Football news round-up 1-7 March

Sunday 7 March

Portsmouth booked their place in The FA Cup Semi-Finals with a 2-0 victory over Birmingham at Fratton Park. Frederic Piquionne scored both goals for the south coast club.

Fulham and Tottenham face a Quarter Final replay after the two teams cancelled each other out with a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage.

Paul Scholes netted a late winner to hand Manchester United a 1-0 win over Wolves at Molineux. Scholes scored his 100th Premier League goal to help United go back to the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal moved joint level with Chelsea in the table following their 3-1 victory over Burnley. Cesc Fabregas fired the home side into the lead, but David Nugent grabbed an equaliser for Burnley. Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin got among the scorers to ensure Arsenal came away with all three points.

Bolton moved above West Ham  in the table as they came away with a crucial 2-1 win at Upton Park. Kevin Davies and Jack Wilshere fired them into a two goal lead before Alessandro Diamanti netted a late consolation for the home side.

Newcastle recorded the biggest victory of the day in the Championship with a 6-1 win over Barnsley. Nottingham Forest moved back into the top two with a 1-0 win over Swansea but West Brom suffered a 3-1 defeat as Neil Warnock recorded his first victory as QPR manager.

Norwich moved seven points clear at the top of  League One with a 3-0 win over Yeovil. Leeds could only manage a 1-1 home draw with Brentford which enabled Charlton to close the gap following their 2-0 victory over Stockport.

Macclesfield paid the best possible tribute to former manager Keith Alexander, who sadly passed away last week with an emotional 2-0 away win over Hereford. League Two leaders Rochdale were held to a 1-1 home draw with Lincoln City.

Football’s rule makers have closed the door on any goal-line technology being introduced into the game. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said: "The door is closed. The decision was not to go ahead with technology at all."

Saturday 6 March

Aaron Ramsey says he hopes to be back “fitter and stronger” after sustaining a broken leg at Stoke last weekend. The Arsenal and Wales midfielder said he was “blown away” by messages of support from fans, and added: “I am determined and focused on overcoming this injury.”

Michael Owen’s World Cup hopes seem to be over after he was ruled out for the rest of the season. The England striker pulled a hamstring in Manchester United’s Carling Cup final win over Aston Villa last week and will not play again this season.

Chelsea hope to keep Joe Cole at Stamford Bridge by agreeing a new contract before the summer. The England midfielder’s current deal runs out in June, but assistant manager Ray Wilkins said: “We sincerely hope he will be here next season.”

Fulham have dominated the monthly awards, with Roy Hodgson being voted Manager of the Month and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer getting Player of the Month. Fulham won three league games, drew two and only conceded one league goal in February.

Steven Reid has joined West Bromwich Albion on loan from Blackburn Rovers. The Republic of Ireland midfielder has moved to the Hawthorns on a month’s contract, having previously been on loan at QPR this season.

Owen Hargreaves is set to make his long-awaited return from knee surgery for Manchester United’s reserve side next week. The England midfielder has been out of action since September 2008 and underwent surgery in America.

Jose Bosingwa is out of Chelsea’s run-in and will miss the World Cup after further knee surgery. The Portuguese full back injured his left knee four months ago and needs another operation, ruling him out until next season.

Celtic captain Scott Brown has failed in his appeal to overturn his sending-off from last weekend’s Old Firm game. Celtic asked referee Dougie McDonald to review his decision to dismiss Brown for tangling with Kyle Lafferty of Rangers, but the official stood by his decision.

Liverpool are hoping Javier Mascherano and Pepe Reina will soon agree new contracts after recent negotiations. Manager Rafael Benitez is determined to keep the pair and said: "Everything is very close. I think we will have news about Reina and Mascherano very soon."

Friday 5 March

Premier League chairmen have decided not to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League place.

Bolton’s American international midfielder Stuart Holden will be out for six weeks after suffering a fractured right leg in Wednesday’s match against Holland.

Portsmouth's administrator has revealed what it will take to buy the club. Andrew Andronikou told BBC Sport: “I think buyers will need in excess of £30m to buy the club.”

Macclesfield Town’s League Two match at Hereford United will go ahead on Saturday following the sudden death of their manager Keith Alexander on Tuesday night.  Assistant manager Gary Simpson said: “It's going to be tough and emotional but his son Matt was adamant that Keith would want the game to go ahead.”

Sheffield Wednesday chairman Lee Strafford has insisted his club will not be going into administration while confirming that a group of American investors are interested in buying the club.

Preston North End’s Republic of Ireland striker Stephen Elliott is joining Norwich City on loan until the end of the season.

