The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 18

THE GUARDIAN Monday March 6 1995 Aston Villa 0, Blackburn Rovers 1 Prcmtorctiip: Manchester United 9, Ipswich Town 0 Cole flies over the moon 18 GPORTS NGIVS Stephen Ciertey sees the 7 million man in seventh heaven and Ipswich in a living hell David Lacey Cole five alive a third consecutive championship must include Kan-chelskls. who returned on the right. He and Glggs stretched Ipswich to their absolute limits, allowing Cole and Hughes to inflict horrible damage through the middle. No Cantons. Just a canter.

tag. The words rod and back came to mind. Pressure, in varying degrees, will always be on the former Newcastle United striker and be must learn to live with it. This clutch of goals will certainly help and there are signs that he is already getting more Involved in approach play, something Keegan worried about. But Cole's first-time control Is still often below standard.

Burley, having brought in a couple of young players In midweek, went for experience on Saturday and a dreadful experience it was. Ipswich returned to the top flight in a swirl of youthful vitality in 1992, only to be systematically ground down by the Premiership's realities. They finished 16th in 1993, 19th last year and now relegation looks a certainty. As for United, the route to There were timet, particularly during the second half, when it appeared that Ipswich had neen persuaded to give up tackling for Lent This la not to Himii the excellence of Unlted's play or the potency of their finishing, but it really was an last Anglian amateur hour. United somehow managed to sugar the pill for nearly is minutes.

However, once Keane had struck the opening goal all was brimstone for Ipswich with barely a bint of treacle. They used to have one of the best youth programmes In the English league, nulling in youngsters from all over Britain, so now it Is doubly sad to see them relying on the tireless hat ever-slowing Wark in defence and the shambling Chapman In attack. "We want one." chanted Ipswich's band of brothers with the score at 8-0. while the massed ranks of the Reds were at the same time encouraging Schmeichel to muscle upheld and try his luck. But the afternoon belonged to Cole if, indeed, it belonged to any Individual.

There were many who felt his third effort was a Yallop own goal but the video replay proved conclusively that Cole had made the last touch. He never had any doubt. Seven matches, seven goals, seven million: symmetry in the Ipswich cemetery. Any doubts that lingered after this match bad less to do with Cole's finishing and more with the nature of his temperament. One might have expected a player who had just scored Ave goals to be lull of the joys.

Not Cole. He chose Instead to rebuke those who had doubted his ability to live up to his price Once any team scores more than six, then an element of the surreal impinges. This was Unlted's trip to the moon on gossamer wings. Here was football's triple lock of movement, passing and passion, and the only way Ipswich could have prevented it was to have excavated a trench between them and United immediately after half-time. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance," said Alex Ferguson, United's manager.

And so it may be. But one could almost hear the sharpening of knives coming from the direction of Selhurst Park, where United play Wimbledon tomorrow night. It is no use pretending this was ever any sort of contest. win two European Cups If ever a footballer deserved some tangible reward from the present season it is surely Colin Hendry, who as well as giving another flawless perfor mance at centre-back also scored the winning goal on Sat urday. Wilcox's left foot pro duced a sharply inswinging corner from the right in the 12th minute that skimmed Ehiogu's head and found Hendry stooping to nod the ball sharply over the line, defeating Charles's attempt to hook it clear.

After that it became a matter of Aston Villa attempting the subtlety of approach and accu racy of pass to outwit a Black burn defence that blocked all the obvious approaches to goal. In the event they found neither, although sheer force of num bers which at the last included their goalkeeper Bos nich forced Blackburn into some desperate postures. "There are many ways of winning football matches," said Little, "and we've been shown one today. I thought Blackburn deserved to win. They were in charge for most of the game." With that it was hard to argui'.

Bosnich having made five ur gent saves to Flowers's one. Blackburn, Little felt, are readier than Manchester United to lose possession in relatively harmless areas, concentrating more on getting behuirl the ball and filling space the last third of the pitch. Given United 1 DF SATURDAY was Man Chester United's field day, for Blackburn Rovers it was just another afternoon in the trenches. While Old Traf ford witnessed a feeding frenzy, it was more a case of iron rations at Villa Park. United dressed themselves up to the nines; Rovers wore fatigues.

