Madrid to mull over action on Ron ban
REAL Madrid will wait until the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee today before deciding their next move over Cristiano Ronaldo’s five-match ban.
The Portuguese was handed the suspension after pushing referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who had just sent him off during Real’s 3-1 win over Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final first leg at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
Ronaldo had scored Real’s second goal but was shown a first yellow card for removing his shirt during the celebrations and picked up a second caution for diving after going down in the Barca area under pressure from defender Samuel Umtiti.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s second leg, Real manager Zinedine Zidane said of Ronaldo’s punishment: “I hope that when they meet, they look at it thoroughly.
“I’m upset that he’s been suspended for five games after what happened. I’m telling you how I feel after watching the match again. How is it not going to bother me?
“I don’t interfere with the work of the referee, we can all make mistakes, but it’s annoying that he’s got five games after what happened.”
Zidane also said he hoped Ronaldo was not being judged unduly by the game’s authorities.
He said: “Everyone can have their opinion but Cristiano is upset because he wants to play and when he doesn’t play he’s not happy.
“I hope they’ve not got something against Cristiano and people do their job with integrity.
“We’re upset that we are not going to have him with us for a long time. We’ll wait to see what happens tomorrow.
“After that we’ll see what we’re going to do as a football club.”
GLENAFTON boss Craig McEwan has scoffed at the notion his players will struggle to handle the pressure of being the team everyone else wants to beat in the coming season.
Junior football’s reigning kingpins’ cabinet curently houses the Scottish Junior Cup, Super Premier Division silverware and Evening Times Champions Cup.
And they begin the defence of their league title at home to Clydebank next Saturday with Southy insisting his playing charges are well equipped to meet the expectations on their shoulders.
He said: “Recruiting decent players during the summer months has left us looking better than this time last season and our initial Ardagh Glass Cup performances have been pretty decent so what is there to be worried about.
“A number of other teams have been very active on the transfer front in gearing up to mount a challenge – most notably Pollok and Hurlford United – but their ambitions arguably puts more pressure on them.
“Tony McInally and Darren Henderson are experienced managers and have bought well but I actually like to hear people talking up their sides because it enables my guys to fly under the radar and concentrate on starting away where we left off at the end of last season.”
His club’s hectic schedule of games – they will be playing in their third competition come Saturday – is not causing Southy any sleepless nights.
He added: “Winning in the Ardagh Cup against both Auchinleck Talbot and Cumnock is a clear sign of our good health as was the manner of our Scottish Cup win over Newton Stewart.
“And taking on a well-drilled Clydebank in our opening league game presents a different set of problems, however both Pottsy (assistant Craig Potter) and myself are confident we have players able to cope with what is put in front of them.
“And such is our strength in depth that Bankies boss Kieran McAnespie had a wasted jour- ney running the rule over us in Monday night’s 6-1 defeat of Lugar Boswell as we made eight changes for that game.”
Meanwhile, Super Premier Division newcomers Girvan are the only known Ardagh Glass Section winners going into tonight’s final round of group games.
Peter Leonard’s men have impressively accumulated the full yield of 12 points from their opening four cup encounters, with last Saturday’s 5-0 caning of nearest challengers Craigmark ensuring they could not be toppled from atop the Section Three pile.
A further boost to their goals column is on the cards tonight with the Seasiders awaiting the visit to Hamilton Park of pointless bottom markers Maybole .
However, their probable quarter-final “reward” of a home tie against Auchinleck Talbot next midweek promises to be a much tougher prospect.
Last season’s beaten finalists Talbot are rated odds-on certainties to qualify by virtue of winning at home to lowly Muirkirk but the likelihood is they will finish Section Four runners-up to current frontrunners Glenafton unless Craig Menzies & Co succumb to an unforeseen Loch Park defeat against Kello Rovers.
Truth be told, it’s hard to envisage anything other than a Glens victory that would then set up a last-eight clash for the New Cumnock outfit against The Mark but only if the Ayrshire outfit can prevail when taking to the road to face one point worse off Annbank United.
Keeping fingers crossed for a draw or even a narrow Bankies win at New Pebble Park are supporters of Troon Juniors whose superior goals differential would then lift them into second top spot assuming Jimmy Kirkwood’s side pick up all three points at home to Whitletts Vics.
In-form Hurlford United will be seeking to finish their qualifying campaign in style when nearest challengers Irvine Vics make the trip to Blair Park.
A victory would enable Stevie Wilson’s much improved side to top the Section Two standings but most pundits are tipping the Vics to come away second best and set up a quarter-final clash away to whosoever wins tonight’s Section One decider between leading pair Kilwinning Rangers and Largs Thistle.
To a degree, a share of the spoils suits both clubs, but a defeat for either would open the door for third-placed Beith to move into second if the Mighty beat Kilbirnie Ladeside.
The possibility of upsets cannot be ruled out, however the Ardagh quarter-final draw is shaping as: Girvan v Auchinleck Talbot, Glenafton v Craigmark, Hurlford v Largs Thistle/Beith, Kilwinning v Irvine Vics.