The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 18

THE GUARDIAN Thursday November 7 1991 18 SPORTS NEWS European Cup, second round, second leg: Arsenal 1 Benf ica 3 (aet; agg: 2-4) I Uefa Cup, second round, second leg Liverpool 3, Auxerre 0 (agg: 3-2) Walters does the late trick daft If QjauDoiKiirs5' rams) I a) Stephen Motley David Lacey self-belief of youth and when McManaman cut in from the left, Mahe scythed his legs away. Molby waited some considerable time while McManaman was treated and then struck the penalty low to Martini's right. If Liverpool's performance in France had been limp and anaemic every single red cor puscle was zinging now. There was nothing particur laxly measured about Liver pool's play but no one could doubt the effort and the passion. Yet even after the early, goal the dangers of French: counter-attacks were suddenly made vividly apparent when, with Liverpool straining forward and perhaps over-committing themselves for a rapid equaliser, Ferreri suddenly broke on the right with the home defence almost totally absent.

His cross to Dutuel seemed certain to-bring a goal, but Grobbelaar blocked the shot. Undeterred by the warning, Liverpool thundered forward again and on the half-, hour Auxerre's defence was penetrated for a second time. Molby found Houghton on the left and his deep cross was headed firmly in at the far post by Marsh his first senior goal for the club. All Anfield shook, to say nothing of French knees. With 30 minutes gone Liverpool had drawn level and at this point no Liverpudlian ever doubted victory.

And so it proved. With McMahon and Molby looking a little leg-weary, Auxerre threatened again in the second half, Grobbelaar saving well from Roche. But the sending-off of Darras for a foul on Walters in the 75th minute probably tipped the balance. Eight minutes later Walters had done it and the only disappointment was that Burrows, booked in the first half, will miss the opening leg of the next round. Liverpool: Grobbelaar; Ablett.

Burrows, Marsh, Molby, Tanner. McManaman, Houghton, Rush, Walters, McMahon. Auierrei Martini; Darras, Kaczmarek, Roche, Mahe, Querreiro, Cocard, Dutuel, Kovacs (Otokore, 19min; Mazzollni, 75), Ferreri. Vahirua. Retire ii Oa Silva (Portugal).

Five people were arrested and six were ejected from Anfield after a pitch protest over a man serving a 15-year prison term. LIVERPOOL, with goals by Molby, Marsh and Walters, surged through into the third round of the Uefa Cap at An-fleld last night with a performance of such white-hot intensity that Auxerre, 2-0 ahead at the start of the evening, shrivelled away. Molby, playing his first game in Europe for Liverpool, was the focal force. First he scored from the penalty spot, to set Liverpool on a glorious path forward, and then he had an educated foot in both the other goals. Marsh levelled the aggregate score and although Liverpool understandably tired during the second half, the sending-off of Darras was perhaps crucial and with seven minutes left Walters scored the winner.

Molby dispossessed Mahe and filtered a superb through ball to Walters. The former Rangers player bared clear to tuck a right-foot shot just inside the post and the Kop could have kissed him. So the night belonged to Liverpool, who came back from two goals down for the first time in 21 years of European competition. The time and space which Auxerre had revelled in during the first leg completely disappeared. They were harried, hounded and never allowed to settle.

"This club is made of sterner stuff than some people would have you believe," the manager Graeme Souness said afterwards. The start was quite extraordinary. Souness had be-seeched the fans to lift his team and although there were only 23,000 present the wall of noise from the Kop was absolutely colossal. Within four minutes Liverpool had scored, flying forward on a strong wind and a tempest of support. The Liverpool manager left out Saunders and Hysen, Molby partnering McMahon in the centre of midfield where Dutuel had caused so much trouble in the first leg.

The surprise selection was Marsh at right-back, but it proved inspired. The red tide surged forward with the inexorable RSENAL went out of fl the European Cup last night because they did understand the body language of continental football when they met it at the highest level. For a time they waved their arms and shouted at foreigners to good effect but they ended up tongue-tied and left the arena looking more than slightly dumbfounded. Benfica, the Portuguese champions, won an absorbing match of vivid contrasts with plenty to spare. Having forced a 1-1 draw in Lisbon a fortnight earlier, Arsenal promised Highbury a notable victory when they hit a post before Colin Pates gave them the lead' with his first goal for the club.

