Steven Gerrard was introduced as the new manager of Rangers, on this day in 2018.
Gerrard would not take up the post until June 1 as he saw out the season with Liverpool’s academy, but said it was a “no-brainer” to take up his first role in management with the Glasgow giants.
The former England midfielder replaced Graeme Murty, who had been sacked three days earlier in the wake of a 5-0 loss to reigning Scottish champions Celtic.
Murty had stepped into the role on an interim basis after Pedro Caixinha’s exit the previous October, agreeing a deal to the end of the season in December.
Gerrard’s task was clear – to bring Rangers back to the level required to reclaim the Scottish crown that Celtic had just clinched for a seventh-consecutive season.
Gerrard’s former Liverpool team-mate Gary McAllister joined as his assistant, while Michael Beale followed from Liverpool’s academy to be part of the backroom staff.
Over the next three-and-a-half years, Gerrard went on to succeed in many of the goals he started with.
In his first season, he guided Rangers into the group stage of the Europa League for the first time in seven years and delivered a first Old Firm victory in six years, although Celtic would claim an eighth-straight league title regardless.
There was further improvement in the second campaign as they reached the last 16 of the Europa League and recorded a first win at Parkhead in eight years, but beating Celtic to the title would need to wait until the third season – one which began behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
When it came, Gerrard’s league-winning season was superb. Gers finished the league campaign unbeaten, winning three Old Firm derbies. They amassed 102 points and conceded only 13 goals.
It would be Gerrard’s last full season in charge as Aston Villa came calling the following November, luring him away at a time when his side were top of the table again.
Gerrard could not replicate his success in the Premier League and was sacked early in his second campaign after less than a year in charge, but his time at Ibrox is still remembered fondly in one half of Glasgow.
Carlos Alcaraz remains on course to defend his Madrid Open title after he powered past a determined Karen Khachanov to reach the last four.
The top seed eventually prevailed 6-4 7-5 but only after he staged an impressive fight back in the second set to book a third ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season.
Alcaraz’s clay-court winning streak now stands at nine and he has tasted victory in 19 of his past 20 matches, claiming title triumphs in Indian Wells and Barcelona along the way.
A hard-fought opener went the way of the Spaniard, who celebrates his 20th birthday on Friday, but the second set did not initially go to plan.
Khachanov built up a 5-2 lead and looked set to force a decider only for Alcaraz to find his A-game with a string of winners and drop shots to eventually earn victory in one hour and 51 minutes.
“It was pretty tough. The first set as well, it was close,” said Alcaraz.
“I was in trouble in the second set, a break down and [he had] two break points to have the second break. So, it was really tough for me to come back and he had his chances to win the second set.
“Luckily I knew I was going to have my chances. I just tried to take my opportunities and I’m really happy to get through.”
Borna Coric will face Alcaraz for a place in the Madrid Open final on Friday in what will be their first ever meeting.
The Croatian got the better of lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 6-3 6-3 with victory achieved in one hour and 14 minutes for the 17th seed.
“I always love to play here in Madrid,” Coric said on-court.
“I have very, very nice memories from here and I knew I could play well.
“I came here very early to prepare myself for the tournament, as it’s, I would say, a little bit different to the next tournaments. I’m just very happy to be in the semi-finals.”
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Meanwhile, Andy Murray snapped his losing streak with victory over Gael Monfils in an ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.
After first-round exits at the Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, Murray was able to return to winning ways with a 6-3 6-3 win over wild-card Monfils.
Murray will face another Frenchmen in Laurent Lokoli in the last-16 and aim to build momentum before this month’s French Open at Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz remains on course to defend his Madrid Open title after he powered past a determined Karen Khachanov to reach the last four.
The top seed eventually prevailed 6-4 7-5 but only after he staged an impressive fight back in the second set to book a third ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season.
Alcaraz’s clay-court winning streak now stands at nine and he has tasted victory in 19 of his past 20 matches, claiming title triumphs in Indian Wells and Barcelona along the way.
