Middlesbrough secured safe passage to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bradford at the University of Bradford Stadium.
Boro were keen to keep the momentum up from their first league victory, against Southampton at the weekend, and made all of the running in a first half capped by Emmanuel Latte Lath’s strike midway through.
The away side play two divisions higher than their Sky Bet League Two counterparts and made their quality count in the second half through Morgan Rogers as they secured a comfortable away win.
The Championship side came closest to the opener in the third minute after some neat link-up play unlocked the Bantams’ defence, with Tommy Smith sliding it into Lewis O’Brien who blazed over from close range.
The visitors, followed by a 4,000 strong travelling contingent, were on top for the early parts and were inches away from scoring the first but Samuel Silvera’s curling effort from outside the area skimmed the wrong side of a post.
It seemed only a matter of time before Boro got on the scoresheet, and they did just that when Latte-Lath received a ball from Hayden Hackney and squeezed it under Harry Lewis’ legs from inside the area.
Many would argue City’s keeper could have done better for the first but he did well to keep the deficit to one just a couple of minutes later as he remarkably stopped Latte Lath’s header from inside the six-yard box.
Bradford started the second period with more zest and had half an opening after Rayhaan Tulloch danced his way between the Boro defence but curled harmlessly wide of the target.
Boro doubled their lead in the 54th minute after Riley McGree’s square ball found a free Rogers, who easily tapped home to make it two.
Middlesbrough could have made it three just after the hour mark after Hackney flicked the ball into O’Brien, whose goalbound effort was palmed wide by Lewis.
Bradford’s efforts to get back into the encounter seemed tame, which led to large parts of the 15,000 crowd heading for the exit doors early.
The Bantams finally mustered their first shot on target in the 84th minute as Alex Pattison latched onto Tyler Smith’s through ball.
He made Thomas Glover pull off his first save of the night as Middlesbrough advanced in comfortable fashion.
On Saturday, September 23, 2023, the Fit Farm Fitness compound came alive with the power and determination of 45 out of 46 athletes participating in the GraceKennedy Money Services NPAJ National Deadlift Championship.
The platform was set for an intense competition that would determine the nation's strongest Deadlifter.
In a display of remarkable strength and skill, Roxroy Campbell, the reigning NPAJ 2022 male Deadlift Champion, successfully defended his title, solidifying his position as one of Jamaica's top powerlifters.
The female division saw the emergence of a new champion, Latasha Jackson, who was crowned the NPAJ female Deadlift Champion for 2023.
The growth and competitiveness of the NPAJ National Deadlift Championship were evident in the increased number of weight classes. The International Powerlifting Federation's sixteen (16) weight classes, divided equally between males and females, were well-represented, with thirteen (13) NPAJ athletes competing in various divisions.
This marked a significant expansion compared to the previous year when only ten (10) weight classes were contested. Furthermore, the 2023 championship witnessed an exciting development with nine (9) records from the 2022 Deadlift event being shattered, along with the establishment of three (3) new weight class records.
In the female’ s section, Deidre Lewis emerged as the champion in the 57 kg. weight class, lifting an impressive 134 kg. (295 lbs.) and accumulating 32.80 GL Points. It is worth noting that Deidre also set a new class record, further demonstrating her dominance in this category.
In the 63 kg. weight class championship, Dian Palmer emerged as the winner by lifting 100 kg. (220 lbs.) and scoring 22.18 GL Points. Dejanai Beckford, a new participant in NPAJ, secured the second position by lifting 93 kg. (205 lbs.) and scoring 21.54 GL Points. Beckford showed remarkable potential and is a rising star to watch in the future.
In the 69 kg. weight category, Shrona Scott emerged as the champion by lifting an impressive 152.27 kg. (335 lbs.) and earning 32.05 GL Points. Her remarkable performance not only secured her victory but also set a new record for the category, surpassing the previous mark set in 2022. Cheyenne Campbell closely followed in second place, also lifting 152.27 kg. (335 lbs.) with 31.63 GL Points, making it a fierce competition. Noellissa Swaby secured the third position with a lift of 95.45 kg. (210 lbs.) and 19.89 GL Points.