But Isaias, whose skills had plagued Arsenal's defence in the first leg, struck before the interval to bring the scores level once more; and after both teams had missed chances in the second half, goals from Kul-kov and Isaias, again, took the tie beyond the English team's reach in extra-time. Thus Arsenal will miss the 2 million windfall they stood to receive by reaching the mini-league play-offs that have replaced the quarter- and semifinals of the European Cup. Unless last night's lessons are absorbed it may be some time before they get another chance. Already they are lagging in the First Division and are out of one of the cups. Although Arsenal had enough opportunities to have won the match within 90 minutes there was no doubting the worth of Benfica's victory, their first, incidentally, on an English ground.

Moving forward they had a sense of time and space which, as far as Arsenal were concerned, took the play to a higher plateau. Although Isaias proved to be the executioner he had always looked like becoming, after a superb exhibition of football in the Stadium of Light, Benfica owed as much if not more to the demonstration of classical centre-forward play provided by Yuran, their supreme Soviet. Once the Portuguese champions had realised that a midfield propped up by the busy Merson was little more than a curtain of beads, their movements whirled and eddied around the Arsenal half, so much so that their victory became an inevitability in extra-time whereas earlier the match had been finely balanced. So long as Merson was able to combine the job of helping Ro-castle track down Them and Schwarz with inspiring his team's better attacks, Arsenal looked to have a reasonable chance. With Smith working hard up front and Benfica at their most nervous when having to deal with high balls that swerved in the stiff wind, High- down, Benfica's Schwarz is airborne, and Kulkov is turned round after scoring in extra time Uefa Cup: Celtic 1, Neuchatel 0 (agg: 2-5) (Futile attempt European Cup Winners' Cup, second round, second leg: Manchester United 1 Atletico Madrid 1 (agg: 1-4) Door slams shut on United after Hughes' early opening Patrick Olefin CELTIC'S attempt to overcome an impossible 5-1 deficit from the first leg of this Uefa Cup second-round tie was always laudable, even bordering on the magnificent at times, but in the end was futile.

The impression that the mission could not be accomplished was formed in the fifth minute, when Charlie Nicholas made a mess of a penalty. After that deflating miss, Joe Miller's 52nd-minute goal meant little. The missed penalty was all the more stunning because Nicholas had scored with all three of his previous attempts this season. That the chance arrived so early only deepened the disappointment of the vociferous crowd, who had ignored driving rain and live television coverage to lend their support. The striker himself had been pulled down by Delay as he tried to run past him on the left of the area, having been released by a precise through-pass from Coyne.

Nicholas amateurishly drove the spot-kick high over the bar. Cynthia Bateman IT HAD seemed in the fourth minute, when United took the lead, that the impossible might indeed be attainable. Instead their great good fortune proved to be too much, too soon, and a crucial away goal conceded halfway through the second half dashed the dream so cruelly created in those opening minutes. Atletico had prised the cup holders' fingers from the trophy with a 3-0 lead in the first leg. "It will be like climbing a mountain in your Fallen Gunner Pates is cast bury clung to the hope of seeing the match won by traditional English methods.

The longer the night wore on, however, the more confident Benfica's. defenders became, and although Neno was never fully at ease when he went for crosses, punching as many as he caught, Arsenal never quite recaptured their early mastery of the air which saw Campbell meet Merson's cross with a header against a post in the fifth minute. Arsenal took the lead midway through the first half after two Benfica errors. In the 19th min ute Rui Costa attempted a vague back pass and sent the slippers," Alex Ferguson had said. But a big crowd 39,654 a rainstorm, and an early goal, the elements he believed might sway United's fortunes, were all his.

United, although conscious that they must look to their defences, threw their all into attack. It won them two corners in the opening minutes, and then, almost unbelievably, the start they had hardly dared hope for. Blackmore, playing instead of the injured Irwin, lobbed a ball over the Atletico defence and found Rob-son behind them. The cross from the right gave Hughes, Tottenham's chief executive, Terry Venables, was making no predictions here yesterday about Gascoigne after joining his club's headquarters just outside the city. "There have been so many twists and turns it's incredible," he said.

