Luton goalkeeper Tim Krul spoke of his side’s disappointment at having to settle for an FA Cup third-round replay against League One high-flyers Bolton.
The teams played out a drab goalless draw at Kenilworth Road on Sunday, despite the hosts coming close to winning at the death when Alfie Doughty struck a post before being controversially denied a penalty by VAR.
Prior to that, Andros Townsend and Jordan Clark had gone close with efforts that were deflected wide, as Ian Evatt’s Bolton gave a dogged defensive showing to earn themselves a second go at knocking out the Premier League outfit.
The additional match means Luton’s planned warm-weather training retreat will have to be rearranged, with their league game against Burnley having been brought forward three days to January 12 in order to accommodate the replay.
“Normally I’d be happy with a clean sheet but there’s a lot of disappointment that we didn’t get the win,” said Krul, who started in place of regular first-choice keeper Thomas Kaminski.
“I think in the first half we weren’t quite at it, we were about 80 per cent. The second half we really came out flying.
“We did enough to get over the line, we hit the post, had plenty of shots and maybe we could have had a penalty so I think we were a bit unlucky.
“I think it’s a good reminder that we need to be at it from the start in any game and every game, so we’re disappointed but I think we know on Friday at Burnley we need to be at it from the start.”
It was just Krul’s third appearance since joining the Hatters from Norwich in August, having mainly played back-up to the impressive Kaminski this campaign.
“I’m loving it,” he said of life at Kenilworth Road. “I do feel there’s a spirit around the club and a true belief that we can stay up.
“We have given the big teams, especially at home, a hard time and maybe we’ve deserved more points so there’s a lot to come from us.
“We know it’s going to be hard, but we’re going to give everything we’ve got.”
Vanarama National League South side Maidstone have been handed a trip to Sky Bet Championship promotion chasers Ipswich in the FA Cup fourth round.
Maidstone are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, having beaten Stevenage 1-0 in the third round on Saturday.
Ipswich, who sit second in the Championship table, were 3-1 winners at AFC Wimbledon.
National League Eastleigh were also in the draw after earning a replay against League Two Newport.
The winners of that tie will go on to host Wigan or Manchester United, who are playing on Monday night.
League Two Wrexham will be away at Championship side Blackburn, while holders Manchester City will travel to Premier League rivals Tottenham.
The fourth-round ties will take place across the weekend of January 27-28.
Gloucester have confirmed the signing of Cardiff and Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams from the start of next season.
Gloucester’s director of rugby George Skivington said he was thrilled to seal a deal with Williams, who has won 53 caps for his country and played in two World Cups.
“Everyone at the club is thrilled to welcome a player of Tomos’ calibre,” said Skivington.
“Anybody that has watched him play before, whether that be for Cardiff or for Wales, knows how much of an attacking threat he can be, and we’re excited to see what he can bring to Gloucester Rugby.”
Williams progressed through Cardiff’s junior and academy systems and has amassed over 100 appearances for the United Rugby Championship side.
He admitted it was a big decision to leave but believes it is the “right time” to test himself in the Guinness Premiership.
“I’m really grateful to Cardiff for everything they have given me in my career,” Williams said on Cardiff’s official website.
“This club is all I have known and after 11 years with the first-team squad, I feel the time is right to make a change.
“I am excited for a new chapter with Gloucester but remain 100 per cent committed to Cardiff and will always look back on my time here with great fondness.”
LeBron James urged the Los Angeles Lakers to use their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers as a "catapult" towards an upturn in underwhelming NBA form.
The Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 106-103 triumph over their Los Angeles neighbours on Sunday.
LeBron's Los Angeles were just 3-10 since winning the in-season tournament, with Sunday's win a much-needed victory to somewhat ease a 13-game struggle.
"Try to use this to try to catapult a little bit better play from us," LeBron said after leading the game with 25 points against the Clippers.
"But it still doesn't take away from the fact of how we've been playing like the last 11, 12 games.