In the 76 kg. weight class, Chevaneese Powell successfully defended her title by lifting an impressive 159.09 kg. (350 lbs.) and earning 32.00 GL points. This remarkable achievement not only secured her title but also set a new record, surpassing her record from the previous year. However, Kishon Green and Nadesha Thompson were disqualified due to weight violations.
The 84 kg. weight class has a new champion in Latasha Jackson, a newcomer who lifted an astonishing 190.91 kg. (420 lbs.) and earned 36.34 GL Points. Latasha not only secured her victory but also set a new record, surpassing the previous mark set in 2022. Ayana Duhaney, the former class weight champion, secured the second position with a lift of 186.36 kg. (410 lbs.) and 35.72 GL Points. Tesi Scott claimed the third position by lifting 184.09 kg. (405 lbs.) and earning 35.16 GL Points.
In the 84 kg.+ weight class, Aiesha Denton successfully defended her title, lifting 188.64 kg. (415 lbs.) and scoring 33.35 GL Points. She also set a new record, surpassing her previous mark from 2022. Kerri-Ann McDonald, a newcomer, secured the second position by lifting 143.18 kg. (315 lbs.) and scoring 26.88 GL Points, while Kai Clarke finished third by lifting 136.36 kg. (300 lbs.) and scoring 24.63 GL Points. Unfortunately, Tashian Wallace was disqualification due to a weight violation.
In the men`s section of the 59 kg. weight class, Corey Taylor lifted an impressive 202.27 kg. (445 lbs.) to become the champion, setting a new class record and earning 31.48 GL points.
Competing in the 74 kg. weight class, Jaheem Forrester put on an impressive display of strength by lifting 247.73 kg. (545 lbs.) and earning 36.31 GL points. With this remarkable feat, Jaheem also set a new record, surpassing the previous mark of 147.4 kg. (325 lbs.) set by Raun Earle in 2022. Robert Williams, a Masters 3 athlete, secured the second spot in this class with a lift of 181.82 kg. (400 lbs.) and 28.13 GL points.
In the 83 kg. weight class, Nathan Dawkins was crowned class champion after lifting an incredible 268.18 kg. (590 lbs.) and earning 37.36 GL points. Nathan's performance set a new record, surpassing Jerome Tucker's previous mark of 249.4 kg. (550 lbs.) from 2022. Gary Adamson secured the second position by lifting 250 kg. (550 lbs.) and earning 34.65 GL points, while Nyib Howitt and Giovanni Land claimed the third and fourth positions, respectively. Unfortunately, Brent Lee and Joshua Ivey were disqualified due to weight violations.
The 93 kg. weight class saw defending champion Roxroy Campbell retaining his title with a powerful lift of 295.45 kg. (650 lbs.) and an impressive 39.35 GL points. Roxroy also established a new class record, surpassing Bruce Wilson's previous mark from the previous year. Stephaun Jarrett secured the second position with 279.55 kg. (615 lbs.) and 36.60 GL points, followed by Xavier McCarty, Mervin Barrett, Rushane Johnson, and Odijah Clarke. Daniel Palmer was disqualified for a weight violation.
In the 105 kg. weight class, the defending champion Staffon Commock maintained his title by lifting an incredible 300 kg. (660 lbs.) and earning 37.79 GL points. Staffon's remarkable performance set a new record for the class, surpassing his previous mark. The second position was secured by newcomer Ronald Oates, who lifted 265.91 kg. (585 lbs.) and earned 34.16 GL points.
Darren Thomas was declared the champion of the 120 kg. weight class after lifting an impressive 245.45 kg. (540 lbs.) and earning 29.02 GL points. This weight class previously had a record of 278.9 kg. (615 lbs.) held by Johnwayne Goulbourne since 2022, which remained unbeaten. The defending champion, Desmond Thompson, set a new record in the 120 kg+ weight class by lifting an impressive 322.73 kg. (710 lbs.) and earning 36.21 GL points. This surpassed his record from the previous year. Bruce Higgins secured second place with a lift of 295.45 kg. (650 lbs.), while Sashane Tomlinson finished third with 256.82 kg. (565 lbs.).