Venables confirmed Benfica's interest, emphasising that it was an inquiry and that "there were no negotiations" with the Portuguese champions. The deal with Lazio hinging on the player's medical on May 31 "is watertight and is as it was," Venables said, adding: "From my last communication with Lazio they certainly were still interested in signing him." Benfica may have heard something on the continental grapevine to reinforce speculation that Lazio want to withdraw from the Gascoigne deal. That was the Italian signal after their officials assessed the new damage done to football's most famous knee in the nightclub incident last month. La-zio's message then was that Gascoigne need hardly bother to turn up in Rome on May 31 for what they insist is a thor to FRANK BARON among the opposition defences at will, Isaias played the ball in to Yuran, who turned studiously and sent Kulkov through to give Benfica the lead. Adams then hit a but early in the final 15 minutes Isaias slipped easily between the Arsenal captain and Bould, who had replaced Pates, to complete a distinguished victory for European culture over English ingenuousness.

Seaman: Dixon, Winleiburn, Davis, Pates (Bould, I05min), Adams, Rocastle, Campbell. Smith, Merson, Limpar (Groves, 75). Berrfteai Neno; Kulkov. Madeira, Bento, Veloso. Them, Vltor Paneira, Schwarz, Yuran.

Rui Costa (Brito. 60), Isaias (Juan Carlos, 119). A Schmidhubor (Germany). it hit the back of the net, The game was up, or so it seemed until Abel, the Atle tico goalkeeper, collided with one of his defenders and was. carried off.

Was there just a chance that their reserve might be the Acnil-les' heel? But by then United's fading challenge had eone. and they bad preserved only the club's fine record of never having lost at Old Trat-ford in 48 European ties. Manchester Untied: Walsh; Phelan (Martin. sgmln). Blackmore, Bruce, weoo.

ranter, Robson, Robins (Pallister, 65). McClair, Hughes, Giggs. Attatko Madrid! Abel (Olego. 70); Tomas. Toni, Solozabal, Donate, Juanito, Manolo (Soler, 57).

Schuster. Vizcaino. Futre, Moya Goethals (Belgium). England will play four matches in the build-up to next summer's European Championship finals for which England have still to qualify. The side will play in Spain on December 16, against France in London on February IB, in Czechoslovakia on March 24 and the Soviet Union on April 28.

Everton's mldtlelder John Ebbrell has withdrawn from the England Under-21 party for the International against Poland In Pila next Tuesday. The under-21 team captain has a stomach muscle strain. He is replaced by the 19-year-old Newcastle midlielder Lee Clark. Sweden's 25-vear-old international mid. lielder Niklas Nylen is having trials with Luton after being made available for 400.000 by Malmo.

The Football Supporters' Association says that 62 per cent of paying spectators want penalty shoot-outs scrapped. According to a survey puonsneo yesieroay oy ire t-SH, 74 per cent of tans favour a natural finish with replays it necessary and the most popular way oi torcmg a resuir is 10 carry on playing until a goal Is scored. The FSA is submitting the survey to Flfa. Uefa and the FA whose own Cup ties will this season be settled on penalties after the first reolav. Professional referees are favoured by 73 per cent, but that suggestion has already Deen vetoed oy autre wno win oe invoivea in next season's Premier League launch.

There Is overwhelming support, however, for the tougher stance against the professional foul. Eighty per cent back the extension to include deliberate handball, and 91 per cent demand the yellow card tor players who dive of feign injury. Ipswich Town yesterday revealed a record loss of 747,000 last season, Brentford of the Third Division have been awarded a grant of 152,000 by the Football Trust towards the cost of safety measures at Griffin Park. The Leicester City striker Kevin Russell has joined Herelord on a month's loan with Jon Narbett, Hereford's 23-year-old midfielder, moving in the opposite direction for the same period. The Wales defender Gavin Magulre has returned (o Portsmouth from a loan spell with Newcastle four days early.

