on 47.
Chelsea, on 45, have a game in hand on Spurs and the top two and two in
hand over City.

Chelsea’s situation
is still very much in their own hands as they have still to play City
and Spurs at Stamford Bridge, though they also have to travel to Old
Trafford.

Their home record
against United in recent years is strong having not lost since 2002
and, having had the weekend off, captain John Terry said his team were
raring to go.

“We are very confident at home and the way they play might help us,” Terry told the club’s website (www.chelseafc.com).

“I’m not sure how
they are going to come at us but other teams that have come to the
Bridge have sat back and we’ve found it hard to break them down.

“It is a must-win
game for us and the fans are going to be up for it. If we can win, who
knows, it could put a little bit of pressure on them and the teams
around us.” Although Chelsea had the weekend off they were still all
over the newspapers after full back Ashley Cole was reported to have
shot a member of the club’s staff with a .22 air gun.

Rooney’s elbow

The club said they
were treating it as an internal issue and would be taking “appropriate
action” but that might not be the end of the matter as Surrey Police,
who control the area where the incident took place at the club’s Cobham
training ground, said on Monday they would be investigating to see
whether a criminal offence had taken place.

United boss Alex
Ferguson will also be waiting nervously by the phone as the FA studies
the referee’s report from their 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Saturday
with particular attention on Wayne Rooney.

The striker elbowed
James McCarthy in an off-the-ball incident early in the match and
though a free kick was given against him, he escaped any further
punishment.

Wigan manager
Roberto Martinez was furious and a subsequent media storm has ensured
the FA look closely at the incident, which if the referee says he did
not see clearly despite awarding the free kick could lead to a
suspension for Rooney.

Should a ban ensue
Ferguson will be delighted to have a ready-made replacement in the
shape of Javier Hernandez, who scored twice on Saturday after being
preferred in the starting lineup to Dimitar Berbatov.

Ryan Giggs is also likely to be fit for the match after recovering from a hamstring strain.

“It’s always a big game at Chelsea,” Ferguson told MUTV. “We used to
have a great record down there but our record over the last seven years
or so has been poor. We have to do something about that and that’s what
Tuesday is about.”