Sport news in brief
Brighton score late to deny Leicester three points
Evan Ferguson’s late header rescued a deserved Premier League point for Brighton at Leicester. The substitute nodded in to clinch a 2-2 draw and maintain the Seagulls’ assault on the top five. Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton had struck for the hosts to cancel out Kaoru Mitoma’s sensational opener. It is still the first time the Foxes have earned a point after falling behind this season. Brighton dominated and were denied a penalty
when Danny Welbeck was clipped by Luke Thomas with Solly March wasting a glorious chance just before Barnes’ strike. The Seagulls missed the chance to move into the Premier League’s top five – but climbed to sixth – while Leicester moved up to 14th in a congested mid-table.
Meanwhile substitute Sam Surridge struck a late leveller to deny former club Bournemouth an overdue Premier League win as Nottingham Forest snatched a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium. Jaidon Anthony’s first-half finish looked set to end the Cherries’ four-game losing streak in the top flight to ease the pressure on head coach Gary O’Neil. But striker Surridge, who began his career with the Dorset club, poked home Brennan Johnson’s cross from close range seven minutes from time after replacing debutant Chris Wood. The dramatic twist pushed Bournemouth into the relegation zone and leaves O’Neil still searching for his first victory since being appointed permanent Bournemouth boss in November. In-form Forest maintained their momentum by registering an 11th point from the last 18 available.
Also on the south coast, Ollie Watkins’s late winner secured all three points for Aston Villa after Southampton had two goals ruled out at St Mary’s. Watkins’s header in the 77th minute proved enough for the visitors to win 1-0 and move up to 11th in the Premier League, just one point behind Chelsea and Liverpool. The result brought an end to Southampton’s threegame winning run in all competitions and they remain at the bottom of the table.
In London Newcastle United moved up to third in the table after a goalless draw at Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to 15 Premier League matches. The visitors dominated possession throughout the contest, which saw Newcastle squander 15 corners, while the hosts were dealt a blow when Wilfried Zaha was forced off with injury in the second half. Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope, who kept his ninth straight clean sheet in all competitions, made a brilliant leaping save to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta the chance to break the deadlock. The result drew Newcastle level on 39 points with Manchester United, who face league leaders Arsenal today.
Lowry, Molinari and Lee tied at the top in Abu Dhabi
Former Open champions Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari share the lead with Min Woo Lee ahead of the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as the cream rose to the top on day three. Irishman Lowry began the day three shots off the lead but produced a third-round 66, which included a hole-out eagle from the sixth fairway, to move to 13 under par and reach the summit. Australian Lee made seven birdies and one bogey in his 66, with the highlight of his round coming at the short fourth as he almost made a hole-in-one. Halfway co-leader Molinari started brightly yesterday, carding birdies at the second and third, but bogeyed the fifth before staging a fightback on the back nine that saw the Italian pick up shots at the 10th and 18th to shoot 69 and join Lowry and Lee at the top. Lowry is aiming to become a two-time winner of this event after claiming the title in 2019.
Harlequins cruise into Heineken Champions Cup last 16
Harlequins took advantage of crisp conditions to end their victory drought with a 39-29 win against the Sharks that propels them into the Heineken Champions Cup knockout phase. Danny Care celebrated his 350th appearance for Quins with a try and there were also touch downs for Alex Dombrandt, Cadan Murley, Stephan Lewies and Nick David in a comfortable bonuspoint triumph. The 2021 Gallagher Premiership champions revelled in the sunshine at Twickenham Stoop to continue the revival begun against Racing 92 a week earlier, clinching their first victory since 18 December.
Exeter secured a home tie in the Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 after beating Castres 40-3 at Sandy Park. The Chiefs required a bonus-point victory to guarantee a top-four finish in Pool A, and they duly delivered despite never remotely hitting top gear. They were helped by Castres’s woeful indiscipline that saw number eight Feibyan Tukino sent off for a dangerous tackle just before half-time, while flankers Baptiste Delaporte and
Mathieu Babillot were both yellow-carded, along with prop Aurelien Azar. It meant that the visitors were briefly reduced to 12 players, yet Exeter did not secure a five-point maximum until seven minutes from time through a second penalty try.
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