The Maguire, 24, has a suspected trapped knee-ligament and the Newcastle manager Ossie Ardiles has sen) him back to Frarton Park for treatment and possibly minor surgery. Liverpool are giving a week's trial to the 23-year-old striker Paul Hunter from the West Midland non-league side Gradley Town. ball as Benfica produced a succession of bewildering movements that flowed through their midfield as if it was not there. After half an hour Isaias. unleashed a cunning shot that swerved inside the left-hand post, but Seaman held the ball.

In the 36th minute Neno threw the ball out to Veloso, who advanced deep into Arsenal territory before floating a cross towards the head of Yuran; an exquisite lay-off by the Soviet player and there was Isaias, Benfica's scorer in the first leg, meeting the ball in his stride and leaving Seaman helpless from 20 yards. class act. The sprints down the right of Atletico's Portuguese international winger Futre belied the theory that Atletico were there merely to defend, and diverted United's forward energy into defence. His shot on the half-hour was high but it was a rumble of thunder in an approaching storm. The dark clouds gathered when Manolo found a way through a gap being closed by an approaching Walsh, the reserve goalkeeper, and a sprinting Parker, but unbelievably United escaped when his shot at the open goal was off target.

When Soccer results Soccer EUROPEAN CUP Second round, second leg Arsenal (1) 1 Benfica (1) 3 Pates Isaias 2. Kulkov 35,815 (aet; 90min 1-1; agg: 2-4) Sparta Prague 2. Marseille 1 (agg: 4-4; Sparta win on away goals): Apollon Limassol (Cyprus) 0. Red Star Belgrade 2 (agg: 1-5); Brondby (Den) o. Dynamo Kiev 1 (agg: 1-2): Kaiserslautern 3.

Barcelona 1 (agg: Barcelona win on away goals); Gothenburg 2, Panathlnaikos 2 (agg: 2-4); Anderlecht 2, PSV Eindhoven 0 (agg: 2-0); Sampdoria 3, Kispest Honved (Hun) 1 (agg: 4-3). CUP WINNERS' CUP Second round, second leg Manchester (1) 1 AVetJeo Madrid (0) Hughes Schuster 39,654 (agg: 1-4) Banik Ostrava (Cz) 1. Galatasaray (Turk) 2 (agg: 2-2; Galatasaray win on away goals); Ferencvaros (Hun) 0, Weroer Bremen 1 (agg: 2-4): Roma 5, lives (Fin) 2 (agg: 6-3); Club Brugge (Bel) 3, Katowice (Pol) 0 (agg: 4-0); Feyenoord 0. Sion (Switz) 0 (aet; Feyenoord won 5-3 on pens). UEFA CUP Second round, second leg Celtic (0) Neuehatol Xamax (0) Miller 25,454 (agg: 2-5) Liverpool (2) 3 Auxem (0) Molby (pen), Marsh 23,094 Wallers (agg: 3-2) Trabzonspor (Turk) 4, Lyon (agg: 8-4): Din-amo Bucharest (Rom) 2, Genoa 2 (agg: 3-5); CSKA Sofia 1.

Hamburo 4 (agg: 1-6); AEK Athens 2, Spartak Moscow 1 (agg: 2-1); Ein-tracht Frankfurt 0, Ghent 1 (agg: 0-1); Swar-ovski Tirol (Aut) 2, PAOK Salonika (Gr) 0 (agg: 4-0); Dynamo Moscow 1, Cannes 1 (agg: 2-1); Aax 3, Rot-Weiss Erfurt (Ger) 0 (agg: 5-1); Real Madrid 1, Utrecht (Neth) 0 (agg: 4-1); Boavista (Port) 0. Torino (II) 0 (agg: 0-2). Arsenal were starting to chase shadows. Yet when they managed to retain possession long enough to renew their accurate aerial bombardment of the early, stages Benfica still looked vulnerable. If an Arsenal head did not reach the ball first there were plenty of untidy ricochets and rebounds on offer.

