DAILY MIRROR 26.08.2019
(^20) mirror.co.uk/sport/football
DM1ST
GRABBSOLUTELY
FABULOUS
SCOTTISH ROUND-UP
NON LEAGUE ROUND-UP
‘BHOYS NEED
BIG DISPLAY’
NEIL LENNON called for a
big performance in Sweden
on Thursday after Celtic
saw off struggling Hearts.
Vakoun Bayo marked his
first Hoops start with two
goals in yesterday’s 3-1 win.
Callum McGregor also
scored, with Conor
Washington claiming a
Jambos consolation on the
rebound from his penalty.
It was ideal preparation
for Celtic’s Europa League
play-off decider against
AIK, with the Bhoys 2-0 up
from the first leg.
Boss Lennon (above)
said: “It’s a great start to a
big week. We had a great
display against AIK and
WATCH CHOR
STEP, COUNTY
NEAL ARDLEY has told his
NOTTS COUNTY strugglers
there will be no excuses for
flopping at home against
Chorley today.
The Magpies were held to
a 2-2 draw at bottom club
EBBSFLEET on Saturday
and have won just once
since last season’s
relegation from the EFL.
Manager Ardley (above)
made it clear he expected
better against newly-
promoted opponents who
have yet to win.
He said: “They can say
that it is hot, that we have
got two games in three
days, so on.
“But that was not good
we’re hoping for more of
the same on Thursday.
“We’ve got goals in us
and we’re hoping one goal
for us might swing it.”
Rangers are also in
Europa League action on
Thursday, at home to Legia
Warsaw following a first-leg
goalless draw in Poland.
Steven Gerrard’s side
won 1-0 at St Mirren
yesterday to maintain a
similar 100 per cent league
start to Celtic’s, with the
Hoops ahead on goal
difference.
Defender Borna Barisic’s
first Rangers goal, a free-
kick, won the match and
Gerrard said: “I’ve seen it in
training a few times and it’s
nice to see it in a game.”
EURO ROUND-UP
GRIEZ BRACED
FOR SUCCESS
ANTOINE GRIEZMANN
scored twice on his home
debut for BARCELONA in
their 5-2 win over REAL
BETIS last night.
The France striker, who
joined from Atletico
Madrid for £107million
this summer, kicked off
his career at the Nou
Camp in style.
Betis took a shock lead
via Nabil Fekir after 15
minutes, but Griezmann
(above) grabbed his brace
before the break.
Despite the injured Luis
Suarez and Lionel Messi
having to watch from the
stands, Barca were in
rampant form, as Carles
Perez, Jordi Alba and
Arturo Vidal all struck in
the second-half.
Loren Moron scored
the goal of the night for
Betis, but it was scant
consolation after being
undone by the home
side’s goal blitz.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
hammered TOULOSE 4-0
with ex-Stoke striker
Eric-Maxim Choupo-
Moting scoring twice.
But it wasn’t all good
news for the Ligue 1
champions, with the
in-demand Neymar once
again absent and Kylian
Mbappe limping off with
a hamstring injury.
enough and we have got to
put it right on Monday. No
excuses.”
CHESTERFIELD are
finding life tough in their
second season since
relegation and will kick off
at Stockport in the drop
zone.
Boss John Sheridan
handed his teenage son
Jay a first league start in
Saturday’s 2-2 draw with
BARROW but hooked the
19-year-old at half-time.
Sheridan said: “He
deserved a place. All the
other staff were telling me
to put him in the team.
“He is a young kid and
hopefully he will stand up
and be strong with it. It was
a difficult day for him.”
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH
BARNSLEY 1
Wilks 72
LUTON TOWN 3
Butterfield 2, Collins 5, Cornick 31
Ameobi backs Lewis to make
it sheer torture for Rams now
BY ROBERT DUNFORD
SAMMY AMEOBI reckons
Lewis Grabban has been
reborn at Nottingham Forest.
The striker netted twice at
Craven Cottage to defeat Fulham.
