Everton lead after first-leg
Posh beat Spireites
Goalless at Broadhall Way
Fletcher bags hat-trick
Buddies reach last eight
Trapattoni named Republic boss
Hamann extends City deal
Charlton call off takeover talks
Blades chief wins tender
Watford to appeal red card
FA fine clubs after melee
In the last 32 of the UEFA Cup, Everton took control of their two-legged tie against SK Brann with a 0-2 victory in Norway. Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe scored second-half goals for David Moyes’ men. Meanwhile, Rangers and Panathinaikos played out a goalless draw at Ibrox. The second-leg will be played in Greece on Thursday 21 February.
At the Recreation Ground, Peterborough United beat hosts Chesterfield 1-2 in their League Two encounter.
Stevenage Borough and Forest Green Rovers drew 0-0 at Broadhall Way.
In the Scottish Premier League, Steven Fletcher bagged a hat-trick as Hibernian beat Gretna 4-2 at Easter Road. Gretna goalkeeper Gavin Fleming was sent-off late on.
St Mirren beat Dundee United 0-1 at Tannadice to set-up a Scottish Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
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Giovanni Trapattoni has been named manager of the Republic of Ireland on a two-year deal. The former Italy boss will leave his current job at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg at the end of the season and will be in charge of the Republic for the game against Serbia on May 24. His salary will be partly funded by entrepreneur Denis O’Brien, one of Ireland’s richest men. Trapattoni is keen on Arsenal youth coach Liam Brady as his assistant.
Dietmar Hamann has extended his deal with Manchester City until the end of the 2008/2009 campaign.
Charlton Athletic have called off takeover talks with potential investors after persistent rumours of a £45m buy-out by a Middle Eastern consortium. A statement to the Stock Exchange read: “The board have concluded that the best interests of the club are served under the current ownership. As a result all talks regarding possible offers for the company have now been discontinued.”
Sheffield United plc chairman Kevin McCabe has won a tender to buy into Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros. McCabe’s Hungarian firm Esplanade Kft will buy the club’s real estate for £8.45m.
Watford have appealed against the red card shown to John-Joe O’Toole during last night’s 1-0 win over Leicester City at Vicarage Road. The midfielder was judged to have denied Stephen Clemence a goalscoring opportunity.
The Football Association have fined Chesterfield and Rotherham United £2,000 and £2,500 respectively after a melee during their League Two match at the Recreation Ground last December. The Spireites admitted a charge of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion but the Millers contested the same charge. Both clubs have also been warned about future conduct. Rotherham won the match 0-2 with Derek Holmes and Mark Hudson scoring.
Nathan Davies