Mr. Michael Blair, the President of NPAJ, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all those who had contributed to making this championship a monumental achievement.
"This event was a culmination of countless hours of dedication and hard work," said Mr. Blair during an exclusive interview with Powerlifting Voice.
"Not only from our remarkable athletes but also from the dedicated NPAJ officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Their unwavering commitment and passion for the sport were instrumental in making this championship a reality."
Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi thanked his stalwarts for embracing the slew of new recruits at San Siro as the Nerazzurri blaze a trail at the top of Serie A.
There was some concern that the formula which saw Inter go all the way to an unexpected Champions League final and claim a creditable third place in the league might be addled by the transfer overhaul that took place over the summer.
Although European stars including Benjamin Pavard and Marcus Thuram were thrown into the mix, many clubs have found it is not always easy to create a winning team in the short term based solely on the quality of talent recruited.
Inzaghi told a press conference: “Our squad has undergone a lot of changes, but the players who were already here have been important. They’ve helped the newcomers – however experienced they are – understand how to adapt to the Inter world.
“I see real willingness: everyone has been working excellently and in a really determined fashion since July.”
Inter host Sassuolo on Wednesday having thumped city rivals AC Milan 5-1, drawn away at Real Sociedad and squeezed past Empoli 1-0 on Sunday, with a trip to Salernitana on the schedule for the upcoming weekend.
“It’ll be our fourth match in 10 days, with many players having also been away on international duty and done plenty of travelling,” Inzaghi added.
“However, I’m lucky enough to coach a competitive squad. We still need to train this afternoon and then I’ll make my choices.”
On the threat posed by Sassuolo, the former Lazio striker said: “They come into this game having beaten Juventus thanks to a really good display and they have a excellent coach who has his team really well organised.
“We need to be determined as we look to produce a big performance.”
His opposite number in the Neroverdi dugout, Alessio Dionisi, led his side to a 4-2 triumph over Juve last time out and told reporters: “The victory has given us awareness, and we obtained a great result against a better team.
“We know what we did on Sunday will not be enough against Inter because right now they are superior. They are superior to everyone.
“We must try to be the best possible version of Sassuolo, we made it on Saturday and we must do the same tomorrow against a team that seems unplayable.
“We’ll need courage and personality.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from September 26.
FootballPhil Jones was learning.
Gary Neville looked ahead.
Everton released a new limited-edition kid.
Happy birthday.
GolfJustin Rose was gearing up for the Ryder Cup.
CricketEngland recalled one of Jonny Bairstow’s best innings on his birthday.
Motor RacingBritain’s Jessica Hawkins became the first female in almost five years to drive a modern Formula One car during a recent test in Budapest.
Mercedes highlighted Lewis Hamilton’s 100th F1 win.
Red Bull saw a bit of Greece.
Happy birthday.
BoxingRicky Hatton had a new challenge.
The stage is set.
France’s coaching staff have “no doubts” injured captain Antoine Dupont will be available to play in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.
Scrum-half Dupont suffered a facial fracture on Thursday during his country’s 96-0 thrashing of Namibia.
The 26-year-old Toulouse player is due to report for training on Sunday, having undergone successful surgery.
Les Bleus assistant coach William Servat told a press conference on Tuesday: “Antoine is in great order today. The operation went very well, and he is resting.
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“He will return for training on Sunday. Friday and Saturday are our rest days, he will have the time to return in this period of time.
“I have no doubts about his ability to play in the quarter-final. I think it is reasonable to say that.”
France top Pool A following three successive victories and have a free weekend ahead of completing their group-stage fixtures on October 6 against Italy in Lyon.
The hosts are likely to face South Africa, Ireland or Scotland in the last eight of the tournament on the weekend of October 14-15 in Paris.