Grabban, 31, has scored four
times this season under new
head coach Sabri Lamouchi
(right) after struggling under
former boss Martin O’Neill.
Forest face a mouthwatering
well against Millwall the other
day. It’s a reality check for us.
“We gave ourselves a mountain
to climb after conceding so early
against Forest.
“We’ve now got Southampton
in the cup on Tuesday – a
Premier League side coming to
the Cottage should be good.”
famous derby and the rivalry
from the lads. It will be a tough
game.”
Grabban opened the scoring
with an excellent strike past
Marcus Bettinelli. The game
looked all but over when the
hitman doubled his tally after a
Fulham mix-up.
Scott Parker’s men piled
on the pressure, however,
and Aleksandar Mitrovic
made it a grandstand
finish late on.
Southampton visit Craven
Cottage tomorrow, with the
hosts eyeing an upset.
Bettinelli admitted: “We let our
standards slip after playing really
Carabao Cup clash against Derby
at the City Ground tomorrow.
And Ameobi backed his team-
mate to silence the Rams.
He said: “Lewis is very clinical
in front of goal, when he gets a
chance he’s always going to put
it away. We’re very happy with
him.
“Grabb’s top quality
day in and day out. He
works very hard for the
team even though he’s
our main man. He’s not
just a goalscorer but an all-
round player.
“We want to take this
confidence into the Derby
match. I’ve heard all about this
FULHAM 1
Mitrovic 83
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2
Grabban 4, 61
Jordan Green said: “We’re down. But
some people weren’t switched on.”
James Collins and Cornick putting
them three up inside 31 minutes. But
Barnsley improved after the break
with Mallik Wilks netting for the Tykes.
“We must be more clinical – we have
to make sure we get four or five,” said
Cornick (right), after Luton’s first win
at Oakwell for nearly 13 years. “At 3-1
they’re still in the game and if they
score again it’s backs against the wall.”
This was Barnsley’s first home
league loss in 525 days, and forward
HARRY: HATTERS MUST TYKE CHANCES
BY NEIL GOULDING
HARRY CORNICK wants Luton to be
more clinical in front of goal despite
putting three past Barnsley.
The Hatters could have scored five
in the first half, with Jacob Butterfield,
MOTM LEWIS GRABBAN (FOREST)
MOTM JACOB BUTTERFIELD (LUTON)
FULHAM: Bettinelli 6, Sessegnon 6,
(Kamara 74) Mawson 6 (Christie 87),
Ream 6, Bryan 6, Cairney 5, Arter 6,
Johansen 65 (Decordova-Reid 46, 5)
Knockaert 6, Mitrovic 6, Cavaleiro 6
FOREST: Samba 7, Jenkinson 7,
Worrall 6, Dawson 6, Robinson 6,
Watson 6, Sow 6, Lolley 6 (Adomah
71), Silva 5 (Semedo Esteves 58, 4),
Ameobi 6 (Cash 82), Grabban 8
BARNSLEY: Radlinger 4, Pinillios 4
(Williams 46, 5), Diaby 4, (Halme 67, 4),
Anderson 4 (Green 46, 5), Sibbick 4,
Thomas 5, McGheehan 4, Mowatt 4, Wilks
6, Bahre 4, Thiam 5.
LUTON: Sluga 7, Bree 7 (Galloway 90),
Bradley 7, Pearson 7, Bolton 7, Lualua 7
(Mpanzu 81), Tunnicliffe 7, Butterfield 9,
Shinnie 7, Cornick 8 (Lee 85), Collins 8.
REFEREE: Stephen Martin AT T: 13,250
77% POSSESSION 23%
6 SHOTS ON TARGET^3
8 SHOTS OFF TARGET^4
13 CORNERS^1
1 OFFSIDE^1
8 FOULS^11
0 2 CARDS 4 0
MATCH STATS
REFEREE: Peter Bankes ATT: 18,186
LEW LITTLE BEAUTY
Lewis Grabban fires home the
first to stun Fulham and
(below) celebrates his second