Herbie Kane hit the winner for promotion-chasing Barnsley as they beat second-bottom Fleetwood 2-1.

The Tykes had led through Sam Cosgrove’s header midway through the first half, but Bosun Lawal brought the relegation-battling Cod Army level with a stunning long-range strike.

Barnsley, League One’s best travellers with just one away defeat all season, won via Kane’s goal on the hour mark.

Cosgrove had sent a perfectly-placed header from Adam Phillips’ cross inside the far post to give the visitors the lead.

But with just over half an hour played, Lawal let fly with a rocket that beat Liam Roberts’ despairing dive and found the top corner.

Fleetwood had deserved to go in level at the break as, once they had fallen behind, Promise Omochere headed wide from close range and a towering header by Ben Heneghan was brilliantly tipped over by Roberts.

In the second half a chance at either end went begging, Ronan Coughlan denied by Roberts and Nicky Cadden shooting wide for Barnsley.

Kane restored the lead in the 59th minute, slotting into the bottom corner from another Phillips pass.

Fleetwood forward Coughlan was thwarted by Mael de Gevigney’s tackle and at the other end Phillips saw a fierce shot palmed away by Jay Lynch.

Home midfielder Gavin Kilkenny sent a powerful strike inches over in stoppage time, and the visitors managed to see out the victory.

Cyril Ngonge scored a last-gasp equaliser as Napoli’s meek defence of their Serie A title continued with a home draw against Genoa.

A first league crown in 23 years last season already seems a distant memory but Walter Mazzarri will take some solace in seeing his side rescue a 1-1 draw late on after Morten Frendrup had put the visitors ahead.

The result means Napoli sit ninth in Serie A – six points off the top four – as, for the second time this season, they came from behind to draw with Genoa.

With talismanic striker Victor Osimhen watching from the stands after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Napoli started well.

Matteo Politano and Giovanni Simeone were lively, the latter heading a decent chance wide at the midway point of the first half.

Alex Meret made a good save to keep out a Mateo Retegui header with the visitors starting to come into the game.

The sides went in level at the interval but Genoa would break the deadlock soon after the restart.

A ball into Retegui on the penalty spot was cleared to the edge of the Napoli box, where Danish midfielder Frendrup finished with aplomb.

Ngonge had a sight of goal as Napoli chased a leveller, while a Frank Anguissa header came close to extending the Genoa advantage.

With time running out for Mazzarri’s side, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost equalised with three minutes to go but Josep Martinez kept out his effort.

There was nothing the Spain goalkeeper could do, though, soon after as Napoli finally worked a way through.

A deep cross was headed down by captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Ngonge was on hand to fire home his first Napoli goal since joining from Hellas Verona in January – salvaging a point for the hosts.

Andy Murray has vowed to keep playing tennis as he looks for an end to his losing run.

The former world number one has lost his last six matches stretching back to October and slipped to 50th in the ATP rankings.

The 36-year-old has faced questions about his future but, ahead of playing in next week’s Qatar Open, he has shared his determination to keep going.

“I can do whatever I want,” Murray told Sky Sports Tennis.

“I don’t have to do what fans or journalists or anyone is telling me to do.

“I’m qualifying for all of these tournaments on my right, on my ranking from the matches I’ve won. I want to keep playing just now. I’m not going to stop.”

Murray will face a qualifier in the first round of the Qatar Open, a competition he won in 2008 and 2009 and finished runner-up in 2017 and 2023.

The three-time grand slam singles champion admits he has found his start to the year hard, but is hoping he can return to form.

He added: “Tennis-wise it hasn’t been a great start to the year. I’ve never experienced a period like this as a professional. It’s been difficult, a new experience for me (which) is not the nicest, but good to experience new things and try and learn from them.

“I was never a great practice player, I didn’t used to win practice matches, exhibition matches. It’s been the complete opposite for me recently.

“I know there’s better tennis in me than I’m showing just now, but I’m hoping I can turn it around.”

Yeah Man provided trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Sean Flanagan with their first ever success at Haydock with a dour staying performance in the Virgin Bet Grand National Trial.

The Irish raider was a 9-2 joint-favourite for the £100,000 feature, having finished a close second to Victtorino on his most recent trip across the water for Ascot’s Silver Cup in December.

With conditions ultra-testing, the three-and-a-half-mile contest was not for the faint hearted, and in the end it turned into a straight shootout between the bold-jumping grey My Silver Lining and Yeah Man, who stalked the mare into the home straight.

My Silver Lining looked to be travelling the better of the pair three fences from the finish, but Cromwell’s charge started to get on top late on and passed the post with a length and a half in hand.