A hard-fought opener went the way of the Spaniard, who celebrates his 20th birthday on Friday, but the second set did not initially go to plan.
Khachanov built up a 5-2 lead and looked set to force a decider only for Alcaraz to find his A-game with a string of winners and drop shots to eventually earn victory in one hour and 51 minutes.
“It was pretty tough. The first set as well, it was close,” said Alcaraz.
“I was in trouble in the second set, a break down and [he had] two break points to have the second break. So, it was really tough for me to come back and he had his chances to win the second set.
“Luckily I knew I was going to have my chances. I just tried to take my opportunities and I’m really happy to get through.”
Borna Coric will face Alcaraz for a place in the Madrid Open final on Friday in what will be their first ever meeting.
The Croatian got the better of lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 6-3 6-3 with victory achieved in one hour and 14 minutes for the 17th seed.
“I always love to play here in Madrid,” Coric said on-court.
“I have very, very nice memories from here and I knew I could play well.
“I came here very early to prepare myself for the tournament, as it’s, I would say, a little bit different to the next tournaments. I’m just very happy to be in the semi-finals.”
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Meanwhile, Andy Murray snapped his losing streak with victory over Gael Monfils in an ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.
After first-round exits at the Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, Murray was able to return to winning ways with a 6-3 6-3 win over wild-card Monfils.
Murray will face another Frenchmen in Laurent Lokoli in the last-16 and aim to build momentum before this month’s French Open at Roland Garros.
Pep Guardiola agrees with Sam Allardyce’s assertion that he is as good as him as the Manchester City boss launched a defence of experienced English managers.
Embattled Leeds raised eyebrows this week by turning to the 68-year-old Allardyce in a last-ditch attempt to stave off relegation.
Allardyce’s unveiling on Wednesday was similarly surprising as he claimed “there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms – not Pep, not (Jurgen) Klopp, not (Mikel) Arteta”.
The new Leeds boss will get a chance to show that on Saturday afternoon when his relegation-threatened side travel to treble-chasing City.
Allardyce’s comments were put to Guardiola after Wednesday’s 3-0 win against West Ham and elicited a surprisingly positive response.
“He is right,” the City boss said. “I want to be honest. Now look what happened with, for example, Neil Warnock in Huddersfield.
“Now there’s a tendency for these incredible managers, they have done this Premier League or this competition in better position.
“It looks like now the young managers are there with the tactics or whatever… so they are really good, they help us to be what we are.
“Look at the managers, Roy Hodgson for Crystal Palace, what they have done.
“They are really good, they have incredible experience, they know the game perfectly and if he feels that it is because of this.
“It will be tough because he has the charisma, he will put out the pressure to the players and he knows exactly what to do in this kind of situation in a relegation battle.
“It looks like this type of old managers… I’m honest, so what they have done for the club (is dismissed as) ‘they are old, whatever’.
“Now the people who are 35, 40, 45, we invent football or we create football.
“No, football is already created and these guys belong to that league and helped us to do it and that’s why.
“So, Neil Warnock, Huddersfield was in the last (spot) and now already out of the dangerous positions.
“I could not experience what Harry Redknapp has done in this country.
“There are many, many English managers that have done really, really well.
“You don’t have to be young to be a good manager. As much experience you have, you are good.”
Paris St Germain has condemned the actions of supporters who are understood to have gathered outside the home of Neymar and chanted for him to leave the club.
It has been a tumultuous week for the Ligue 1 outfit, who suspended Lionel Messi for two weeks following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia and saw their title hopes hit after a home defeat to Lorient on Sunday.
Fans were filmed on Wednesday chanting for the board to resign outside club headquarters before further clips showed a group of supporters visit the home of Neymar and called for him to move on.
Messi was also believed to be the target of frustration with fans chanting for the World Cup winner to leave, having recently jeered the Argentine in home matches.
“Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday,” a club statement read.
“Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions.
“The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour.”
Reports suggest Messi will leave Parc des Princes at the end of the campaign following two seasons in Paris.