"Tonight was a good start. Hopefully we can start from here and continue to build."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham benefitted from having an increasing number of rotation options, with the fit-again D'Angelo Russell managing 13 points and six assists, while Jarred Vanderbilt impressed in defense.
Christian Wood also added nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, along with Max Christie's seven points, three rebounds and two blocks, as the Lakers' bench outshone the Clippers.
"All those guys helped us win, made some big shots, timely plays, and that's what we need," said Anthony Davis, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
"It takes 'the others' to win championships and win basketball games. And these guys played phenomenal tonight. When these guys are playing well, it just makes me and Bron's job a lot easier."
Ham labelled the performance as a benchmark for the remainder of the season.
"Everybody contributed, competed at a very high level," Ham added. "And I'm proud of them.
"Now the cat's out the bag for this one, in terms of how we need to approach each and every game and everybody do it as a committee."
The British Horseracing Authority has announced the Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase will be rescheduled for Warwick on Saturday.
The valuable handicap was originally lost to the weather following the abandonment of Sandown last weekend.
All existing entries will be cancelled, with new entries to be made by midday on Tuesday. Final declarations will be made with the rest of the card on Thursday. The weights of the race will be republished following the new entries.
The BHA said it was grateful to the Jockey Club for agreeing to host the rescheduled race, to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for their prize-money contribution and to Unibet for its sponsorship of the race, as well as continued support of veterans’ races.
Tiger Woods appears to have confirmed that his long and lucrative partnership with sportswear manufacturer Nike has come to an end.
The 15-time major winner has worn or used the company’s products throughout his professional career.
It is reported the partnership has been worth more than £500million to player, who turned professional in 1996.
Woods, 48, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world. The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever.
“Phil Knight’s passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way.
“People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter. See you in LA!”
Woods is a tournament host at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles next month.
The Stayers’ Hurdle has emerged as an unorthodox potential stepping-stone to a third tilt at the Randox Grand National for Noble Yeats.
The eight-year-old won the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree in 2022 and finished fourth in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and when defending his Grand National crown last season.
Making his first appearance since the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in May, Noble Yeats reverted to the smaller obstacles at Limerick over the festive period – and while beaten by Sa Majeste as the 10-11 favourite, his owner Robert Waley-Cohen was satisfied with the performance.
“It was a very good first run of the season,” he said.
“I don’t think he really likes that very heavy going as it was at Limerick, but we had to start somewhere and hopefully we’ll get some better ground later in the year.”
Connections decided against entering Noble Yeats for the Gold Cup this time around, but Waley-Cohen has raised the intriguing possibility of him turning up in another major event at the Cheltenham Festival.
He added: “We’re going to enter for the Stayers’ Hurdle – if you don’t enter you can’t decide whether to go for it when the time comes.
“His main target for the year is still the Grand National. The Gold Cup is a tough race and the Grand National is a tough race and I think winning both in the same year is nigh on impossible.
“He was fourth in both last year, which was a fantastic performance, but I’d be more excited about winning one than being fourth in two!
“I don’t think he’s going to win a Gold Cup. He’s a 166-rated horse, the average Gold Cup winner is probably 175 and the very good ones might be closer to 180.”
Whether Noble Yeats runs over hurdles or fences on his next start remains to be seen, with Waley-Cohen keen to keep all options open.
He said: “We might put him in the Cleeve Hurdle, or if you want a chase where you require a lot of stamina you could look at the Cotswold Chase, in which he finished third last season.
“Let’s wait and see, but everything is being geared towards getting to the Grand National in first-class order to give ourselves the best possible chance.”
Conditions are much improved at Huntingdon after severe flooding caused by the overflowing of the Alconbury Brook.
The track is due to host a meeting on Friday, its first since November as the Peterborough Chase fixture was lost last month, as was a further fixture last week.