Yeah Man is not entered in the Randox Grand National at Aintree but Cromwell, who decided against making the trip to Merseyside, is eyeing the Irish equivalent.

He said: “I’m delighted with that and I think he deserved it after a couple of defeats at Ascot.

“We weren’t sure about the ground, but he got through it well. I’d say we’ll go for the Irish Grand National now. He wouldn’t have got into it off his current mark, but he will get in now.

“I think we’ll skip Cheltenham, he may have an entry in the Kim Muir but I’d say he’s most likely to go for the Irish Grand National.

“I’ve never had a winner at Haydock before and I’ve never been. It’s a great result.”

Flanagan said: “It was a very good performance and I’ve actually fallen off him after the line. He just stood on himself and I went over his head.

“The only worry we had was the ground. He had one run on it last year (and disappointed), but I rode him that day and things just weren’t right for him on the day anyway and he didn’t finish out.

“He was duly rewarded today as he’s been knocking on the door and tipped up (at Ascot) two runs back.

“He jumped really well today, he’s a dour stayer and he’s done it really well.”

Jurgen Klopp praised an “exceptional” Liverpool performance in defeating Brentford 4-1 at the Gtech Stadium to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah scored on his first appearance since returning from a hamstring tear picked up on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo also on target.

But the win came at a cost as Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both lost to what looked significant injuries in the first half.

Jones left the stadium on crutches after injuring his ankle and Jota departed the pitch on a stretcher, whilst Nunez was also withdrawn with a knock.

Of Jones’ injury, Klopp said: “We have to see how (bad). We don’t know that yet. The fact Curtis cannot play on tells you it must be something because he would have played on at all costs.

“Diogo looks worse. I didn’t see it back but I heard the pictures didn’t look great. We have to see there.

“Darwin we took off because he said he felt a little something but it was enough for us to push the break, so we took him off.

“The performance level could have dropped (after the injuries), but it was the other way around.

“We played an exceptional game, by far the best game we’ve played at Brentford. Dealing with all the specific situations they create, and being as dominated you can somehow be, be calm in the right moments, be direct in the right moments, use their man-marking, play against the line. All these kind of things. I saw a top game.”

The league leaders went in front 10 minutes before half-time with a fine goal on the counter, Jota’s header setting up Nunez, who finished with a superb chip over the advancing goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Mac Allister made it two after 55 minutes, showing exquisite close control to beat his defender after being set up by a deft cross from Salah and poking the ball with his toe into the corner.

Liverpool were by now rampant and Salah capped his comeback with a goal of his own, outmuscling Nathan Collins to put the result behind doubt.

Ivan Toney replied for Brentford with his fourth goal since returning from an eight-month ban for gambling offences but the reprieve was momentary, and five minutes from time Gakpo got free in the box and stroked it past Flekken to ensure Liverpool would finish the weekend still on top of the Premier League table.

Liverpool face Luton at Anfield in the league on Wednesday before attentions turn to the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea next Sunday.

Klopp was buoyed by the performance of the returning Salah, but acknowledged the loss of Jones and Jota creates a problem ahead of the trip to Wembley.

“Mo played the first game for weeks,” said Klopp. “He could have had a hat-trick. The goal he scored was absolutely outstanding. Cody’s goal was absolutely outstanding as well.

“You can count the games coming up. It would be helpful if we had a bit more than one (player) for each position. But it’s all fine. That’s the situation and we cannot change it.

“I can’t remember one day here that it was easy, no problems at all.  We have problems. We don’t know exactly how big they are. As long as we have 11 players we will go for it.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank reflected on a game that got away from his side after they conceded the first goal.

“I thought we were brilliant the first 35 minutes, the best team, created a lot of good moments,” he said. “We should have showed more coolness to create bigger chances.

“We concede the first goal, we knew we were facing a team who are probably the best in the world at transitions.

“It was the first goal we’ve conceded from an offensive set-piece in two years.”

Threeunderthrufive put himself in the Randox Grand National picture with a terrific display off top-weight in the Injured Jockeys Fund Ambassadors Programme Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot.

Despite being three-time winner over fences, he had not found the scoresheet since his novice days where he was deemed good enough to compete in Grade One company at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, two encouraging runs in defeat this season suggested a victory was not far away and having disputed the lead for the majority of the £100,000 event with Dan Skelton’s Shan Blue, he showed his class to come home a length ahead of Henry Daly’s fast-closing Rapper.

