Week 18

Cult Status

Week 18

Luke_C · Cult Status

Coakleys Corner

Wolves 1 Aston Villa 1

Aston Villa will feel this was 2 points dropped today in a tight affair for the midlands derby. Despite Villa pushing for promotion and Wolves looking likely for relegation it was a very even game with two late goals. Wolves took the lead when recent signing Craig Lingfield giving the home club an excitable lead. The lead was short lived with Aston Villa replying with a fine strike from former Juventus maestro Giovinco with just 6 minutes remaining.

Coakleys Corner

I feel for JD at Wolves, he has had a tough season, he has had some good performances recently against very good teams but its points he needs and I think it may be a case of to little to late. I hope they can stay up and they will look at Sheffield Uniteds poor goal difference and hope they can get enough points. Aston Villa have had a good season, they have an experienced manager in Martin Turney. I would think he will be disappointed not to have pushed the top two closer but now they have secured the play/off spot no doubt its all about the preparation for those games. They are the strongest team in the play/offs so they will be red hot favourites to go up

Newcastle 2 Middlesboro 1

Middlesboros poor recent form continued with a disappointing loss at rejuvenated Newcastle. The Toon army moved up to 8^th and looked to have secured premiership status now having lost just one game in the last five. It was a well deserved victory for Newcastle who dominated in large parts but it Boro games them a fight nearly knicking a point in the final minute with Levi Porter hitting the wood work.

Coakleys corner

This was always going to be a tight game but I had a feeling Newcastle would come away with the points. Both clubs have had interesting season, Newcastle struggling in the first half of the season and finishing strong and Middlesboro quite the reverse. Newcastle couldnt get it right at the start of the season but Jamie Best has done a very good job in turning the team around and has made some very good signings and it will keep them up. Middlesboro took the premiership by surprise a little bit, they have had some brilliant results against the bigger clubs and this season will go down as a big success. As predicted earlier in the season Boro would find it hard to continue the pressure with all key players at an older age and having played a lot of games already. Boro have 6 players out for the next game and with fitness so Gareth (Gardener) will have his hands full juggling the squad.

Coventry 0 Bolton 4

Bolton strengthened there position in the play/offs demolishing bottom of the table Coventry 4-0. Last weeks surprise loan of Valencia Forward Zarate started his first game for Bolton however failed to get on the score sheet but did add two assists to his impressive season form. Indeed the game had a huge Valencia theme with every goal and assist coming from a player on loan from the parent club.

Coakleys Corner

Im pleased for Ashley to finally get a win as they had drawn the last three games. The goals will breathe confidence into the squad in a crucial time of the season. The link up with Valencia is just what Ashley and indeed Bolton needed to move forward. Its important that Bolton continue to build around those loans though as come week one of next season they need players capable of getting results.

Chelsea 2 Cardiff 0

Champions elect Chelsea beat UEFA Cup semi finalists Cardiff to continue their unbeaten. The scoreline suggests a tight game however in reality it was a comfortable win for Chelsea with an unual defensive strategy from Cardiff. As stated in last weeks Cardiff Corner Luke Coakley took this opportunity to rest 6 first team players.

Coakleys Cardiff Corner

This was always going to be a tough test and defensively we did ok when you consider the firepower of Chelsea. We rested a number of key players as we will against Manchester United this week but I must say the player who came in did very well.

Jozz · Cult Status

Copa Semi Finals

Valencia 3-5 Real Vallodolid

This game went the way most expected with Simon Jenkins coming out top in the battle with the experienced Stuart Price.

As with a lot of the games in the Copa this season there was little action in the first half to talk of with Vallodolid going in 1-0 to the good. Roman got the first of what turned out to be a bitter hatrick to level the scores with what was the first attack of the second half. Vallodolid then took a 4-1 lead with 3 goals in 10 minutes. Some thought that was going to be the last of the major action, but Valencia fought back to make it 4-3 with 2 goals in 2 minutes, and only 3 minutes left to play. But just when some thought Vallodolid would cave in Bently got their fifth goal in the 89th minute to win the game.

Vallodolid go through to another final, and get their revenge on Valencia who dumped them out of the European Cup only the other week.

Deportivo 1-4 Real Madrid

Despite the scoreline, this game was quite close in terms of chances and shots on goal. The difference between the teams was the quality of the finishing. Real stormed through to the final of the Copa with 4 quality goals. Deportivo managed to give their fans something to cheer with a goal in the 83rd minute, but it turned out to be a simple consolation. Real improve on their quarter final showing last season by getting to the final. Deportivo on the other hand trip at the penultimate hurdle for the second time in as many seasons.