The Cambridgeshire circuit was virtually underwater just days ago due to the deluge brought in by Storm Henk, but most of that water has now cleared and officials are optimistic about racing going ahead on Friday.
Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan said: “The river is down to pre-flood levels, all the drainage systems are now working and the floodwater has cleared.
“There is just a small area that often accumulates at the two-mile-four (furlong) chute, but not on the racing line.
“There’s a bit of standing water that remains, but we believe we’ve an opportunity of getting this meeting on with the forecast as it is.
“We’ve had a big team in, all the ground staff at Newmarket have given us a hand because there was a lot of debris about, but we’ve found nothing of concern.
“We were lucky that racing-critical buildings like the stable yard have all been flood-defended so that water couldn’t enter them.
“We wouldn’t want a lot of frost, but our forecast indicates that we shouldn’t get it and for that reason we’d be quite optimistic.”
Exeter abandoned Tuesday’s meeting due to frost, losing a seven-race card with temperatures dropping to minus 3C overnight.
Owen Farrell’s service to English rugby has given him the right to leave Saracens on his own terms, according to Jamie George.
Farrell has held talks with Racing 92 over a move to the Top 14 leaders at the end of the season in a shock development that has come in the wake of his decision to miss the Six Nations in order to prioritise his mental wellbeing.
By departing for Paris, the nation’s record point scorer, talisman and veteran of 112 caps would become ineligible for selection by Steve Borthwick.
George is a leading candidate to replace the 32-year-old as England captain and, while he hopes his long-term team-mate stays at Saracens, he insists any move would come with the Gallagher Premiership champions’ blessing.
“The news was as much a shock to us as it was to everyone. It’s all speculation at the minute so I don’t know any more,” Funding Circle ambassador George said.
“Like when he decided to take a step back from international rugby, for me what Owen is doing is prioritising himself and his family.
“He’s a very intense guy and I don’t blame him for stepping back from the international game and out of the spotlight for a little bit.
“If he believes that going abroad is the best thing for him and his family, I would be very supportive of that.
“Obviously he would be a very big loss to everyone at Saracens because of the player and character he is, but there’s no guarantee that he is going.
“He’s given so much to the club, so much to the game and so must to English rugby as a whole.
“He deserves to make his own decision and whatever he decides to do he has the full support of everyone at the club.”
Unless Borthwick opts for a leftfield pick, either George, George Ford or Ellis Genge will lead England in their Six Nations opener against Italy on February 3.
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George, the nation’s undisputed first choice hooker who is set to be offered a ‘hybrid contract’ by the Rugby Football Union, has previously captained Saracens and the Lions.
“I’m hugely flattered to be in the conversation,” said George, who is poised to recover from a neck injury in time to face Bordeaux on Sunday.
“Obviously I’ve played with Owen my entire life so captaincy is something that has always fallen to him, and rightly so because he’s incredible.
“I have led teams before so it is something that I would really embrace and really enjoy.
“But regardless of who it’s given to, they will have my full support. I don’t see it changing who I am or how I am in and around camp, regardless.”
George has been involved in the creation of Team England Rugby Ltd, a new company that will replace the Rugby Players’ Association to negotiate with governing bodies on contracts and commercial matters.
“We’ll definitely still be working with the RPA in terms of welfare and we’ll be encouraging all the England players to still be members of the RPA because they do brilliant things,” George said.
“It isn’t anything to do with money. Team England is a non-profit organisation. We are not saying we are badly paid, we are fully aware that we’re well paid for what we do.
“But ultimately we want the players to be at the forefront of Team England day in, day out.”
– Jamie George is an ambassador for Funding Circle. For more information on Funding Circle and its range of financial products, see: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/
Ding Junhui made a magnificent Masters maximum but it was Ronnie O’Sullivan who roared into the quarter-finals with a 6-3 victory at Alexandra Palace.
Ding registered a seventh career 147 in the seventh frame of their first-round clash.