The 5-1 winner was trimmed to 25-1 from 33s by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Aintree showpiece in April, and with Paul Nicholls ruling out a run at Prestbury Park next month, that assignment could be next for the McNeill family-owned nine-year-old.

“He’s got an entry for the National and he jumped really well today,” said Nicholls.

“He wouldn’t want the ground too soft, that (ground) today was just perfect for him and he will also have an entry in the Scottish National and the bet365 Gold Cup (at Sandown).

“He’s not going to go to Cheltenham in three weeks’ time, I wouldn’t have thought, and Max (McNeill, owner) is quite keen on him running in the National.”

He added: “I’ve always had a reservation about his jumping, but today it was as good as I’ve ever seen him jump. But he’s also better right-handed so there’s lots of things to consider and think about.

“For me the perfect race for him is the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown at the end of the season, but whether we go to Aintree or not, we will all have a chat and make a plan.

“We’ll see what Max wants to do and what Harry (Cobden) thinks. Harry I think is lukewarm, so I will see what he says, but it was nice to win a £100,000 race with him off that mark. He’s a good horse who has deserved to win a nice race.”

Jockey Joe Anderson was able to breathe a sigh of relief after Neil Mulholland’s Mothill continued his rise up the handicap hurdle ranks in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Handicap Hurdle.

Anderson garnered plenty of praise for his miraculous recovery aboard Transmission at Plumpton last month but having dropped his whip, he had a willing partner to get him trouble as the 18-1 shot Mothill outbattled Ben Pauling’s Bad at the finish.

“I never realised Joe had dropped his stick until he came back in so if he had got beat he would have been a bit unlucky,” said Mulholland

“He’s such a solid genuine little horse and stuck his head down all the way to the line, it was a great result.

“I think this shows you how solid of a little performer he is. He got into a bit of trouble round Kempton last time and we were hoping he could be placed today, so to win it is a bonus.

“We will see what the handicapper does today and he can’t get carried away too much and we can make the entries and if he doesn’t get in then you have Aintree.

“Somewhere like Aintree might suit him and I know this is quite a stiff finish from Swinley Bottom, but he’s a versatile little horse. There’s a few handicaps we can look at.”

Harry Cobden excelled as Pic D’Orhy put in a faultless display of jumping to make every yard of the running in the Betfair Ascot Chase.

Second to Shishkin in the Grade One feature 12 months ago, the Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old put Venetia Williams’ Gold Cup contender L’Homme Presse to the sword from a long way out.

Cobden and his mount soon had the favourite out of his comfort zone with some slick jumping and very quickly had a five-length lead.

By meeting every fence on a good stride he was gaining ground all the time, and Charlie Deutsch was niggling away on L’Homme Presse, who was always jumping to his left.

Going down the back straight L’Homme Presse, Ahoy Senor and the big outsider Sail Away began to close in, but Cobden had saved plenty.

Rounding the home bend he kicked Pic D’Orhy clear and the 13-8 chance put in a marvellous leap at the last to seal a five-and-a-half-length win from L’Homme Presse.

AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has reiterated his commitment to the club and stressed he wants to return the Italian giants to the top of the European game.

The Rossoneri have endured an inconsistent season, featuring a disappointing group-stage exit from the Champions League while they trail fierce rivals Inter by 11 points in Serie A.

That has built pressure on Cardinale, chief executive of Milan owners RedBird Capital, following the controversial dismissal of directors Frederic Massara and Paolo Maldini last summer.

Amid continuing speculation over the future of head coach Stefano Pioli, who delivered the title to Milan in 2022, and talk of investment from Saudi Arabia, Cardinale has outlined his long-term vision for the seven-time European champions.

“I’m here to stay for a long time, I have a job to do. I’m committed to bringing Milan back to the top of Serie A and Europe and I won’t stop before I’ve achieved these results,” Cardinale said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

“And when we have reached them, I will want to reach them again.

“We have changed a lot and it takes time to create a cohesive team. However, we are growing, close to second place, and credit for this must be given to the players, staff and coach. I will be satisfied when we win the Champions League.

“Not being happy at a certain stage doesn’t necessarily translate into firing the coach. I believe that Pioli is doing a good job in a difficult situation, with a very renewed team, I don’t give in to the temptation to fire someone just to change something.

“I’ll say, the season is still long, anything can happen, we’ll see. We need to improve in many things, with injuries for example. Everyone, starting with me, needs to do a better job. But I’m not quitting, I’ll be here for a long time. Nobody wants to win more than me.”

Milan’s form has been impressive either side of Christmas and Pioli’s team have lost just once in all competitions since December 9.

Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League first-leg victory at Rennes was a third straight win and the Rossoneri make the short trip to Monza on Sunday full of confidence.

