Advertisement
James McClean celebrates his goal. Peter Byrne/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Early Doors

The Morning Score: Wednesday

Here’s everything you need to know to get ahead of the game this morning.

EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING, TheScore.ie brings you the stories you need to know before 9am. You’re welcome.

1. #PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester City ran out 3-0 winners against Liverpool at Eastlands last night. Gareth Barry was dismissed for two yellow cards as the Reds looked to get back into it at 2-0 in the second half but the hosts broke immediately, won a penalty, and Milner sealed it.

Elsewhere, the Martin O’Neill effect continued as they routed Wigan away from home. New Irish prospect James McLean got his first goal in English football.

Jermain Defore, meanwhile, scored the only goal of the game as Spurs beat West Brom at White Hart Lane to continue their charge up the table.

Catch up with all the evening’s action here…

2. #SUAREZ Luis Suarez last night accepted the eight-game ban handed down for racially abusing Patrice Evra during a game against Manchester United.

“I am very upset by all the things which have been said during the last few weeks about me, all of them being very far from the truth. But above all, I’m very upset at feeling so powerless whilst being accused of something which I did not, nor would not, ever do,” he said in a statement.

Liverpool FC, for their part, also released a statement which did not deviate from their strong public support of the Uruguayan.

“It is our strongly held conviction that the Football Association and the panel it selected constructed a highly subjective case against Luis Suarez based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated,” a club statement said. Kenny Dalglish inisted, after the game in Manchester last night, that he does not regret the now infamous t-shirt incident in the wake of the original verdict.

Read the detail here.

3. #RABO Leinster may call on some of their big guns when they name the side, on Friday lunchtime, to face Cardiff this weekend.

Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Eoin Reddan, Mike Ross, Jonathan Sexton and Kevin McLaughlin are all in line for returns but Stephn Sykes is ruled out with a knee injury, according to the province.

4. DÉISE Two-time All-Star Eoin Kelly has been dropped from the Waterford senior hurling panel. Management think the Passage East man’s fitness is not what it should be.

5. #ROBBIE Tottenham Hotspur yesterday revealed that former White Hart Lane skipper Robbie Keane train with Harry Redknapp’s squad until 20 January.

It was earlier reported that the Tallaght man was close to a deal with Aston Villa on a lan move during the MLS close season.

6. #NFL Jerry Angelo was fired as the Chicago Bears’ general manager yesterday following a team collapse marked by injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and a drug scandal involving receiver Sam Hurd.

Check out Steven O’Rourke’s take on the regular season with his second annual awards. As we move into 2012, it’s the first time TheScore has had a ‘second annual’ anything.

Irish on the move this January: the possible, the probable and the definite