Even now none of their rivals have scored more goals than Blackburn. Yet, if the Premiership were a fashion parade, with points for style and sophistication. Rovers would hardly make the catwalk. As Kenny Dalglish and his players motored up the M6 on Saturday evening after their single-goal win at Villa Park their thoughts must have been on the cannonade which blew Ipswich apart. This morning Blackburn could be forgiven for checking the league tables just to make sure their three-point lead at the top of the Premiership is still intact.

It is, of course, and will remain so until tomorrow night at least, when Manchester United return to Selhurst Park, sans Cantona, to play a Wimbledon team whose defences have started to show Ipswichlike tendencies. A win for United and the true significance of Saturday's nine goals will have dawned. Blackburn went into the Villa match ahead of their rivals on points and goal difference. By the time Arsenal visit Ewood Park on Wednesday, and unless Wimbledon find fresh inspiration tomorrow, Dalglish's side will be chasing the contest on two fronts. Saturday's victory, achieved against a Villa side beaten only three times in 15 Premiership matches since Brian Little became manager, was the type of steady win which brought championship trophies to Liv erpool, Leeds, Arsenal and Everton.

"More a determined performance than a spectacular one," was how Dalglish described it. accurately enough. Peter Withe, BBC Radio Five's pundit for the afternoon, compared Blackburn to the Nottingham Forest side whose attack he led when Brian Clough brought the title to the City Ground in 1978. He had a point. For nil ton read Flowers, for Anderson Berg, for Burns Hendry.

Blackburn do not have a McGovern but Sherwood and Atkins could pass for O'Neill and Bowyer. while Le Saux gives them the spikiness of a latterday Gemmill. In attack the comparison tends to fall down. Clough had neither a Shearer nor a Sutton and Blackburn's wings lack a Robertson. And Cloughie did AMATEURISH.

Farcical. A complete mess. And these were merely John Major's views of Labour's plans Tor English regional assemblies. Goodness knows what he would have made of Ipswich's performance at Old Trafford. Just as those within Barings bank were forewarned of a disaster, so Ipswich supporters must have long feared that such an almighty crash was coming their way.

This has been an abject team for many a month and, if their manager George Burley had the slightest doubt that a thorough clear-out is needed at his Suffolk stable, then he can surely have none now. Arsenal 0, West Ham OavM Laoty LAST a glimpse of fl sunshine for West Ham United, the sort which from time to time beamed through the rain clouds above Highbury yesterday afternoon. West Ham's third successive league win at Arsenal has not banished their fears of relegation but for the moment at least the problem looks negotiable. Yesterday's victory might not have lifted Harry Kedknapp's side out of the bottom four places but the three points gained have increased the pressure on those immediately above the drop zone, especially Southampton. It was a win born out of a well-worked tree-kick, much solid defending and, in the last 20 minutes, some outstanding goalkeeping by Mikiosko.

Arsenal's ennui also had something to do with it. Following George Graham's dismissal the players had responded with creditable Premiership victories over Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. But yesterday's performance was so inept it became a self-parody of Arsenal on a bad day. If this defeat marked the end of Stewart Houston's honeymoon period as Graham's successor it was hardly worth booking the bridal suite. Lacking Seaman in goal because of a rib injury and the suspended Adams from their defence.

Arsenal were bereft of any idea other than wafting the ball vaguely upfield and loping after it. True, this was not an entirely novel experience for Highbury but yesterday, almost to a man, the team had apparently decided to join the Lord Day Observance Society. After the match Houston was more inclined to put the poverty of the exhibition down to post-Auxerre depression, and certainly Arsenal awoke in West Ham some of the qualities the French team had shown in forcing a 11 draw at Highbury in the Cup Winners' Cup three days earlier. Again Wright found himself man marked to oblivion, not by a Nigerian this time but by Rieper, a Dane, who had come off worse when encountering Arsenal as a member of Brondby's defence earlier the season. Rieper and Potts, who con stantly tracked down Merson to Keane ()5vn.

Col (23 36. 64, Ml Hughe 153 56). luce (72) Mesiesieejter UwHees Schmeichel. Keane (Sharpe. 46).