The 36-year-old overcame a tricky yellow and a pink with the rest, which wobbled in the pocket before it dropped, to record only the fourth maximum at the prestigious tournament – and his second after achieving the feat as a teenager in 2007.
Kirk Stevens, in 1984, and Marco Fu nine years ago are the only other players to manage Masters 147s.
Ding trailed O’Sullivan 4-0 at the mid-session interval but the seven-time world champion missed a simple red to finally let him in.
The Chinese star immediately pulled two frames back before his magic moment left him trailing by one at 4-3.
However O’Sullivan, bidding for an eighth Masters title, hit straight back with a break of 121, and two visits to the table later he had wrapped up victory.
“Unbelievable 147 from Ding, I knew he’d make it from about the second or third red. What a magnificent player,” O’Sullivan told the BBC.
On his rapid response to the maximum, he added in typical O’Sullivan style: “Listen, I just tried. My cueing is not great.
“I was just trying to manufacture stuff out there. But I tried, there’s nothing else you can do really, is there?”
Ding was not at the races before the interval and surprised himself with his milestone break.
“I had a lot of chances at the start but just messed up,” he said. “I didn’t think I would play that well when we came back so to make a maximum was amazing.
“I saw the balls open and thought I could try a maximum because Ronnie was playing so well.”
Mauricio Pochettino warned his Chelsea players they must be “clever” in playing without VAR when they meet Middlesbrough in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Riverside.
Stadiums outside of the Premier League are typically not fitted with the technology required for the video assistant referee and so Pochettino’s side will take on Championship Boro with only the on-field officials in place.
Chelsea took part in perhaps VAR’s most controversial fixture this season when they won 4-1 at Tottenham in November, a game that featured nine video interventions including five disallowed goals and two red cards shown to Spurs players.
There were a total of 21 minutes of time added on, despite the ball only actually being in play for 43 per cent of the match.
It will be a different proposition for the team on Teesside. Chelsea have the youngest squad in the league this season with an average age of just over 23, many of whom turned professional around the time of the widespread implementation of VAR by Europe’s top-flight leagues in 2018.
Pochettino said his players must prepare to be cautious in the face of unfamiliar circumstances.
“There’s no VAR,” he said. “That is a thing we need to be careful of. Our normal attitude is to play with VAR. We need to be cautious of that.
“We need to be in a different way in our approach. We need to change. Now, it’s just the referee that is going to decide, we need to be cautious.
“It’s a different game whether you play with or without VAR. I don’t say it’s better or worse, but it’s a different game. We need to be clever in this way.”
Chelsea are looking to put one foot into their first major final since they won the World Club Cup in 2021, months after lifting the Champions League trophy in Porto.
They face a Boro side – managed by former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick – currently 12th in the Championship, having lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday.
“To spend all our energy (on Tuesday) is the most important thing,” said Pochettino.
“Not to go there and think ‘OK, we have the second leg after to play just in case (we lose)’.
“No, (Tuesday) is the most important game and we need to come back afterwards with a victory and to finish at Stamford Bridge.
“It’s going to be tough. The game against Aston Villa, they lost but they could have won. It’s a good team with great ideas. It’s true they’ve changed their system.
“They played the season in a 4-2-3-1. We know they can use this or a different system. They have good players, a good coach. It’s going to be tough.”
Pochettino will be without Christopher Nkunku – who is out with a hip injury – and Nicolas Jackson, away representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning another start is likely for Armando Broja after his goal in the 4-0 cup win over Preston on Saturday.
In what had been an expected move, the Washington Commanders fired coach Ron Rivera on Monday.
The decision came one day after the Commanders finished a 4-13 season with a 38-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Washington lost its final eight games of the season, and was outscored by more than 27 points in three of those defeats.
Rivera's firing wasn't a huge surprise as he failed to post a winning record in any of his four seasons as the Commanders coach, and Josh Harris will work on finding a new coach heading into his second season as the team's controlling owner.
"As we look ahead, we recognize the results this season were not good enough and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary," Harris said in a statement.