Monza have won just one of their last five matches and sit 12th in Serie A.

“Milan have many qualities, they defend well and attack well. Pioli is doing an excellent job both in the league and in the Europa League,” Monza manager Raffaele Palladino said at his pre-match press conference.

“A team that knows what to do and when to do it. Difficult to face, but they are not unbeatable, we will try to put them in difficulty by exploiting a few weaknesses they have.”

Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa both scored twice as Atletico Madrid thrashed Las Palmas in a huge 5-0 home win to get back on track in LaLiga.

Javi Munoz hit the woodwork for the visitors early on, but Diego Simeone's men soon assumed full control when Llorente scored twice in a five-minute span to put them two goals up inside 20 minutes.

Atletico ensured they warmed up for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Inter in style when Correa struck 73 seconds into the second half, before doubling his tally from the penalty spot just after the hour mark. Substitute Memphis Depay then put the icing on the cake with a late long-range strike.

The hosts were beaten by Sevilla in their last league match and had suffered an away loss to Las Palmas in November's reverse fixture, but they have now won four in a row at home and sit five points clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao and level with Barcelona, who face Celta Vigo later on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Home dominance continues

Atletico are unbeaten at home in La Liga this season, with 12 wins and one draw from their 13 league matches in front of their own fans. Looking further back, they have now gone 24 such games without defeat dating back to January 2023.

Llorente's double was his first since scoring twice in a match against Eibar in April 2021, while Correa – who also registered an assist – had not scored in more than two months prior to this fixture. Atleti were worthy winners, accumulating 2.29 xG to Las Palmas' 0.59.

Botox Has appears unlikely to throw his hat into the Stayers’ Hurdle ring despite registering a wide-margin victory in the Virgin Bet Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.

The eight-year-old has been a fine servant to his connections, with two wins at Cheltenham, a National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell and a Grade Three handicap win at Haydock last season featuring on his CV.

Gary Moore’s charge kicked off the current campaign with success in the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby and has since finished sixth in both the Long Walk at Ascot and the Cleeve at Cheltenham.

Returning to a track and conditions he clearly handles well, Botox Has was set off at 5-2 to complete a big-race double for his trainer and jockey Caoilin Quinn following Salver’s comfortable triumph in the preceding Virgin Bet Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle.

And after sitting in the slipstream of 6-4 favourite Butch for much of the extended three-mile journey, the eight-year-old took over in the home straight and pulled nine lengths clear on the run-in.

Betfair trimmed Botox Has’ Stayers’ Hurdle odds to 20-1 from 66-1, but Moore’s son and assistant Josh expects him sidestep the Cheltenham Festival in favour of other options.

He said: “He’s won very well and I think he likes a flat track. For all he’s won at Cheltenham and Fontwell in the past, I think a flat track sees the best of him, like at Wetherby and here at Haydock in a handicap hurdle last year.

“I think we’ll probably bypass Cheltenham. He is in the Stayers’, but I don’t think he’ll go there. We might consider the Grade One at Aintree and we may also consider going to France in the spring for the French Champion Hurdle, and there are other races for him there as well.

“We’ll probably save him for Aintree first as I think the track there will suit him and we’ll hope for a soft ground Aintree.”

Moore was keen to praise the winning rider, whose opportunities looks sure to increase after Josh’s brother Jamie joined him in retirement earlier this week.

He added: “Caoilin is riding very well and he’s actually closing in a bit on the conditional title leader (Patrick Wadge), so hopefully he’ll have a good go at that.”

Salver took another step towards a potential outing at next month’s Cheltenham Festival after maintaining his unbeaten Virgin Bet Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle at Haydock.

Gary Moore’s youngster had impressed in winning each of his first three starts to date, never more so than when beating his rivals by upwards of 21 lengths in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow over the Christmas period.

The son of Motivator was bidding to make it four from four over obstacles on Merseyside – and while he made a couple of small jumping errors in the extremely testing conditions, the 2-5 favourite was ultimately not hard pressed to score by three and a half lengths in the hands of Caoilin Quinn.

Josh Moore, assistant to his father, said: “He’s done it nicely and it’s sort of a case of he’s done what he had to do.

“I think he can be better than he was today as he was quite wound up beforehand, which he isn’t usually.

“It’s proper heavy ground out there and they’ll either go on it or they won’t. As we saw at Chepstow, he goes on it, but Haydock heavy is completely different to anywhere else.”

Paddy Power trimmed Salver’s odds for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham to 10-1 from 14-1, while he is 8-1 from 12-1 with the same firm for the Boodles.