Bruce (Bull. 791 Pallislet Irwin. Kanchelekis tnce. McCiatr. Gtgga, Hughes.

Cole lawle Twm Forrest. Yatlop Murk. Itnifihan. Thompson. Palmer.

Williams SerJcjeley. Slater. Malhie. Chapman (Marshall. 631 Poll ITilehursil 'OM JENKINS of his new surroundings.

Hel-der's fellow Dutchman Johan Cruyff was spotted at Highbury the other day. Maybe he wanted to buy the clock. Bartram D'on Liniuhan Bould. Winterburn Parlour. Jonson IMorrow.

Scnwar; Holder IKiwumya. tl). Wright, Mersun Wed Nam Untie Mikiosko bro.ickor. Hiupor Potts Dick Alujn Bishop Hutchison Monr.ur Moiloy mush 9) Cullen Mefereei Hiii iluneMf resignation at Coventry. Phil Neal thought it was best to leave me out then.

He told me to go away and have some reserve games. It was about 35 reserve games before I got But his father has constantly reminded him of the virtues of patience and his ability. Could junior also laces competition from the loaned Australian goalkeeper John Filan but tonight Gould rivals Ogrizovic if fit to defend Atkin son's pride on the manager's return to Villa Park four months after his startling sacking. "That's the standard I expect of him." said Atkinson. As for Ball and all those unlucky bounces, he said the Tottenham trauma was "a totally, totally ridiculous result and my team are still being kicked somewhere three or four times today.

"You can go back five games and we've been the better side in all of them. But I believe it's going to come." Disturbingly it sounds like a sad end rather than a happy beginning. SeHlMwsiptow GrcpbeUar Kenna Hall. Monkou. Bonali.

Oodd Shipperley MaqiMon. Maddison. Heaney IMaskoll. Mmn). Le Tissier Canon Cttfl Gould Pickering Borrows.

Rennto. Burrows Flynn. Richardson. Marsh. Cook.

Ndlovu. Dublin Sate Morton (Bury tamadll Leeds United 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1 Wilko tale of woe Gunning for a gunner Bishop, left, and Allen converge on Merson, whose Arsenal team-mates showed signs of post-Auxerre depression the prolific habits of Rovers' front pair, along with ability of Shearer and Sutton to hold the ball and wait for support from the back, it seems a sound tactic. Nevertheless teams who move the ball around quickly and pass to feet, sides like Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham and Norwich not to mention Trelleborgs have caused Blackburn problems. Certainly there is no mystery about a success born partly of expensively acquired ability but achieved as much through the kinds of attitude and application without which money buys very little. "People keep asking mo 'What's the said Dalg lish.

"Well, if I had one I'd not give it away. Nobody asks the teams down at the bottom what their secret is." It is no secret that Jack Walker, Blackburn Rovers' benefactor, wants the league championship. But, if Dalglish fails to land it this season, it will not only be Walker left wondering what Rovers have to do to take the title away from Old Trafford. Interesting days lie ahead. SCOMSi Wsnatiarti Reverti Hondi mini esn VNtas Bosnich Charles Mttjralh Ehiugu.

loalo Yorke Taylor TuwnsoniJ (Hourjhton, 18), Slaunlon Saunders J'jhnsun (ronton 5) Saacfcawn Sowerai Fiowors Uc-rg H.inrir,, Pearco. Le Saui Hiplny Sheiuod Atkiiv Wilco. Sutton, Shearoi Gittord (llanbradjchi air, proclaimed himself sails fied in defeat. He could dwell upon Speed's drive against a post in the first half and strikes against the bar by Yeboah and Wallace during a perpetual second-half bombardment bul. since Straehan's retirement, free-thinking is one philosophy that Leeds find beyond them.

Wilkinson has adapted for his own consumption the old concern of how many people can squeeze into a telephone box, preferring instead to ox plore how many six footers can be crammed into the opposition six-yard area. The answer is at least 10, although none has room to communicate. The diminutive Wallace's number has always been ex di rectory. After another wilful display his substitution was merciful and was probably made under new EC regulations on the treatment of head less chickens. It was left to Waddle to pro vide the most uplifting philosophy of the day, one in which skill and imagination remain paramount.