Washington hasn't won a play-off game since 2005, though the team did make the post-season in Rivera's first season with the franchise, going 7-9 to win the subpar NFC East in 2020. The Commanders went 26-40-1 in Rivera's four seasons as coach.
"To deliver upon our ultimate goal of becoming an elite franchise and consistently competing for the Super Bowl, there is a lot to do, and first we must establish a strong organizational infrastructure led by the industry's best and most talented individuals," Harris said.
Hired by the franchise on New Year's Day 2020, Rivera arrived in Washington after winning two NFL Coach of the Year Awards during his nine seasons in charge of the Carolina Panthers. He led the Panthers to four play-off appearances and a berth in the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
"Ron helped navigate this organization through some challenging times," Harris said. "He is a good man and a thoughtful leader who has positively contributed to this organization and the NFL."
Harris will be working with co-owners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer as well as former NBA executive Bob Myers and ex-Minnesota GM Rick Spielman in the coaching search.
Lucinda Russell’s Apple Away could make her next start at Warwick in the Trustatrader Hampton Novices’ Chase.
The seven-year-old was a high-class novice hurdler last season, taking Grade One honours when winning the Sefton at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.
Graduating to fences this term, the mare acquitted herself well in a competitive contest on debut when finishing third at Haydock in a late November graduation chase.
She then headed to Leicester for a beginners’ chase last month, triumphing by an easy 31 lengths after a fluent round of jumping against two respectable rivals.
The mare could now take the step up to graded level over fences as she holds an entry for the Grade Two Hampton on Saturday, while she is also engaged in the William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby.
“She in at Warwick and Wetherby, my preference would be to go to Warwick over three miles, but we’ll just check on the ground conditions,” said Russell.
“I think three miles around Warwick would really suit her, she’s absolutely perfect after her last run and she’s back to being the queen she is!
“She’s really smart and I think at Leicester you saw that, she learnt throughout the race and by the end of it she was really confident in her jumping.”
Elsewhere in the Warwick race is Brave Kingdom, Paul Nicholls’ unbeaten eight-year-old who has two novice handicap victories to his name in two starts.
Nigel Twiston-Davies has entered Broadway Boy, an impressive winner of two successive Cheltenham contests in his last two starts.
Evan Williams has thrown Carbon King’s hat in the ring, a winner last time out at Ffos Las, while Dan Skelton may be represented by Grey Dawning, the winner of Apple Away’s chasing debut.
Joe Tizzard has an entry in The Changing Man, with Trelawne also on the list for Kim Bailey.
Joseph O’Brien is looking forward to seeing Banbridge make his belated reappearance in the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton on Saturday.
The eight-year-old won three of his five starts as a novice over fences last season, rounding off his campaign with a Grade One victory in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.
Also a Grade Two winner at Cheltenham and placed behind the top-class pair of Mighty Potter and El Fabiolo last term, Banbridge has not been seen since his success on Merseyside nine months ago, but is poised for a comeback this weekend.
“He’s an intended runner at the moment,” O’Brien confirmed on Monday.
“He’s missed a couple of races earlier this season, just because of unsuitable ground and things have meant he hasn’t got to run, but we’re looking forward to hopefully getting him started at Kempton.
“The spring was always going to be his time, he’s training well and everything has been going well. We’ll keep an eye on the going, but we’re looking forward to getting him started all being well.”
Banbridge is one of seven entries for the Grade Two, with the sponsors making him a 2-1 joint-favourite alongside the Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy, who was last seen winning the 1965 Chase at Ascot.
Alan King looks set to step Edwardstone up in trip, with the crack two-miler having proved no match for Jonbon in either the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham or the Tingle Creek at Sandown so far this season.
Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Notlongtillmay could represent Laura Morgan, while Willie Mullins could send Janidil across the Irish Sea.
Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock and Elixir De Nutz from Joe Tizzard’s yard are the other contenders.
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