Fulham manager Marco Silva claims the award of Liverpool’s match-winning penalty was embarrassing as his side slipped to an eighth defeat in 10 games.
Mohamed Salah scored from the spot for the second successive match to secure a 1-0 win after Issa Diop was adjudged to have brought down Darwin Nunez.
Silva was not convinced, however, saying: “The way they scored the goal, I have to say that is embarrassing.
“Today in football to give a penalty like that, after the VAR didn’t take that penalty (away) it is difficult to understand.
“I will not say nothing more because after it will be difficult for me and I don’t want to create more problems for me. It is difficult to understand that penalty,” Silva said.
“When Darwin touch the ball he start to dive himself but after he touched his left leg with Issa.
“They are going to say it is harsh but the referee gave and after the VAR cannot take (away). It is always the same conversation. I didn’t speak with the referee at the end or at half-time. I had some words with the fourth official.
“Issa told me that it is clear not penalty. The referee made a mistake and the VAR is there to take that decision and not allow the penalty to go on. That’s clear for me.”
The victory secured a fifth successive win for Liverpool for the first time since April 2022 and maintained the pressure on fourth-placed Manchester United, whom they trail by four points having played two matches more.
“Really pleased with big parts of the game: first half controlling, creating not finishing situations off,” said manager Jurgen Klopp.
“The penalty I like a lot because it a counter-pressing situation; Darwin is fully in the situation and gets a pen and Mo finishes it off.
“We then don’t close the game early and we have to fight to the end and we needed Ali (Alisson Becker) obviously, the save from (Carlos) Vinicius was sensational and he was happy about the clean sheet more than anyone.
“Five wins in a row is super-difficult. It felt it was ages ago we did it and the more I like it.”
Pep Guardiola said “special striker” Erling Haaland richly deserved the guard of honour by his Manchester City team-mates after breaking the Premier League single-season scoring record.
The 22-year-old has made a mockery of those doubting whether he could repeat his goalscoring feats after last summer’s switch from Borussia Dortmund to the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland took his tally to 51 in all competitions on Wednesday night, when his cool finish moved his Premier League haul on to 35 and broke Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s competition record.
The Norway international scored between Nathan Ake and Phil Foden’s efforts in a 3-0 win against West Ham that was followed by what Guardiola says was a pre-planned guard of honour.
“It was (special), I think he deserved it,” the City boss said. “All the team deserved it because without the team he couldn’t do it, but he is a special striker.
“We are very pleased for him because he is a joy, not just to work with him as a manager. I think everyone is happy to have him with us.
“Of course this record will be broken sooner or later, maybe by him in the future or maybe another one but they’ll have to score a lot of goals because he scored a lot.
“Of course (we planned the guard of honour). We thought about that and in football when there is a special occasion, we have to show how special it is.
“Today it was with Erling. Another one, another day will happen but of course to score and overcome the position of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer – incredible, top, top strikers – is special.”
Guardiola said “we cannot achieve many things without a good striker”, namechecking previous City frontmen like Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli.
But this night was all about Haaland, who still has five Premier League matches to increase his eye-watering record even further.
“At the end when you buy a player in Erling we know he score goals everywhere and we thought he could do it (here),” Guardiola said.
“But at the end we don’t know. You have to work and see the process.
“He understands what we want to do, the players understand his movement and whatever, so a question of time.
“The impact or how he adjusted to the league was so quick.
“The first two goals was against West Ham. It’s a coincidence as he breaks the record against West Ham when he scored the first goals against them.
“Immediately we saw he is a guy when you provide him with balls, he scores in all situations – except free kicks, but maybe in the future.
“But penalties, crosses, combinations and transitions, he is a guy who can do many, many things. That’s why he scored a lot of goals.”
Haaland’s latest goal helped calm any nerves at the Etihad Stadium, with Wednesday’s victory seeing title favourites City usurp Arsenal and reclaim top spot.
“I said after Arsenal (last week) when everybody said it’s over, I said it was not over in my press conference,” Guardiola said of the 4-1 win last midweek.
