Liverpool 5 West Ham 0 ENGLAND manager Glenn Hoddle left Anfield wearing a broad grin after watching 18-year-old Michael Owen turn in a spectacular performance that leaves West Ham's European hopes hanging by a thread. The PFA Young Player of the Year tore the Hammers to pieces, scoring once and unsettling their defence so often that Hoddle surely must now consider using Owen from the start in England's World Cup games. The teenager's display had manager Roy Evans insisting that the England boss can't help but be impressed with that. Michael had a fine game. His movement was excellent, he got behind players so well with his pace, Glenn Hoddle must have been pleased.'' West Ham manager Harry Redknapp claimed Owen was ''unplayable in that mood'' although his defenders rarely looked like they had the ability or passion to stop the youngster and added: ''The little man was outstanding, different class.'' Owen only scored once, after a mere three minutes when he raced clear of the defence and shot inside Bernard Lama's bear post, but he was untouchable for much of the game, being brought down by Lama for a blatant penalty in the build-up for Jason McAteer to score from the loose ball. Evans also revealed that striker Robbie Fowler, out since February with a serious knee injury that has wrecked his World Cup dreams, ran for the first time since his operation in training on Saturday morning. Fowler was still on crutches just a few day before, but Evans explained: ''He managed his first jogging session on Saturday, which is very pleasing. It must have felt like the first steps on the moon for the lad, and I'm delighted with his progress.'' Liverpool's players got a first-rate tongue lashing from their manager after a 4-1 defeat at Chelsea a week before and Evans was delighted with the response he got: That win means we are definitely in Europe next season, but we are intent on finishing third as well. We now want to see that same resolve and effort in our last two matches.'' Redknapp added: "It's hard to find any consolation. Getting into Europe will be hard now, we certainly have to win our last two games. Frankly, I felt we could win this one. We were never going to have a better chance with them missing five very important players. If you have aspirations of playing in Europe, these are games you have to do well in and believe you can win.'' LIVERPOOL: (4) 5 Owen (4), McAteer (21,25), Leonhardsen (45), Ince (61) WEST HAM: (0) 0 Att: 44,414 Liverpool: Friedel 7, Kvarme 7, McAteer 8, Babb 7, Leonhardsen 7, Harkness 7, Riedle 7, Ince 8, OWEN 9, Bjornebye 7, Carragher 7 Subs not used: James, Berger, Murphy, Gudnason, Roberts Booked: Babb (31) Shots: 7 Corners: 7 Fouls: 8 West Ham: Lama 6, Unsworth 6, Sinclair 5, Kitson 5 (Mean 84, 6), Lomas 5, Ferdinand 6, MONCUR 7 (Omoyimni 75, 5), Lazaridis 5, Lampard 5, Pearce 5, Berkovic 6 (Abou 52, 5) Subs not used: Forrest, Berthe Booked: Lama (25), Berkovic (27), Sinclair (43), Ferdinand (45), Unsworth (73) Shots: 4 Corners: 5 Fouls: 14 Referee: J.Winter (Stockton-on-Tees) 7 Match Rating: 4

FLOWERS WAS BLOOMING DAFT Coventry 2 Blackburn 0   BLACKBURN manager Roy Hodgson has stood by goalkeeper Tim Flowers after he was bizarrely sent off from the substitutes' bench for swearing at a linesman. His support for the 11 players out on the pitch after a dismal performance that leaves Rovers' UEFA Cup place at risk was less forthcoming. Flowers was shown the red card following an 18th minute incident when Blackburn defender Patrik Valery seemed to handle the ball in the area. Referee Steve Lodge failed to spot it but, after consulting linesman Paul Vosper, gave a penalty which Dion Dublin slotted past John Filan for his 17th Premiership goal of the season (the Coventry star is now the League's joint top-scorer with Chris Sutton and Michael Owen). Flowers was furious that Lodge had let his assistant over-rule him and began abusing him as he warmed-up along the touchline. Vosper reported the verbal barrage to Lodge, who promptly sent the England international off. Hodgson said: ''When you go 1-0 down after what, from our point of view, did not look like a penalty, you will excuse a player for being a bit upset about it. But if you ask me whether your player should go around swearing at officials when they are upset about decisions, then I would say: ‘no, they should be like lambs, accepting every decision and bow and scrape and thank the referee after the game'. That's my attitude but, in the real world, it doesn't always work out like that. Tim is very, very upset about the situation as he was punished for speaking his mind and is now going to miss at least one game at the start of next season.'' Blackburn striker Sutton could easily have followed his team-mate to the changing room with a late tackle on Noel Whelan just a couple of minutes after the Flowers incident but he was only booked. Coventry manager Gordon Strachan was delighted with the win, clinched with a George Boateng strike in the 34th minute: ''I got quality and effort from my players and I'm very proud of them. I went through four months of sleepless nights last season so I'm more than happy with how we've done this season.'' COVENTRY: (2) 2 Dublin (19pen), Boateng (34) BLACKBURN: (0) 0 Att: 18,794 Coventry: Hedman 7, Shaw 7, Burrows 6, BREEN 8, Whelan 6, Telfer 7, Soltvedt 7, Boateng 6 (Boland 86, 6), Nilsson 7, Huckerby 6 (Moldovan 68, 6), Dublin 6 Subs not used: Ogrizovic, Williams, Hall Booked: Huckerby (37) Shots: 7 Corners: 5 Fouls: 19 Blackburn: Filan 6, KENNA 8, Hendry 7, Valery 5 (Duff 46, 6), Croft 6, Wilcox 6, Flitcroft 7, McKinlay 6 (Dahlin 68, 6), Gallacher 6, Sutton 5, Henchoz 6 Subs not used: Ripley, Broomes, Flowers Sent-off: Flowers (21) dissent Booked: Sutton (25) Shots: 5 Corners: 4 Fouls: 12 Referee: S.Lodge (Barnsley) 6 Match Rating: 3