His loth-minute goal was an art of deception, a little shimmy tight to the goal line to evade Wetherall and a shot inside Lukic's near post "The coaching books say tin; keeper should never be beaten on his near post," mused Wil kinson. But words are far from infallible. Even l.a Philosophic de Wilko Warlilli; (tOmin) Leesle UnHeeh Lukit Kolly Pumbuilun Wetherall. Dongo. Wail.tr.c- IMasinqa.

r9l Palmer. McAllister. Spnod Deano. Yohoah tasetrW Wsamtiyi Wuuris Potroscu ISinton, '0). Peari.n Walker Alhwton Nuln, Thompson.

Williams Hyijn Waddle. Bright Cooper iPunrypridd) jury, had his much-awaited comeback delayed as he watched from the substitutes' bench. Pierluigi Casiraghi scored four goals In Lazio's B-2 demolition of Fiorentina. The victory moves them Joint third with Koma. who had Moriero dismissed in their 3-0 defeat at Sampdorla.

which kept appearing between the opposition's midfield and defence. So effectively did West Ham manage to tie up Arsenal's back four that they would not have needed Miklosko's late heroics had their finishing been better. Their goal, after 21 minutes, followed a gratuitous shove by Jensen on Hutchison. Moncur pushed the free-kick to Cottee. who held the ball long enough to give it back to him and at the same time take Dixon out of the picture.

Moncur then crossed square and low and. after the ball had shot through Winter-burn legs, Hutchison tapped it past Bart rum From the 70th minute onwards West Ham began to fear that yet another winning advantage was going to slip away Southampton 0, Coventry City 0 Liverpool 2, Newcastle United 0 Keegan 's unhappy return Off tthe Ball comments David Hopps EVER mind La Philosophic de Cantona kick, therefore I the su preme being among football's philosophers has long been Leeds United's manager How ard Wdkinson. Served up the tired line about "how much of a disappointment is this defeat on your chances of qualifying for Europe, Wilkinson turned it into a magnificently morbid mathematical disserta tion. If only his team could muster hall as much imagination or precision "How disappointed?" queried Wilkinson (at least this is the gist of it). "Let's see, there were 11 games left, 42 points to play for and we've just lost three.

Perhaps that makes me 342nds disappointed. Work it out as a percentage. What's that: about seven per cent or something?" Judging by the boos sounding around Elland Road, West Yorkshire's populace put the percentage rather higher. A powerful but predictable Leeds barrage had foundered upon an unexpected and, for Sheffield Wednesday, novel tactic of three centre-backs. Until McAllister was given licence to roam forward after half time, Leeds's response was clueless.

Brute force is a sound enough tactic to employ against Wednesday but Walker kept Ye boah under wraps and Woods, making a rare appearance in goal, was outstanding in a blue and white line that frequently buckled but did not break. Wilkinson, with a fatalistic but Mikiosko ensured it did not, hurling himself through the air to tip away a thunderous drive from Jensen and blocking a close-range shot from Kiwomya, with Rieper thwarting Wright's attempt to head in the rebound. Kiwomya had replaced Hel-der, who after a bright start against Forest appeared to have been infected by the mediocrity ceeded where so many referees fail in sporting nudges and shoves and, more importantly, Jonathan Gould's improbable goalkeeping in his first senior game since May ensured that this was another Saints game to get away. Gould, whose last action of any kind was a reserve game four weeks before, has now understudied for Ogrizovic, ab sent here with an infected foot, against Southampton three times in as many years without Coventry defeat. Perhaps the presence of his father and former Coventry manager Bobby and his mother inspired his "best-ever performance Five tunes he denied the unstinting Shipperley and once, stunningly, the disaffected Le Tissier, turning behind a close range shot that induced another bout of head shaking by Southampton's captain.

It was a golden reward for patience and loyalty. Gould, now 26. signed a two-year contract at the start of the season despite playing only 18 Premiership games since 1992. "But not for one moment have I thought of leaving," he said. It is remarkable loyalty, given that Gould lost his place "as a direct result of my dad's equally good effect, gave West Ham an extremely solid defensive base from which to launch any counter-attack, and throughout the game Allen and Moncur were frequently getting behind Schwarz and Jensen to challenge Arsenal's often flabby defences.