The clearer chances, however, went begging. Merson and Smith lifted the best of them over the bar either side of the end of normal time, after which the Arsenal defence crumpled with a sigh. In the ninth minute of extra-time, with Benfica now moving Moya was given a gift of a chance by a Bruce slip soon afterwards, he too struck wide. United were riding their luck, and it did not seem that it could last. Yet they held out until the 68th minute, when Robson, who with Hughes, Giggs and Vizcaino went into the referee's book, was penalised for a challenge on his old adversary Schuster just outside the penalty area.

The German international strode up to take the kick himself and the low drive whipped past the United defence and left Walsh diving into thin air as BARCLAYS LEAGUE Second Division Brighton (3) 3 Meade 2, Gall Orimiby (0) 4,420 Swindon (0) Chariton (0) 5.398 Newcastle (0) 1 Cambridge (0) 1 Clarldge Hunt 13.077 Port Vet (0) 1 Derby Co (0) Jallnk 8,589 Watford (1) 2 Oiford (0) Porter (pen), Bazeley 4,785 Third Division Brentford (1) 2 (1) 2 Smillie. Blissett Slurrldge. Cooper 8.798 txeter (0) 1 Bradford (0) Gardner (og)- 2,625 HudderafleM (1) 3 FuHiam (1) 1 O'Regan, Slarbuck Onwere Jackson 5,064 Torquay (0) 1 Bournemouth (0) Holmes 1.684 Fourth Division Ooncator (0) 1 Rotherham (0) Gormley Wilson 3,507 Hereford (0) Halifax (1) 2 2,207 Juryetf, Norris B4VQ SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier Division Dunfermtlm (0) 1 McWilllams 3,528 Dundoa IHd (1) 2 Jackson, Bowman FA VAMi Plrat round replays! Slotfold 0, Met Police Burgess Hill Tn 0. Three Bridges 1. HFS LOANS LfMOUEi Premier Drriatoni Bishop Auck 3.

Gainsborough 1. Poetponedi Chorley Accrington NORTHERN LHAQUKi Plrel OMslom South Bank 3, Langley Pk Wei 2. PONTIHS LUOUEi First OMaioni Coventry 1. WBA Shelf Wed 2, Barnsley 2. Second DMelom Mlddlesbro 2.

Leicester 3: Notts Co 0, Hull Scunthorpe 2, Mansfield Stoko 4, Burnley 1: Wigen 0, Wolves 5. NBVIUR OVINDBN COMBINATION! Ful-ham 1. Brighton Norwich 4, Reading QPR 5, Charlton Wimbledon 0, Southampton 1. ITALIAN CUP: Third round, eeeond leg! Juvenlus 3, Atalanta (agg: 3-1). ball straight to Campbell, who quickly laid it off to the oncoming Merson.

The latter's superbly struck shot was heading towards the top right-hand corner of the. net but Neno just managed to push it against the angle of post and bar. A corner on the right followed, and this time the Benfica goalkeeper was at fault, missing the ball altogether after leaving his line. The ball was half-cleared and Pates drove a low shot back into the net, the ball clipping a defender on the way. Arsenal looked worth their lead.

But they then found themselves looking anxiously for the outjumping the defence right in front of goal, the perfect opportunity to catapult a header into the net. United, with the 17-year-old Giggs given the fourth non-foreigner place, needed to be solid as stodge at the back while lively as a firecracker up front. And for the first quarter of an hour they were. The United supporters roared them on every time they touched the ball, believing the tie was still within their grasp. But as Atletico withstood the onslaught and began to settle, it became obvious that United were up against a ough fitness test meaning that the player must be able to play a match that day or the deal is off.

Benfica's apparent willingness to accept a much later fitness date even beyond the start of next season, subject to their medical satisfaction that Gascoigne will fully recover may yet prove significant. What of Gascoigne's playing future this season? According Dr John Browett, who carried out both operations, the player is ahead of time in his recovery as he continues light exercises. And Shreeves said: "The boy always seems to defy medical opinion. He gets back more quickly than anyone expects." Spurs' first priority, of course, is preventing the multinational talents of Porto overhauling the 3-1 lead held by Shreeves's team. Gordon Durie, who has scored in all Spurs' three rounds, is the only major doubt, with a chest infection for which antibiotics and sunshine have been prescribed.