Bradford City winger Scott Nielsen has signed for Cambridge United on a one-month loan deal.

James McFadden faces a late fitness test before Birmingham’s FA Cup Sixth Round at Portsmouth on Saturday. McFadden sustained a groin injury last weekend and had to withdraw from Scotland’s midweek win over the Czech Republic.

Thursday 4 March

Peter Crouch scored twice as England came from behind to beat Egypt 3-1 at Wembley. Mohamed Zidan gave the visitors a first-half lead, but Crouch equalised before fellow substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips put England ahead, with the Tottenham striker adding a third.

Craig Levein’s reign as Scotland boss got off to the perfect start as they beat the Czech Republic 1-0 at Hampden Park. Scott Brown scored the only goal of the game in the second-half.

There were less encouraging results for the other home nations, with Wales losing 1-0 to Sweden thanks to a Johan Elmander volley, while Northern Ireland went down to Albania by the same scoreline.

In other international friendly games, the most eye-catching results were Spain’s 2-0 victory over France and Argentina’s victory over Germany by a goal to nil.

Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21 side’s hopes of qualifying for the European Championships were dealt a major blow as they lost 2-1 at home to Greece. Nathan Delfouneso scored with ten minutes to go in Doncaster, but by then Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Ioannis Papadopoulos had put the visitors two goals ahead.

Elsewhere, the world of football was stunned by the sudden death of Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander. The 53-year-old died at home on Tuesday night after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Notts County, it was announced.

Portsmouth’s administrator, Andrew Andronikou, has placed a £30m valuation on the cash-strapped Premier League club. “I think buyers will need in excess of £30m to buy the club,” Andronikou told BBC Sport.

Paul Dickov has joined Leeds United until the end of the season. the 37-year-old has been training with the club since last month.

David Preece has extended his contract with Barnsley. The 33-year-old goalkeeper is now tied to the club until 2011.

Aaron Martin has moved to Salisbury City on a one-month loan deal from Southampton.

Danny Adams has been released from his contract with Morecambe by mutual consent.

Rushden & Diamonds have moved up to fourth in the Conference Premier after their 1-0 victory at Histon. Lee Tomlin scored the only goal from the penalty spot for the visitors, who had to play for 50 minutes with ten men after Nick McNamara was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.

Wednesday 3 March

Manchester City striker Robinho marked his return to England in style by helping Brazil beat the Republic of Ireland at the Emirates Stadium. Robinho, on loan at Santos, forced Keith Andrews into scoring an own goal and scored one himself as Brazil won 2-0.

Southampton moved up to 10th in League One after crushing Huddersfield by 5-0.  Rickie Lambert, Lee Barnard, Jason Puncheon, Dean Hammond and Papa Waigo netted as the Terriers suffered their first defeat in 12 matches.

Elsewhere in League One, Stockport remain rooted to the bottom after they lost 1-0 at Bristol Rovers. Jeff Hughes scored the only goal while Stockport had David Poole sent off late on.

High-flying Rochdale beat Rotherham 4-0 in League Two while Notts County won 1-0 at home to Macclesfield. Elsewhere, Aldershot beat Bradford 1-0 and Hereford beat Cheltenham 1-0. Port Vale were 3-1 winners at Darlington while it ended goalless between Torquay and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Neil Warnock has been officially announced as the new Queens Park Rangers manager. He is their fifth manager of the season.

Paul Hart has replaced Warnock at Crystal Palace, who are in the process of finding a new owner. Hart is convinced he can help Palace survive in the Championship, saying: "When I look at the players we have, I get a lot of comfort."

Bert van Marwijk has signed a new two-year contract with Holland. The 57-year-old will take charge through to Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland.

Portsmouth will be back in the High Court on 15 March after HM Revenue & Customs challenged their decision to enter voluntary administration.

Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust, says there have been meetings between wealthy fans regarding a change of ownership at the club. A meeting was held earlier this week, headed by former Football League chairman Keith Harris. "This development is hugely welcome as there is a genuine desire to see a change of ownership at Manchester United," Drasdo said.

Peterborough United's on-loan midfielder Jake Livermore, 20, has been recalled by Tottenham as they need cover for a spate of injuries in their midfield.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has spoken to Hockey president Leandro Negre regarding the sport's lack of an offside rule. "He asked me a lot of questions about it and how successful it was, although he never offered an opinion, so it was difficult to judge what football might do," said Negre.

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel may not play again this season after suffering a broken metatarsal in the Reds' Europa League victory against Unirea Urziceni last week.