“Yesterday Arsenal proved it. They will not give up. I know quite well Mikel (Arteta), how competitive he is and I know a few players.
“Arsenal is one of the historical teams and they will be there. I said to the players.”
As for West Ham, the 3-0 defeat came on a night when illness ruled out Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek on the day of the game.
David Moyes, whose side face Manchester United on Sunday, said: “I have got to hope they are (back).
“Two of them we’re not sure if it’s maybe a bit of food poisoning they’ve picked up whether at the training ground or hotel.
“One of them we think has got a virus, so, I’m not a doctor, whether antibiotics fix that not quickly or how you work it I’m not quite sure.
“So, hopefully they’ll have a chance for the weekend but I think the biggest thing I have to praise the players who came in and did such a good job.
“For long periods against a really good team we made it quite difficult”
Fulham manager Marco Silva claims the award of Liverpool’s match-winning penalty was embarrassing as his side slipped to an eighth defeat in 10 games.
Mohamed Salah scored from the spot for the second successive match to secure a 1-0 win after Issa Diop was adjudged to have brought down Darwin Nunez.
Silva was not convinced, however, saying: “The way they scored the goal, I have to say that is embarrassing.
“Today in football to give a penalty like that, after the VAR didn’t take that penalty (away) it is difficult to understand.
“I will not say nothing more because after it will be difficult for me and I don’t want to create more problems for me. It is difficult to understand that penalty,” Silva said.
“When Darwin touch the ball he start to dive himself but after he touched his left leg with Issa.
“They are going to say it is harsh but the referee gave and after the VAR cannot take (away). It is always the same conversation. I didn’t speak with the referee at the end or at half-time. I had some words with the fourth official.
“Issa told me that it is clear not penalty. The referee made a mistake and the VAR is there to take that decision and not allow the penalty to go on. That’s clear for me.”
The victory secured a fifth successive win for Liverpool for the first time since April 2022 and maintained the pressure on fourth-placed Manchester United, whom they trail by four points having played two matches more.
“Really pleased with big parts of the game: first half controlling, creating not finishing situations off,” said manager Jurgen Klopp.
“The penalty I like a lot because it a counter-pressing situation; Darwin is fully in the situation and gets a pen and Mo finishes it off.
“We then don’t close the game early and we have to fight to the end and we needed Ali (Alisson Becker) obviously, the save from (Carlos) Vinicius was sensational and he was happy about the clean sheet more than anyone.
“Five wins in a row is super-difficult. It felt it was ages ago we did it and the more I like it.”
Lazio extended the Serie A title race by at least a day with a 2-0 win over Sassuolo, meaning Napoli have the chance to clinch the Scudetto on Thursday.
Felipe Anderson’s 14th-minute goal and a second from Toma Basic two minutes into stoppage time secured a victory which kept Lazio in second place, although Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli need just a point at Udinese on Thursday evening to claim their first Serie A title for 33 years.
First-half goals from Leandro Paredes and Dusan Vlahovic ended Juventus’ four-game winless league run as a 2-1 victory cemented them in third place.
Assan Ceesay’s 37th-minute penalty, awarded for handball by Danilo, cancelled out Paredes’ opener, but Vlahovic struck within three minutes to clinch the points.
Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez both scored twice as Inter Milan hit struggling Verona for six to maintain the pressure on the top three.
Inter effectively won the game inside six first-half minutes with Adolfo Gaich’s 31st-minute own goal sparking a collapse which saw Hakan Calhanoglu and Dzeko increase the visitors’ lead before the break with Martínez twice and Dzeko again finding the net after it.
Atalanta climbed into fifth after coming from behind to beat lowly Spezia 3-2 at the Gewiss Stadium.
Emmanuel Gyasi fired the visitors into an 18th-minute lead before Marten de Roon, Davide Zappacosta and Luis Muriel struck within 22 minutes either side of half-time, although Mehdi Bourabia reduced the deficit with 26 minutes remaining to ensure a tense conclusion.
Substitute Junior Messias’ stoppage-time free-kick spared AC Milan’s blushes and denied relegation-haunted 10-man Cremonese a lifeline.