Derbyshire dominated the first day’s play as umpire Sue Redfern made history in the LV= County Championship fixture at Glamorgan.
Redfern became the first woman to stand as an umpire in a men’s first-class match in England and Wales as she joined Graham Lloyd in the middle for the Division Two clash.
Luis Reece made an unbeaten 139 and it was Lloyd’s finger which went up for the wickets of Harry Came and Brooke Guest as the visitors reached 308 for two.
Guest made 96 and put on 180 for the second wicket with Reece, who had captain Leus du Plooy for company on 22 not out at stumps.
The unbeaten In The Headlines uncorked a huge win in Monday’s Trinidad Derby to become the first filly ever to complete the Triple Crown at Santa Rosa Park.
As the 8-5 second choice, In the Headlines took control down the backstretch and easily repelled a late challenge from stablemate and 1-5 favourite Hello World to score by 1-1/2 lengths in the TT$115,222 (US$17,022) Classic.
It was a fourth-consecutive Derby win for champion trainer John O’Brien, while jockey Rico Hernandez celebrated his first.
In the Headlines, who scored big wins in the earlier Triple Crown legs – the Guineas and the Midsummer Classic – clocked two minutes 10.72 seconds for the 10-furlong trip.
The result also gave O’Brien his third Triple Crown win overall and second in four years after Momentum in 2014 and Wise Guy in 2020.
The journey to next year's ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA continues, with Bermuda set to host the Americas Qualifier from 30 September to 7 October 2023.
Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands and Panama will battle it out in a double round-robin format, over six days to earn a place in the 2024 edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup – the biggest one yet, featuring 20 teams in total.
As host, Bermuda will look to continue their good form from winning the Subregional Qualifier, to return to the biggest stage in men’s T20 cricket, after their historical appearance in 2007.
Canada, arguably the favourites of the event, will look to confirm this and seal their ticket to a new World Cup participation. The Cayman Islands are a regular fixture in the regional final but are yet to go through, and, as such, they will push hard to make it this time. Panama are underdogs, as their participation may come as a surprise to many, but with no real pressure on their backs, this could allow them to play freely and upset the main candidates.
This event promises to be a competitive affair, with the four teams confident of their chances of making it through to the main stage.
Owen Burrows considers Hukum’s light campaign to be a help and not a hindrance ahead of his bid for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The Shadwell-owned colt has been seen just twice this year, winning the Brigadier Gerard Stakes after almost a year off the track when making his seasonal debut in May.
He defeated Derby hero Desert Crown on that occasion and subsequently side-stepped Royal Ascot as the ground was unsuitably quick.
That left the horse off the track for 65 days when he lined up for a hugely-competitive renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but the absence did nothing to stop him edging out Ralph Beckett’s Westover by a head in thrilling finish.
There will be gap of a similar length between that performance and Sunday’s race and with the bay proven to go well fresh, Burrows has few concerns about his sparse season.
He said: “I’m more than happy to bring him in off the back of his King George win, he’s proven as he won first time in Dubai last year on Super Saturday.
“He won the Brigadier Gerard and then we weren’t able to run at Royal Ascot as the ground was a bit quick, so he went to the King George after a bit of a break.
“He’s obviously a horse who runs well fresh and we’re confident we can get him there in a good spot.”
Burrows has been satisfied with Hukum’s work since he was last seen on track, and is especially pleased with how he seems to be thriving at six after a serious injury robbed him of a year of racing following his 2022 Coronation Cup victory.
“We’ve been very pleased with him, obviously that (the King George) was at the end of July so he’s had a nice easy couple of weeks after that,” the trainer said.
“We’ve had a nice amount of time to slowly bring him up for this very important race now.
“I think it’s pretty obvious to see with his form this year that he is better than ever, it looked last season like he was on the up when he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
“Unfortunately he picked up his injury there, which stopped his season, but from an early stage this year when we started working him again, he showed all his old enthusiasm and his work was better than ever.
“For whatever reason he looks as though he’s found a bit from somewhere this year, he was able to win the Brigadier Gerard over a mile and a quarter. He certainly is as as good as ever.”