Hutchison was often the fulcrum of West Ham's move inents. drifting into the spaces Premiership leaders within range, were outclassed and outwitted. Liverpool, who had the elusive Walters on the left in place of Bjornebye, rarely lifted their boot from Newcastle's neck. And If the "This is Anfield" sign over the tunnel held no qualms for Keegan, his assistant Terry McDermott and players Beardsley and Venison, who had all shared glorious days at Liverpool, their presence was rather a reminder of what Liverpool had lost, but now seem on the verge of regaining. Roy Evans has insisted for week after week that his side are not far off but they have frustrated by failing to capitalise on the numerous chances created.

There may still be hiccups but Liverpool have now hoisted the battle flags. "We have done ourselves a bit of good. It has kept us in the race and kept us on our top form, which is important. There is no sign of Manchester United or Blackburn slipping but, if they do, we have given ourselves a chance," Evans said afterwards. They lie fourth behind Newcastle with two games la face Manchester United in a fortnight.

Srnicek was finally beaten on the hour after parrying Walters' shot only as far as Redknapp. His effort hit the post and Fowler ran in to tuck it away. Rush got the second five minutes later through a gift from Peacock, whose weak back-pass was intercepted by Fowler to feed the maestro. Liverpool might then have succumbed to the sucker punch, with Newcastle, who lost Beardsley at half-time with a hamstring problem, afforded clear-cut efforts shortly afterwards. But in the Mink of an eye Liverpool were back on the attack and the final score line concealed the style and manner In which they had dominated.

"Srnicek did not deserve to be on the losing side after a performance like that," said Evans. But whereas Newcastle's was a one-man show, "ours was a team effort," and some effort it was. SOBSSnSt Ueimati Fowler IS'min) Hush (63) Untune James. Scales Ruddock. BaDb.

Jones. McManaman. Redknapp, Barnes. Walters (Thomas. 161.

Fowler Rush HaweMlle UnHaeli Srnicek. Hoingor. Peacock. Howey. BerestorrJ.

Gillespie. Venison Lee. Foi. Kiison. Beardaley (Watson, h-t) NaatMsa Jonea (Usyehteroutyi).

CyntMst BEFORE this game a bubbling Kevin Keegan had proclaimed that "news of our death has been greatly News of their resurrection appeared similarly premature on Saturday and a thoroughly deflated Keegan said afterwards: "All we can do now is take the Newcastle United sign off the front of the bus, so nobody knows who we are, and go home. "I don't like to come back to a club where I was a player with a performance like this. We were sloppy and we were second rate. If Pav ISrnlcek, the goalkeeper had not been so magnificent, it could have been a score like the one at Old Trafford." Liverpool were irresistible and enthralled a crowd of almost 40,000 with a display of imaginative football and lightning, pin-point passing, executed against a backdrop of excellent covering and dependable defending. This was Liverpool back to their very best, last seen long before Kenny DalgUsh quit the roost.

Newcastle, whose recent revival had put the SHAKEN but not quite stirred: that was the order of the day, or any other match day, for Alan Ball, a manager desperately in need of a drink after a gold fingered production by Coventry's understudy goalkeeper. Ron Atkinson, tongue still firmly in cheek, lauded his still unbeaten Coventry team's approach at The Dell as "typical Italian football absorb and Ball, in as many words, saw it as a sting, as he recited the injustices to Southampton of the "definite penal ty" of Flynn's hand ball, two other "possible pens" and a "goal" wrongly disallowed. The officials. Ball declared, "had a bigger say in the result than the players But he would not go any further on Kelvin Morton and company. "That would get me into a lot of trouble.

I've just paid 500 and 1 don't want to carpet the FA hall any more." No one can query the effect of the Premiership's draw specialists' eighth stalemate In nine league games marks an extremely dangerous spot for Southampton but Ball confused the causa Morton suc Parma close in on Juventus GOALS from Gianfranco Zola and Dino Baggio gave Parma a crucial 2-0 win at Torino to narrow the gap on Juventus to four points. The leaders were held to a goalless draw at Internazionale. Juventus's midfielder Roberto Baggio. out of action for 3K months with a leg in.