Luca Caldirola’s first-half equalizer handed Monza a 1-1 draw with Jose Mourinho’s Roma, who had gone ahead through Stephan El Shaarawy and had Zeki Celik sent off at the death.
In LaLiga, lowly Valencia came from behind to claim a 1-1 home draw with rivals Villarreal after Samuel Lino cancelled out Nicolas Jackson’s strike.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland reflected on a “special night” after his strike against West Ham earned him the record of scoring the most goals in a single Premier League season.
Haaland claimed the achievement in the 70th minute when he raced through on goal from Jack Grealish’s pass and chipped Lukasz Fabianski to reach 35 league goals this term.
It moved the Norwegian beyond Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who had previously held the record for their efforts in the 1993-94 and 1994-1995 seasons respectively.
“A special night and special moment. Yeah I’m really happy and proud,” Haaland told Sky Sports.
“Of course I knew about it. Of course but we try to create the chances to score goals. It was not easy.
“They came here to try to defend for 90 minutes and we struggle a bit in the first half but second half, Nath (Ake) scored, I scored and the last one Phil (Foden) of course scored so it was an important win.”
An early penalty at Fulham on Sunday saw Haaland equal the 34-goal tally achieved by Cole and Shearer, but he was forced to wait a few days before he moved in front outright.
His City team-mates gave the summer arrival a guard of honour at full-time following his achievement in a 3-0 win that moved Pep Guardiola’s side back to the Premier League summit.
The next individual target in Haaland’s sights is Dixie Dean’s feat of 63 goals for Everton in the 1927-28 campaign.
But Haaland, on 51 goals for the campaign, insisted: “No, I don’t think of this now. I will sleep on this game and wake up tomorrow and I think of trying to get three points here against Leeds.
“It will not be easy with a new manager and everything, but we cannot keep thinking about these records. My head would become crazy, I would become crazy in my head so I don’t think of this.
“I will go home now and play some video games, eat something and then sleep. That’s what I’ll do and tomorrow we have to start thinking about Leeds. That’s my life.”
Kaoru Mitoma hopes to cap a fine breakthrough season by helping Brighton make history as he sets his sights on gaining revenge against Manchester United.
The high-flying Seagulls surpassed their Premier League points record by moving on to 52 with Saturday’s 6-0 thrashing of Wolves, which reignited the club’s quest to reach Europe.
Fourth-placed United travel to the south coast just 11 days after inflicting an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat on Albion in the FA Cup semi-final.
Japan winger Mitoma only made his Brighton debut in August but has rapidly enhanced his reputation this term with seven goals and four assists during a string of standout performances.
The 25-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, is determined to further aid the Seagulls’ push to secure continental qualification for the first time.
“Right now it’s important for the team to finish the season as high up the table as possible and aim for a Champions League or Europa League spot,” he said.
“If we can reach a higher standard playing this brand of football, I think we will be able to bring the fans even more joy.
“I want to make them happy and, in order to do so, we want to make history.”
Brighton edged the recent Wembley meeting with Erik ten Hag’s men but were unable to find a breakthrough before Solly March’s miss proved decisive in a painful 7-6 shoot-out loss.
The eighth-placed Seagulls’ chances of catching United and scraping into the Champions League spots are extremely slim as they sit 11 points adrift, albeit with a game in hand.
Yet a top-five finish remains a distinct possibility going into Albion’s final seven fixtures in a hectic last month of the campaign.
Mitoma, who began the hammering of Wolves on the bench after being rested by boss Roberto De Zerbi, is confident Brighton can complete a league double over United following a 2-1 Old Trafford win on the first weekend of the season.
“It was a disappointing result, a frustrating result, but we have already switched our focus to the league,” he said of the semi-final setback.
“It’s very important that we win this game as they are our direct rivals in the league table. This will be a really big game for both teams.
“They are a team who is always fighting for the title, and the quality of each individual is something that sets them apart from other teams.
“But if we can play to our strengths, we will have a chance to win.”