Owen Burrows considers Hukum’s light campaign to be a help and not a hindrance ahead of his bid for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The Shadwell-owned colt has been seen just twice this year, winning the Brigadier Gerard Stakes after almost a year off the track when making his seasonal debut in May.
He defeated Derby hero Desert Crown on that occasion and subsequently side-stepped Royal Ascot as the ground was unsuitably quick.
That left the horse off the track for 65 days when he lined up for a hugely-competitive renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but the absence did nothing to stop him edging out Ralph Beckett’s Westover by a head in thrilling finish.
There will be gap of a similar length between that performance and Sunday’s race and with the bay proven to go well fresh, Burrows has few concerns about his sparse season.
He said: “I’m more than happy to bring him in off the back of his King George win, he’s proven as he won first time in Dubai last year on Super Saturday.
“He won the Brigadier Gerard and then we weren’t able to run at Royal Ascot as the ground was a bit quick, so he went to the King George after a bit of a break.
“He’s obviously a horse who runs well fresh and we’re confident we can get him there in a good spot.”
Burrows has been satisfied with Hukum’s work since he was last seen on track, and is especially pleased with how he seems to be thriving at six after a serious injury robbed him of a year of racing following his 2022 Coronation Cup victory.
“We’ve been very pleased with him, obviously that (the King George) was at the end of July so he’s had a nice easy couple of weeks after that,” the trainer said.
“We’ve had a nice amount of time to slowly bring him up for this very important race now.
“I think it’s pretty obvious to see with his form this year that he is better than ever, it looked last season like he was on the up when he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
“Unfortunately he picked up his injury there, which stopped his season, but from an early stage this year when we started working him again, he showed all his old enthusiasm and his work was better than ever.
“For whatever reason he looks as though he’s found a bit from somewhere this year, he was able to win the Brigadier Gerard over a mile and a quarter. He certainly is as as good as ever.”
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has cranked up the emotion in the team room this week by bringing his players to tears but it is all part of the plan to get his stars ready to regain the trophy from the United States.
The tactic of having messages from family relayed in meetings during the build-up has been well used in the past by both sides and the Americans will have undoubtedly done the same at Marco Simone.
And while the videos tug at the heartstrings, they are used as a tool to help boost confidence and reinforce the reasons for their presence in Rome this week.
“It’s an emotional week and even some of the stuff that’s happened already this week would get you quite emotional,” said Irishman Shane Lowry, who famously said after the defeat in Whistling Straits two years ago he had cried then – but not for his 2019 Open win or the birth of his first child.
“There’s videos that are played in the team rooms in the evenings, motivational videos and it just kind of hits home a little bit.
“I’m not going to elaborate much further than that, but Luke and his team have done a great job already this week on Monday and Tuesday.”
World number three Jon Rahm did, however, expand a little further on what they have been viewing behind closed doors.
“I don’t know how much of that they’re going to post, so that’s kind of personal for us,” he added.
“There’s very few players not shedding a few tears yesterday afternoon. I can say that.
“It was a lot of family-related (content) and the reason why all of us are here. If you guys (the media) were to watch it, it would make you feel a lot of the same emotions we felt.”
While family are leant on heavily for such contributions, the players often seek out reassurance and advice from other sources and Rahm did not think twice about taking counsel from his good friend and record Ryder Cup points scorer Sergio Garcia.
His fellow Spaniard is ineligible to play having resigned his European Tour membership following his move to LIV Golf and despite Rahm campaigning for his inclusion, only a couple of weeks ago calling his omission “stupid” and even Garcia himself trying to negotiate a way in, there was no way back for the 43-year-old.
But that has not stopped Rahm consulting his countryman – and former Ryder Cup talisman Ian Poulter who was not considered for the same reasons – as late as Monday.
“I did talk to him (Garcia) and ask for advice. He did show me a lot of what to do at Whistling and obviously in Paris, as well,” added the Masters champion.