The Final

Can Jonnie Adams pull off a major shock and get anywhere close to hte mighty Vallodolid? No one is backing that result and you'd put your house on another win in the Copa for Simon Jenkins. However, you'd have done the same with them in the European Cup......

-- Edited by Jozz on Thursday 16th of February 2012 11:00:53 PM

-- Edited by Jozz on Thursday 16th of February 2012 11:01:35 PM

Tezza · Cult Status

The ITALIAN DOMESTIC CUP. SEMI_FINALS

The Italian Cup Semi-Finals were played on Monday night and the outcome is a place in the finals for Sampdoria and Genoa.

Your reporter got the Sampdoria result right but failed to see that Genoa would get past Juventus.

Reggina v Sampdoria

Carl Robsons Sampdoria keep on rolling along with anothet impressive display against a Reggina side who have done very well to get this far and then ran out of steam. Sampdoria had most of the play and managed to put 5 past the opposition. Imanol Agirretxe had a particularly good game scoring three and making another. Sampdoria are a Serie B side but do not look like one. They are confirmed as League winners this week and their prospects of taking this trophy should not be underestimated. Daniel Robertson;s side, on the other hand look as though they are starting to faulter and their season is not over but, they do need to get back to winning ways.

Genoa v Juventus

This was the draw of the competition with both teams playing very well in the league. It was a shame that one of these sides had to go out of the competition, but out go Steve Jenkinss side to a wonderful performance from Genoa. I actually tipped Juventus to win this one but how wrong can you be.

Genoa took the lead after only 5 minutes from a cracking goal from Vagner Love. Leighton Baines was on top form and made three on the night. Both sides had the chances to win the tie but Genoa converted the chances into goals and Juventus must feel as though the match was there to be won and they let it slip away. The two Juventus goals all coming late in the second half when the match was lost. Callum Ward continues to smile and now takes his team to the final.

The final against Sampdoria and Genoa will not be an easy match to predict but I will give you a run down of my thoughts later.

Revised betting on the Cup. Evens Genoa 3-1 Sampdoria

Besty · Cult Status

English Cup Semi Finals

Arsenal 2-3 Sheff Weds

This game went the way that most would have predicted despite Arsenal being the home side and a division above. Wednesday are a team that are full with world class players and many people would have predicted this outcome, with Rob Holden's men due to be promoted to the Premier League and already having the squad to threaten the top 3 in English football. Arsenal though did their best to spoil the party though with Peniel Mlapa scoring on 12mins to cancel out Ched Evans' opener for the away side 6mins previous, and then Mlapa got his and Arsenal's second goal midway through the second half. Wednesday though were always in the contest and 2 goals in 2mins sealed the victory, Gustavo Pinedo getting the equaliser on 73mins followed by Alhassan Bangura's winning goal. In a match that the Championship side dominated it would have been very harsh to see them pegged back again and they held on comfortably to book their place at Wembley.

Chelsea 5-3 Portsmouth

This game also went the way most would have expected but Pompey have been a bit of a surprise package this season in the Premier League and so a shock win would not have been completely out of the question. They took the lead as well after 7mins when Ivan Klasnic fired home after good work from Camillo Ciani. This lasted just 4mins though as Marcelo scored for the home side to silence the travelling Pompey fans. They were given something more to cheer though when just 8mins later Matty Fryatt set up Ivan Marcano to restore the one goal lead. Chelsea's strength shone through though and before half time they were back in front, Bojan Krkic scoring 2 goals in 2mins to make the half time team talk much easier for John Brady. The game was effectively over 3mins into the second half when after good work from Bojan, Alexandre Pato was on site to fire past the helpless Portsmouth keeper, 4-2. An unlikely comeback briefly looked on when Klasnic got his second after 64mins but the game was sealed with Arjen Robben's mazy run resulting in the 5th and final goal for Chelsea. Portsmouth can take pride in how they performed away from home at the Champions elect however its Chelsea who go on to face Sheffield Wednesday in the final.

Chelsea V Sheff Weds Cup Final Preview

This game looks likely to be a belter with the leaders of the Premier League facing the runaway leaders of the Championship. Sheffield Wednesday will go into the game with no pressure whatsoever and that could aid them in securing a first Domestic Cup trophy. Chelsea will be expected to win the tie but John Brady knows that he cant take the steel city side lightly with the crop of players that they have and everybody will be looking forward to what should be an entertaining cup final.