Head coach De Zerbi could be absent from the Amex Stadium touchline for Thursday evening’s game after cancelling his pre-match press conference on Wednesday due to illness.
Mitoma was handed his maiden top-flight start by the Italian in Albion’s 4-1 victory over Chelsea in late October and believes he is progressing well.
“The coach demands a lot from me, so I’m trying my best to meet them,” he said.
“The way he sets up the team and his tactics are helping my performance, as it suits my style very well.
“He is very specific about what he wants from me in training and in games.
“I think my standard on the ball and off the ball is improving step by step, so I feel that I’m developing under his coaching.”
Erik ten Hag is in the dark over Manchester United’s summer spending power as the takeover saga rumbles on.
The Old Trafford giants announced in November that the board was exploring strategic alternatives to enhance the club’s growth, with a full sale one option being considered.
Friday was the third, and what is expected to be final, deadline for parties to make offers to buy the club, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitting bids.
Now the the Glazer family must decide how they want to proceed – a process that threatens to damage the progress made during Ten Hag’s first season in charge.
United are on course for a top-four finish and have the chance to add the FA Cup to the Carabao Cup, but the financial backing for improvements is unclear even to the manager.
Asked if he has been told he has the funds to do what he wants to this summer irrespective of how the takeover process pans out, Ten Hag said: “No, I don’t have. I don’t have influence on that, I don’t have… also I don’t know.
“The only thing what I know is that Man United is one of the biggest clubs and I think it’s among maybe (the) two biggest clubs in the world from a fanbase perspective.
“So, I think this club has to compete for the highest in the world, so Champions League, Premier League.
“But in football you need funds to construct squads because in the end of the day the level from your players makes if you are successful or not.”
Ten Hag says “everyone knows you need funds to construct a squad” and that “high level players cost a lot of money” in elite football.
“I, we see this as a project,” the United boss said. “In a project also it belongs that you are in windows, that you strengthen your squad needs or to make refreshments, so that you get more balance, definitely, and you bring young players in.
“But I think we already have shown and proved that we can beat the best teams in the world, so, yeah, I think we can compete in the Champions League.
“But at the end of the day we want to be in the winter also in the Champions League and we want to compete, and knock them all out, so then we have a way to go.”
United are preparing to take on Brighton in the Premier League on Thursday after beating Aston Villa 1-0 to a backdrop of protests against the Glazers on Sunday.
Ten Hag was seen after the match at Old Trafford picking up a green and gold scarf as he headed down the tunnel game, holding it up before throwing it back to fans.
When asked if it was an act of solidarity with the fans, the United boss said: “No, it was just polite.
“But I know what’s going around, what the symbol of it is, but this matter was just polite.”
Ten Hag, understandably, refrained from publicly criticising his employers at this stage of the season but his desire for clarity on the club’s future is palpable.
Asked how important it is to get the takeover process resolved as soon as possible, Ten Hag said: “Yeah, I think it’s clear what I want but it’s not up to me.
“It’s about others in this club, finally there are the owners and they make the decisions, so it’s not up to me.
“So, I do everything I can and I influence the processes I’m in charge of.”
Duhaney Park Red Sharks defeated Washington Boulevard Bulls 21-8 in a thrilling final to the Easter’s tournament held at the BB Coke High School in St Elizabeth on Saturday. It was a historic occasion as it was the first time that the parish of St Elizabeth was hosting a senior Men’s 9-a-side rugby league tournament for the first time.
Both clubs went undefeated during the group stage and had identical 3-0 records heading into the final. The Bulls raced to an early lead through tries from Javon Lewis and Andree Lee but the Red Sharks pulled level before half-time with tries from Shaquille Pollack and Javian Bryan.
In the second half, the Red Sharks took the ascendancy with a strong defensive display and denied the Bulls any points and extended their lead with additional tries from Adrian Thomas, Kenneth Walker, Marvin Thompson, and Jenson Morris.
Tournament MVP Chevaughn Bailey wrapped up the scoring with a drop goal.
