Loan Sharks, Issue 4

Newtown 4-4 Haverfordwest

     Newtown threw away a four goal lead against fellow relegation candidates, Haverfordwest. 
     Sean Highdale came on for Sam Bailey, in the 68th minute before seeing the lead reduced to nil. 
     Newtown still remain rooted to the bottom of the Welsh Premier League along with Haverfordwest. 

Hartlepool 0-1 MK Dons

     Six games unbeaten sees MK Dons into the playoff positions, sitting pretty at sixth.
     David Amoo was, again, an unused sub. 

MK Dons 0-0 Oldham

     David Amoo was left on the bench yet again in a dreary draw that sees MK Done remain in the playoff position on sixth with 49 points.

Charlton 1-3 Exeter

     Nathan Ecclestone played 87 minutes in the loss to Exeter, that saw them drop out of the playoff places. Three second half goals took the wind out the sails of Charlton before a late concession goal was scored by Wright-Phillips.
     Charlton now sit outside the playoff positions with 47 points whilst MK Dons slip into sixth with 48 points.

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Cardiff 

    Paul Konchesky played a full 90 minutes for Forest and what a game it was. Konchesky himself almost created a goal and also made an excellent goal line clearance. 
     The win propels Forest into second and the automatic promotion positions. They are five points behind league leaders QPR with a game in hand more than the teams around them. 

Nottingham Forest 2-2 Preston 

     Paul Konchesky played 67 minutes in a highly charged match. Forest, chasing promotion and Preston, battling almost certain relegation, were both well up for the match. 
     Konchesky played playmaker a few times, to no avail as shots were saved. However, nine minutes after the break a rebounding ball gave Konchesky a window of opportunity as he drilled home from 12 yards to equalise.
     However, in the 96th minute the visitors levelled the scores and took away a valuable point.
     Forest drop from second place and automatic promotion to fourth, yet they still have a game in hand which could see them move back into the top two.

Manchester City 5-0 Notts County

     Notts County were well and truly beaten in the second half of this FA Cup tie as City ran riot. In the first half, County gave a solid and impressive performance with one shuddering shot deflecting off the bar. 
   But the talent of City showed in the end and County took another four goals. However it did take the emergence of Tevez off the bench to really kickstart the City performance.
    Stephen Darby played a solid and decent 60 minutes but a collision with Dzeko saw him limp away. Eventually in the second half he was substituted. Probably to save him for a vital League One match against Charlton on Friday, against fellow Red Loanee Nathan Ecclestone.

CSKA Moscow 1-1 PAOK Salonikia (2-1 agg)

     Nabil El Zhar was an unused sub against the Russian outfit in the draw. PAOK go out of the Europa League on aggregate. 
     In the domestic league, PAOK sit fourth jointly on 34 points with AEK Athens. They play Kavala next who sit immediately below them in the table. PAOK also has a game in hand which could get them to third. 

VfB Stuttgart 0-2 Benfica 

     The Europa League clash saw Phillip Degen dropped from the side. The loss forces Stuttgart out of the competition as their season goes from bad to worse.
     They remain second from bottom on 19 points and are fighting for their top flight status. The next three games against Frankfurt, St Pauli and Shalke are all must wins for the German side.

Lecce 2-0 Juventus

     Aquilani played the full, dreadful 90 minutes of this match, which saw Champions League chasing Juventus crash and burn to a shock defeat by a Lecce who are battling relegation from Serie A. 
     Both sides had a man sent off, in Juventus' case, it was their goalkeeper, Buffon. 
     After the game, Del Neri described his players as not working up a sweat. Ouch. Juventus now sit seventh and seven points behind the Champions League places.

Galatasaray 1-0 Bucaspor

     Emiliano Insua was an unused sub against lower table Bucaspor. The win lifts Galatasaray to seventh, yet the club is well adrift of the Champions League places with 16 points between them and the ultimate European competition. 
     
Anderlecht P-P Genk

     Chris Mavinga was unable to play due to poor weather. Saturdays match against KSV Westerlo is also abandoned.