However, Moore junior revealed his Festival participation will be ground dependent.

“I think he will only be going there if it is soft or worse than soft. You’d definitely want to be seeing soft in the going description anyway,” he added.

“If it’s a good ground Triumph I can’t see him running there. It’s quite a big occasion for a young horse, there’s Aintree afterwards and you’ve got the option of France as well.

“There’s lots of options and we wouldn’t be in a rush to make any decisions. He’s a nice horse.”

Mohamed Salah scored on his Premier League return as Liverpool eased to a 4-1 win at Brentford.

Coming off the bench for his first appearance since injuring a hamstring on duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, he netted his side’s third goal moments after making a brilliant assist for Alexis Mac Allister to make it 2-0.

Darwin Nunez had opened the scoring with a superbly-taken chip to cap a wonderful counter attack in the first half as Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders ensure they would finish the weekend still on top.

Ivan Toney continued his goalscoring form since returning from his gambling ban to briefly give Brentford hope at 3-1.

It was a fleeting moment of optimism, quickly extinguished when substitute Cody Gakpo stroked home Liverpool’s fourth in the closing minutes.

Henry’s Friend held off the late lunge of Kilbeg King to successfully move up in class and win the Sodexo Live! Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot, on a tremendous afternoon for trainer Ben Pauling and jockey Ben Jones.

Pauling fitted Henry’s Friend with cheekpieces for the first time, despite him winning his last two outings.

And it certainly had the desired effect, as he showed real determination in the closing stages to win the Grade Two in the hands of Ben Jones.

Brave Kingdom attempted to make all, but he was beaten a long way from home which left 13-8 favourite Apple Away in front.

She could never quite break away, however, as Henry’s Friend, Kilbeg King and outsider The King Of Ryhope all had a chance jumping two out.

It was Henry’s Friend (13-2) who toughed it out best, winning by a head and earning a quote of 10-1 for the National Hunt Chase with Paddy Power, although Cheltenham is unlikely to be on the winner’s radar, as Pauling explained.

“He didn’t jump well enough early doors and it was fortunate for him they didn’t go much of a gallop,” he said.

“I thought they would go a right gallop and if they had done he wouldn’t have been in it. But he was brave from the back of the last and his jumping got better and he keeps improving.

“I thought he was well handicapped, but I just thought he would be better off in a smaller field. I’m thrilled because he had to improve and he has.

“He wants every yard (of three miles) and he will be a lovely staying chaser in time. Stamina would never be a worry for me with this lad.

“He’s got an entry at Cheltenham in the amateur chase, but I doubt he wants to go there after that – that looked a bit of a ding-dong and to go there so quickly might be stupid.

“We might look at Aintree for him or something like that, but I think that will do for now.”

Pauling also claimed the opening Ascot Shop Novices’ Hurdle with Pic Roc (11-2) as he continues to add to his crack team of promising youngsters.

His second to Hasthing at Catterick saw him qualify for Sandown’s European Breeders’ Fund Betfair ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final and having downed the well-regarded 13-8 favourite Inthewaterside, his handler confirmed that would be his next assignment.

“He’s a nice horse who I’ve always thought plenty of but haven’t managed to win with him,” added Pauling.

“If you are going to lose your maiden status, here is a great place in a nice race.

“He will go to the EBF Final and he qualified for that at Catterick (when second to Hasthing). I just needed to get a run into him and tried that at Doncaster last week but it snowed.

“He doesn’t jump well enough to be a top-class novice this year – he needs a fence. But he will be a lovely novice chaser next year. He’s not a star of hurdles but he might be a nice staying chaser next year.

“We’ll just chuck him in the EBF, see how we get on and then maybe pull stumps for the year. We’ve got a lot entered in that race this year, but he would probably right towards the top of them now.”

The double marked a big Saturday afternoon for Jones, who has become a key member of Pauling’s Naunton Downs team following the retirement of Luca Morgan and steered home Harry Redknapp’s Shakem Up’Arry at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

“I’m absolutely delighted and it’s easy when you have nice horses underneath you,” said the 24-year-old.

“I’m just lucky that I’m able to go out and perform against the big boys and the big horses, so I’m delighted.

“As a jockey all you want to do is ride in the bigger races and at the bigger meetings and winners like that on the big stage mean a lot.

“The better the horse, the better the jockey and I’ve had a couple of willing partners today.”

And it was so nearly the stuff of dreams for the pair, with Bad going agonisingly close to giving them a quickfire hat-trick in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Handicap Hurdle but just missing out to Mothill in a bob of heads on the line.