Steven Gerrard reckons England's friendly with Egypt will provide Fabio Capello's men with a perfect test ahead of the World Cup. "They are at a good level, they are probably the most successful Egyptian team for some time so it will be a tricky game and we're looking forward to the challenge," he said.

AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato is in a race against time to be fit for next week's Champions League semi-final second leg with Manchester United after the club revealed he will be out for up to 10 days. The Brazilian picked up a leg injury in Milan's 3-1 win over Atalanta at the weekend.

Tuesday 2 March

Neil Warnock has been appointed as Queens Park Rangers’ fifth manager this season. He joins Loftus Road from fellow Championship side Crystal Palace on a three-and-a-half year contract after the clubs agreed a compensation package on Monday. Warnock said: "Loftus Road is always a place I love because of the fantastic atmosphere. Together we can give the club the stability it needs. I am looking forward to the challenge that is in front of me."

The Glazer family, owners of Manchester United, have again declared they have no interest in selling the club in response to reports of a planned takeover attempt. "Manchester United is not for sale," said a family spokesman.

Portsmouth have been ordered to return to the High Court on Tuesday after HMRC challenged the validity of the way they went into voluntary administration last Friday.

West Ham United have revealed a loss of £16.2m before tax and a turnover of £76.1m in their latest accounts, for the 2008-09 season. Nick Igoe, the club’s financial director, said: "Many of the group's investment decisions in the last two to three seasons have been ill-judged."

Cardiff City will meet the Welsh FA on Tuesday to discuss money still owed from a friendly match played between Wales and Scotland at the Cardiff City Stadium last November.

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has been ruled out for eight weeks after suffering a broken metatarsal during his team’s 3-1 Europa League win at Unirea Urziceni last Thursday.

Tottenham star Aaron Lennon has been told he will have to rest for six further weeks as he recovers from a groin injury. His team-mate,
Jermaine Jenas, is also set for an operation on his troublesome groin.

Wales manager John Toshack has revealed that Aaron Ramsey is in “decent spirits" in hospital after he suffered a double leg break during Arsenal’s 3-1 win at Stoke on Saturday. Toshack said: "He is as comfortable as can be expected. He seemed in surprisingly decent spirits when I spoke to him.”

Captain Robbie Keane has joined the Republic or Ireland squad for their friendly against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium after recovering from a knee problem. The forward, on loan at Celtic from Tottenham, had initially been ruled out of the clash. Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne will miss out because of a muscle complaint.

Burnley striker Steven Fletcher has withdrawn from the Scotland squad for their friendly against the Czech Republic on Wednesday after breaking a bone in his hand.

Southend United midfielder Jean-Francois Christophe has been banned for four matches following his red card his side’s 2-1 defeat by Charlton on Friday night. It was his second dismissal of the season.

Italy manager Marcello Lippi has insisted that AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta will not be coming out of international retirement
despite widespread calls for his return. Lippi said: “Nesta told me he doesn’t feel like it and I believe it’s definite.”

Monday 1 March 2010

England striker Wayne Rooney was the hero as Manchester United won the League Cup. Rooney netted the decisive goal as United beat Aston Villa 2-1.

Rangers inched closer to the Scottish Premier League title after beating Celtic 1-0. Maurice Edu scored in injury time to put Rangers 10 points clear with a game in hand.

Tottenham moved into fourth place in the Premier League after beating Everton 2-1 at White Hart Lane. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Luka Modric netted for Spurs, while Yakubu pulled one back for the visitors.

Liverpool moved to within one point of fourth place after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres scored either side of a Keith Andrews penalty to lift Liverpool to sixth in the Premier League table.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Sunderland drew 0-0 with Fulham at the Stadium of Light.

AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato could miss the Champions League last 16 second leg against Manchester United. The Brazilian scored twice for Milan in their 3-1 win over Atalanta but pulled a thigh muscle and had to be substituted.

Robbie Keane has pulled out of the Republic of Ireland team to face Brazil after suffering a knee injury. Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes has been drafted into the squad to replace him.

Aaron Ramsey has undergone surgery to fix fractures to his tibia and fibula in his right leg. The 19-year-old suffered the injury during Arsenal's 3-1 win at Stoke on Saturday.

The World Cup trophy is coming to Lincoln City - it will be unveiled at Sincil Bank as part of the tour towards South Africa. The trophy is on a 225-day, 86,300-mile tour taking in 83 countries on its way to the 2010 World Cup.

Charlie Crowe, the last surviving member of Newcastle United's 1951 FA Cup winning team, has died at the age of 85.