The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 65

SUNDAY 24 APRIL 1994 FOOTBALL 23 Wednesday 's high leaves I pswich low SHOUID fhere be timeouts' in soccer, along tiie lines of stoppages in basketball and American football? Germany's national cpachj Berti Vogts, suggested this innovation last week on the grounds that it would give managers and coaches greater scope to exert their influence. The game would be he insisted. Well, he would say that, wouldn't But notwithstanding the view that coaches have too much influence already, mere are some, things for which nobody can legislate. Who can have expected Fashanu, not noted as the most technically gifted of strikers, to score the sort of goal a lob over the keeper from more than 30 yards set up Wimbledon for a 4-2 win at Swindon? That result, which also owed much to that Southampton were without Le Tissier, who has scored around half their goals mis season. One wonders how Arsenal will be able to compensate for the absence of Wright (their version of Le Tissier) in the European Cup-Winners' Cup Final through suspension.

That thought arose again yesterday, with Wright scoring twice, albeit once from a penalty, to take his total for the season to 34 and give the Gunners a 2-1 win at Aston Villa. Will Blackburn maintain their challenge at the other end of the table against QPR today? Kenny Dalglish yesterday sounded a warning to his troops about reading too much into QPR's comfortable mid-table position. Dalglish seemed aghast at the suggestion mat QPR will not be too concerned about the result. 'Surely every professional wants to do his best in every game and I expect nothing less from Marseille, sensationally relegated as punishment for their involvement in the Valenciennes match-rigging scandal, have announced that they are to fight the French Soccer Federation's punitive sanctions on them through the civil courts. The respect for Sir Matt Busby will be emphasised again today, through an anticipated crowd of around 25,000 for his memorial service at Old Trafford.

Cliff Morgan, the former Welsh Rugby Union star and head of BBC Sport, will deliver a eulogy with a number of players speaking to represent the different eras of Busby's management. twoEarle goals when the score was 1-1, means that Swindon will be droppingback to the First Division next season. No amount of time-outs would eradicate the human error factor, of course. -This element was emphasised by Iininghan, the Ipswich captain and centre half. He could easily have missed the match at Sheffield Wednesday, having broken his nose last Saturday; and he must have wished he had when heading the ball into his own net while attempting to clear a Worthington cross.

Wednesday, with further goals from Watson, Pearce, Bart-Williams and Bright, went on to crush Ipswich 5-0. It was the day's big gest Premiership win, and maintained Ipswich's agonising slide towards the fate that has befallen Swindon. Ipswich, with only two points from their last eight matches, are now four points above the automatic relegation zone. One of the teams keeping Swindon company in that department, Sheffield United, won 1-0 at Norwich, while the other, Oldham, hardly looked relegation candidates in a 3-2 defeat at Newcastle. United and Oldham have not played as many matches as Ipswich.

The same applies to Southampton, who were the only other team below Ipswich to lose. However, it should be borne in mind Oldham on the brink John Dougray at St James Park Newcastle United Fox 19, Beardsley56, Lee 64 Oldham Athletic 2 AH: 32,276 jl toxV-T Wm vjL til f.ts, JBt sshrffc TV JirJsfiS Fast-Lane motoring: Maddison of Southampton puts his foot and head down as he accelerates away from Austin. Photograph by Peter Tarry DESPITE two charitable donations, courtesy of indifferent Newcastle defending, Oldham were unable to take advantage of some unexpected luck. Hard work and grim determination could not disguise their lack of quality. Once again, they are on the brink of relegation.

It was an uneven performance by United, who were alternately stunning and stunned. From the outset they worked their way through Oldham's massed defence with an impressive slickness and went ahead after 1 9 minutes, when Beresford found Cole to the left of goal. His low shot seemed to be going wide when Fox stuck out his foot and slid the ball into the net. With Cole needing only one goal to set an all-time scoring record for United, it seemed odds on that he would achieve his target as chances rained in on him. But he miskicked a couple of times, headed wide, shot narrowly past and was dispossessed three times in 1 5 minutes.