But the Scot should start alongside Gary Lineker 25 goals between them this season to raise hopes of the away goal that would surely kill off even such highly skilled and explosive opposition. Gascoigne may boost cup run Walsh receives marching orders as Swindon take over at top Bonner had to make a diving save when Ibrahim Hassan put in a low, awkwardly bouncing drive from 20 yards. The Irish goalkeeper did well to make the stop in the slippery conditions. After the interval the Scots' goalward surges became so intense that for around 15 minutes the impossible did not seem out of the question. That pressure saw Miller give them the lead seven minutes into the second half, when the winger was at the far post to meet a low, sweeping cross from Coyne, who had bolted into the penalty area.

Yet the soaring hopes were stifled within 10 minutes as Nicholas, the substitute Cascar-ino and Miller all spurned apparently unmissable chances. Nicholas ran clear on to a long kick from Bonner and miscued his volley with only the challenge of Delay to beat: Cascarino and Miller each drove the ball off Delay's legs. Ceftfo Bonner; McNally, Wdowczyk (Cascarino. 57min), O'Neil. Whyle (Creaney, IM), Galloway.

Miller. McStay. Coyne, Nicholas, Collins. Neuchatel Xirnm Delay; Fasel. Fernandez, Luthi, Ramzy, Perret, Sutter (Motiez, 77), Vernier.

Hassan (Thassol. 87), I Hassan. Bonvin. Referoe: Pairetto (Italy). they will be playing their football in more exalted company next season.

A sparkling game, played before 8,798 at Griffin Park, ended 2-2 when Blissett equalised in the 72nd minute. The transfer-listed striker, who turned down a move to Notts County last summer, held off two challenges to shoot under the keeper. Fulham's recent surge foundered at Huddersfield, whose 3-1 victory edges them above West Bromwich into third place. Onwere put the visitors ahead before Huddersfield equalised with the help of a cross from their new signing Frank Stapleton. In Europe, Bobby Robson's position as manager of PSV Eindhoven is likely to come under scrutiny again after their elimination by Anderlecht in the European Cup last night.

They lost 2-0 in Belgium after a goalless first leg. Robson was hired principally to win the European Cup, so missing out on the lucrative round-robin stage, after an early exit from the competition last season, will not have gone down well. Marseille, last season's beaten finalists, are also out of the cup after losing 2-1 to Sparta Prague. Russell Thomas, in Oporto for Spurs' crucial game, on the latest twists in The Knee saga Neil Robinson ANY ONE of three teams could have gone top of the Second Division last night. In the end it was Swindon who claimed the honour for the first time in their history by holding their fellow challengers Charlton to a 0-0 draw at Upton Park.

Bolder's fingertips denied the visitors an undeserved win on 86 minutes, two minutes before Charlton's Walsh was sent off for a second bookable offence. A late equaliser for Newcastle prevented Cambridge overtaking Swindon at the top. Clar-idge put the visitors ahead with his ninth goal of the season in the 59th minute, but Hunt secured a point by glancing home a header in the 87th minute. The 13,077 crowd Newcastle's lowest for a League game this season almost saw a winner in the fifth minute of injury time when Hunt raced clear but fluffed the pass. Brighton scored three times in the first 20 minutes at home to Grimsby, whose fortunes continued to plummet when Cockerill was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The Third Division's top two, Brentford and Birmingham, provided further evidence that TOTTENHAM approach their most important match this season in one of Portugal's famed trading cities knowing that success tonight could yield both the bonus of Paul Gascoigne next March assisting their passage to Cup Winners' Cup honours and much-needed money. The return of England's most gifted player of his generation in a Spurs shirt in the spring has been the most overlooked possibility of the Gascoigne saga. Tottenham's team manager, Peter Shreeves, raised anticipation when he said yesterday that it was "a distinct Getting Gazza fit is in the best interests of Tottenham business, on the pitch in Europe's quarter-finals as well as at home and off it. A fit, happy Gascoigne is a more saleable player whoever the buyer. Benfica's inquiry is another, albeit puzzling, option for Tottenham, should the 5.5 million sale to Lazio fall through.

The third possibility is that the prized midfielder will remain a Spurs player next season..