“We wanted our best performance on the day as we have lost out on the last few 9’s titles. Credit to all teams on making the journey to St. Elizabeth and special commendations to St Bess Sledgehammers on organizing a great tournament,” said winning captain Marvin Thompson.
West Kingston Hyenas copped third place with a close 8-4 win over the Jamaica Defence Force while hosts St Bess Sledgehammers finished fifth after an 18-8 win over St Catherine Thundercats.
Portmore Rugby League Club took seventh spot with a 15-0 result over the Liguanea Dragons.
RLJ Vice Chair Adrian Hall was impressed with the tournament.
“It was fantastic to see seven teams travel from Kingston and St Catherine and ensure a successful tournament,” he said.
“We hope to widen the footprint of rugby league in St Elizabeth and the Easter 9s was a good advert for the game. The JMD$70,000 in total prize money for the top three teams added a special incentive for teams to perform to their best.”
The tournament that was sponsored by Cheddi’s Surveillance Cameras and Digital Services, provided good preparation for several national players who will compete for Jamaica in the USARL 9s on May 20 in Naples, Florida.
Liverpool turned up the pressure on Manchester United with a 1-0 victory over Fulham moving them four points off fourth place as Mohamed Salah’s winner edged him even closer to a Steven Gerrard record.
There was none of the drama or histrionics of Sunday’s 4-3 win over Tottenham in bringing up a fifth successive Premier League victory for the first time since April last year.
Salah’s 39th-minute penalty, his second in successive games after back-to-back misses, took him to 185 goals for the club, one behind Gerrard, while also going fifth on the club’s list of all-time league scorers with 136.
Manager Jurgen Klopp’s behaviour in the technical area was the very model of exemplary following a Football Association misconduct charge for comments about Sunday’s referee Paul Tierney.
He was perhaps making the most of his time on the touchline as he has until Friday to respond to the charges and, having already served a one-match ban this season, the punishment could be much more severe.
Klopp had written in his programme notes that going 3-0 up inside the opening 15 minutes against Tottenham – a match they eventually went on to win with an added-time goal – had given them some problems.
And although they set off looking like they might replicate that with Trent Alexander-Arnold alone having three attempts on goal in the first 10 minutes, they lacked some of the sharpness they had shown at the weekend.
Also, Fulham were also more organised than their fellow Londoners and that kept opportunities down to half-chances at best.
Alexander-Arnold’s advanced position stepping into midfield allowed him to get closer to his opponents’ goal but, unusually for him, he was off target with two attempts with another hit tamely at goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Salah, whose cross just evaded Darwin Nunez eight yards out, weaved his way past a couple of defenders close to the byline but could not find the target from a narrow angle, while Luis Diaz also had a shot deflected wide.
Liverpool’s mastery of control in the opposition half was almost absolute, regularly winning back possession before Fulham had time to begin the semblance of an attack, but in their own final third it was much less so.
Virgil Van Dijk had to slide in to turn Harry Wilson’s cross behind after the former Liverpool winger had broken into the space behind Kostas Tsimikas, with Carlos Vinicius exploiting Ibrahima Konate’s hesitation to force a good save out of Alisson Becker.
When the breakthrough arrived it was no surprise it came from a counter-press after Nunez had initially lost possession 15 yards outside Fulham’s penalty area.
Tosin Adarabioyo squared a short pass to Issa Diop but the centre-half, back in the team due to Tim Ream’s season-ending injury, dawdled in making his clearance and Nunez was on him like a shot to nick the ball off his toes with the Frenchman’s swing at fresh air catching the forward’s back leg as he went past him.
Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot and Salah scored an identical penalty to the one against Spurs, blasted straight down the middle.
The second half was much of the same, with Liverpool exerting most of the pressure without really pressing home their advantage.
That made their slender lead vulnerable and Alisson had to save well from Vinicius to prevent the equaliser with 13 minutes remaining to keep their slim Champions League qualification hopes alive.
They are, however, still relying on United to drop points as their arch-rivals have two matches in hand, starting at Brighton on Thursday.
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