And when the United centre-forward left the field briefly for treatment to an injured leg, his team-mates lost their concentration and conceded a goal following Oldham's second corner. It was given away by Peacock, who overhit a pass back. From Bren-nan's kick, central defender Jobson headed the ball against Srnicek but snapped up the rebound. Eleven minutes into the second half United regained the lead after another poor clearance by Oldham's keeper Hallworth. Fox headed the ball down to Cole, who worked a one-two with Lee before crossing to the far post where Beardsley stabbed it home.

Within two minutes Oldham were level. The United defence left it to each other to tackle Sharp inside the area and the Oldham centre-forward scored from six yards. But Oldham's jubilation was cut short when, with Cole and Milligan squaring up to each other, Lee ran the ball to the edge of the area, beating Hallworth as the keeper came out. Oldham could sense Newcastle's nervousness and with Holden, the second-half substitute for Bernard, playing up front alongside Sharp and McCarthy, there were a few alarms for United before they captured the points that could help book their place in Europe next season. Is Frank MeGhee at White Hart Lane Dowie and Benali, who are suspended, was a handicap akin to carrying 12st in the Derby.

Manager Alan Ball had been typically militant about it beforehand. 'We are still looking to beat them and bury he averred, but he didn't display similarly aggressive intentions with his line-up. He started with three central defenders in a line of five across the back, his only recognised forward being Heaney. All lhat really achieved was to encourage Spun to attack flat out and their own confidence received an enormous boost with a fifth-minute goal. Samways started the move from mid-field, Anderton nodded it down with the right weight into the path of Sedgley, who hit it on the half-volley past Beasant, who had no chance.

Southampton's main midfield men, Magilton and Allen, hustled in mid-field to try and prod retaliatory urgency and it gave Spurs a spell of defending but it made little difference to Southampton's defensive caution. Because of Southampton's safety-first attitude, it seemed a question of time before Spurs went further in front and that seemed certain to happen in the 27th minute when Barmby was pulled away from full-back Austin's beautiful cross by Wood. The referee apparently didn't see the infringement. The onlyreason a shotby Maddison in the 29th minute went straight to Thorstvedt is worth a mention is that it was Southampton's first. But their second, a 25-yard drive in the 34th rninute by Widdrington, was much more effective.

It beat the giant Norwegian's dive, hit the far upright and served to remind Spurs mat there was no justification to feel light-hearted. Still, Beasant was kept busy roming out to foil Sheringham and finger-tipping over when Barmby unleashed at the end of a swerving run into the penalty area. Southampton looked much more positive in the second half, with Kenna pushed into the attack from right-back and providing two useful crosses and becoming increasingly progressive when they sent on Banger, a genuine attacker, in place of defender Wood. The Tottenham crowd were beginning to worry out loud, particularly after Thorstevdt was troubled by an Allen shot, and they became almost hysterical when Maddison just failed to connect with Kenna's free-kick. They did not relax until Samways doubled their lead with a strike in the 67th minute.

Sheringham found him on the right with a through ball and, although he was at a tricky angle, he hit his scoring shot crisply. Anderton completed the scoring a minute from the end of official time when he ran through on to a Mabbutt pass, controlled it on his chest and ran on to place a right-foot shot. They should have won even more handsomely because Sheringham, Sedgley and Anderton were all guilty of missing clear-cut chances. Tottenham Hotspur 3 Sedgley 67, Anderton 89 Southampton 0 Alt: 25,959 SPURS finally realised that their reputation alone was not going to rescue them, that they will not be allowed to stroll elegantly out of trouble. They settled instead for an eyeball-to-eyeball scrap and, though it wasn'tpretty, itworked.

Spurs have been such a soft touch for most of this season, especially at home, where they have not won since last October, that Southampton seemed slightly stunned at the aggression which faced them. It was almost Uke bang mugged by Little Lord Fauntleroy. Southampton had their excuses. Having to operate without Le Tissier,.