“But I did have a little bit of a chat with him, and with Poulter, as well.
“Poulter was a little bit longer than last week. Sergio as recently as yesterday.
“Not that it’s going to be easy to take on the role that those two had both on and off the golf course, but just to hear them talk about what they thought and what they felt is obviously invaluable information.”
The dynamic within the team room often plays a huge part in the overall success of the team and as Europe look to bounce back from their record defeat in Wisconsin, Lowry said fighting for a common cause was galvanising.
“I think being a part of something that is bigger than you or anything else is pretty cool,” he said.
“Whistling Straits (a 19-9 defeat) was hard to take but it was quite motivating for me coming away from that and it’s quite motivating for me this week.
“I’m looking forward to going out there and hopefully earning some points for Europe and hopefully we can all do a great job at trying to win the trophy back.”
Foniska made every yard of the running to take home Listed honours in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Navigation Stakes at Cork.
Trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, Foniska was sent off a 12-1 for the mile prize having last been seen when beating only one horse home in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
That run came on quick ground, but conditions were much more testing at Cork, with Foniska relishing the challenge to come home three lengths clear of Snapraeterea and Clever And Cool beaten a further two and a quarter lengths in third.
Foley felt a combination of front-running tactics and soft to heavy ground had played to the Galileo filly’s strengths.
He said: “She has enjoyed making the running in the past. She had a good run in the Salsabil in Navan on deep ground and I think the key to her is ground.
“She went to Ascot when the ground was very firm and came back sore, but Mrs Harrington and (daughter and assistant) Kate have done a good job to get her back.
“Her work has really come on in the last couple of weeks and we were quietly confident coming down today, with the ground the way it was. I liked the way she picked up between the three (furlong pole) and the two and even down to the one again. She kept quickening and gave me a feel.”
Foniska sports the colours of the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables and Foley added: “I think she is improving and I don’t know if she’s in the (owner’s) dispersal sale or not, but if she stays in training, she will definitely compete in those better races next year on soft ground.
“Jessie will be delighted as the Niarchos family are massive supporters of our yard and it is a good time to be having good winners with the sales on.”
Course officials are expecting good to soft ground for both days of this weekend’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at ParisLongchamp.
Conditions were described as very soft when Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista claimed victory in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest 12 months ago, while the going was heavy when Torquator Tasso caused a huge upset for Germany in 2021.
Testing terrain also prevailed for the Arc triumphs of Sottsass in 2020 and Waldgeist in 2019, meaning this weekend’s ground is likely to be the quickest it has been for Arc day since Enable successfully defended her crown in 2018 – the first renewal staged following ParisLongchamp’s redevelopment.
Charles de Cordon, clerk of the course at ParisLongchamp, said: “We are preparing for a very big weekend for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. I would like to point out that the track is new, having not been used since July 14, because on the day of the Qatar Arc Trials the rail was at nine metres, so we now have eight metres of new ground for the weekend.
“Since the Arc trials we have aerated the track with a mechanical spiker, which means there is better water infiltration. We also did some mechanical seeding to densify the turf and the turf has been rolled in order to get a smooth track.
“This week it is mainly just maintaining the track. It was mowed on Monday, it will be mowed on Wednesday and for the last time on Friday so that the grass has a height of 10 centimetres.
“The track is in very good condition.”
The official going on Tuesday was described as soft – but with little or no rainfall forecast for the coming days and no plans to water in place, conditions are expected to dry out slightly between now and the start of racing on Saturday.
De Cordon added: “The weather forecast is for our nicest days today and tomorrow and then from Thursday onwards temperatures will drop again.
“It is drying, but it is drying very slowly because we have a very heavy dew in the morning and it evaporates very slowly.
“For the weekend we believe that the ground is going to be good to soft. I get a lot of questions about whether we are going to water the track and that is not the case – we are not watering the track for Saturday nor for Sunday.
“There is a 25 per cent chance that it might rain on Thursday and Friday, but it will be very little – somewhere between zero and two millimetres, which will not make any difference to the track.”
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