BENALI'S RED CARD PROTEST Southampton 0 Derby County 2		CHILD'S PLAY FOR YOUNG STARS Sheffield Wednesday 1 Aston Villa 3
FRANCIS BENALI is facing a fine after the 11th sending-off of his career, but the outraged Saints' full-back insists he didn't floor Derby's Dean Sturridge on purpose. "I did not deliberately strike him, he claimed. I was trying to get away from him as we competed for the same ball. I am not denying making any contact, but there was no malice in it. I have been working to improve my disciplinary problems but my reputation has counted against me." Benali, who was sent off earlier in the campaign at Bolton after a similar incident, will start next season with a suspension and could also be hit in the pocket after manager Dave Jones watches the match video. Jones said: "Franny said he did not strike him and I believe him. If the video goes against that, we have our own disciplinary procedure." Jubilant Derby manager Jim Smith insists that his team still have something to play for against Liverpool next weekend. He said: ''I believe we have a very slim chance of qualifying for Europe, but it keeps the season alive. SOUTHAMPTON: (0) 0 DERBY: (0) 2 Dailly (50), Sturridge (88) Att: 15,202 Southampton: Jones 5, Dodd 6, Benali 5, PALMER 7, Monkou 6, Lundekvam 6, Le Tissier 5, Oakley 6, Hirst 5 (Basham 69, 6), Ostenstad 5, Gibbens 5 (Williams 78, 6) Subs not used: Richardson, Warner, Moss Sent-off: Benali (53) violent conduct Booked: Le Tissier (59) Shots: 1 Corners: 2 Fouls: 9 Derby: Poom 6, Delap 6, Kozluk 6 (C.Powell 56, 6), Rowett 7, DAILLY 8, Laursen 7, Carsley 6, Solis 6 (Van der Laan 66, 6), Bohinen 7, Wanchope 6 (Burton 82, 6), Sturridge 6 Subs not used: Elliott, Hoult Booked: Carsley (37), Laursen (53), Sturridge (53), Kozluk (58) Wanchope (62) Shots: 5 Corners: 4 Fouls: 23 Referee: M.Riley (Leeds) 6 Match Rating: 2		RON ATKINSON and John Gregory praised their respective potential stars of the future after the youngsters made big impressions at Hillsborough. Italian teenager Francesco Sanetti finally made his Wednesday debut, after waiting more than five weeks for international clearance, and scored a sensational 89th-minute consolation goal. Atkinson said: From every dark cloud there is a silver lining and I think we saw one today with Sanetti. As soon as he came on he made a big difference. Considering he has not been involved in any football at all for the last few weeks, I thought he was tremendous. It made the afternoon worthwhile.'' The visitors unveiled their own budding superstar in England Under-18 international Gareth Barry, who set up their third goal with just his second touch of the ball in first-team football. ''He is very much in the Gareth Southgate mould, said his manager. Nothing flusters him and nothing bothers him, he just gets on with his job. He has got a very bright future and it speaks volumes that he is the youth team captain and he has forced himself into the first-team.'' Villa opened the scoring in the 21st minute with Dwight Yorke's 15th goal of the season, which was followed four minutes later by Lee Hendrie's second. Julian Joachim rounded off the afternoon with the third shortly after the break before starlet Sanetti shone for Wednesday. SHEFF WED: (0) 1 Sanetti (89) ASTON VILLA: (2) 3 Yorke (21), Hendrie (25), Joachim (50) Att: 34,177 Sheff Wed: Pressman 6, Atherton 6, Pembridge 5 (Sanetti 46, 6), Walker 6, Carbone 6, DI CANIO 7, Hyde 6, Stefanovic 6, Hinchcliffe 5, Thome 5 (Whittingham 34, 6), Barrett 6 (Magilton 72, 6) Subs not used: Clarke, Briscoe Booked: Stefanovic (69) Shots: 5 Corners: 6 Fouls: 4 Aston Villa: Oakes 6, Southgate 7, Ehiogu 7, Taylor 7 (Barry 48, 6), DRAPER 8, Yorke 7, Joachim 7, Wright 6, Nelson 7, Grayson 7, Hendrie 7 (Byfield 64, 6) Subs not used: Milosevic, Collymore, Rachel Booked: Draper (83) Shots: 6 Corners: 4 Fouls: 7 Referee: M.Bodenham (Ferring) 6 Match Rating: 3

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