Football

The Bees are just 12 places below the Exiles in the football pyramid, but four successive defeats had derailed their promotion bid in recent weeks.

They looked full of confidence, however, as they took the game to their hosts on a bitterly cold south Wales afternoon.

Newport thought they had done enough to earn a place in the third round for the first time since 2021 as Shane McLoughlin put them 1-0 up in the 44th minute.

Bryn Morris hit a post with a free-kick before that goal and Omar Bogle was denied a second late on, but Barnet dominated possession all afternoon.

Nicke Kabamba saw one effort cleared off the line by Ryan Delaney and was also denied by goalkeeper Nick Townsend before Collinge headed in from close range to snatch a late draw.

“We deserved at least a draw, our performance was very strong,” said Brennan. “To come here and only give them one corner, that shows our dominance in possession – without having that killer punch. But we got it in the end with a deserved equaliser.

“Danny Collinge was immense, I thought he was the best player on the pitch – a real leader and he deserved that goal.

“The biggest thing for us was to stop the rot and show that character. We didn’t come here for a draw, we played expansive football and showed tons of bravery and we got our rewards.

“I’m delighted for the travelling fans. We’ve had a tough few weeks, but we kept going, kept believing in our philosophy and played some really good football.”

County manager Graham Coughlan was frustrated to see the win snatched away at the death, but he admitted Barnet were the better side.

“We are still in the cup,” said Coughlan. “We had chances to put the game to bed but we didn’t, they were better than us and we got out of jail.

“They put us under pressure and started the game right – their mentality was right and ours wasn’t.

“We had a long week, while they had the week off; they were fresh and we weren’t, but they also looked after the ball better than us.

“We kept turning the ball over and giving it away. We were very flat and tired and paid the ultimate penalty at the end of the game.

“It was a real stern test and we won’t be that bad when it comes to the next game at their place. We weren’t good.”

Just two minutes had passed and Santos were off the mark and en route to an 8-1 thrashing of Guarani in the first leg of a Copa do Brasil last-16 tie.

Neymar and his team-mates rushed to the corner and celebrated by donning caps and pretending to rap in an homage to Santos fan and musician Mano Brown.

Dorival Junior's team would go on to score another seven, and Neymar would finish with a personal best of five.

At that point, it was undeniable that a world-beating talent had emerged at Santos.

Party time

April 14, 2010 provided Santos with so many reasons to celebrate.

It marked the club's 98th birthday and legendary figures Pepe, Edu and Clodoaldo were in attendance at the Vila Belmiro to enjoy the occasion.

Left-back Leo wore the number 98 on his shirt, while on-loan Manchester City attacker Robinho sported 200 to reflect the number of times he had put on a Santos jersey for a competitive fixture.

Despite such landmarks there was only one subject of conversation at the final whistle: Neymar.

The birth of a goalscorer

The wiry youth operating from the left wing had only turned 18 two months prior, but 2010 was to be the year Neymar entered the global consciousness.

After scoring 13 goals in his first season with the senior team, he had already surpassed that total when Guarani arrived on the coast of the state of Sao Paulo. He ended the year with 42 in all competitions.

Breaking through alongside mercurial playmaker Ganso and poacher Andre, the trio of promising academy products were dubbed as the third generation of Meninos da Vila – a moniker that was bestowed upon Juary, Pita and Joao Paulo in 1978, then Robinho, Diego and Elano in 2002.

Although Neymar's mid-penalty dummy was soon outlawed, he used it to great effect to open the scoring after Cleber Goiano only managed to stop a trademark surge from deep by dynamic midfielder Arouca with a desperate lunge inside the box.

Racing clear

Neymar may have ended the game with five goals but he could so easily have had more.

His end product was not as fine-tuned as it would go on to become. He dribbled into dead ends and misplaced crosses from the left as Dorival became increasingly frustrated with his team's inability to increase their lead despite dominating possession.

Although their relationship would end in acrimony with an on-field falling out resulting in Neymar being dropped and Dorival getting the sack in response, the player heeded his coach's demands on this occasion. An attempted throughball rebounded back off a defender and Neymar fired it across goal and into the bottom-right corner in the 29th minute.

By dummying Ganso's incisive pass and leaving it for Robinho, Neymar helped Santos extend their lead further two minutes later. His hat-trick was completed when another magnificent Ganso pass was squared to him at the back post by Arouca.

The result was already beyond doubt but Neymar made Santos' task even easier when he dragged the ball back and flicked it behind his standing leg to Robinho, with Cleber's challenge claiming nothing but player for a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time.

No letting up

He may have failed to guide a header home from Wesley's cross within two minutes of the restart, but Neymar beat Fabinho Junior and drew a foul to win a penalty that Marcel slammed in after 56 minutes.

Juliano pushed a blistering effort from Neymar at the end of a sweeping move past the post, only to see Santos manoeuvre the resulting corner to Marquinhos in the middle. His chip into the box was looped beyond the stranded Guarani goalkeeper by the head of Robinho before the hour.

There was one moment of revelry for the Guarani players, though, when Moreno drilled a stunning 25-yard free-kick into the top-right corner in the 73rd minute.

Five star

However, there was to be no upstaging Neymar.

He controlled Robinho's low cross from the left expertly and delicately flicked beyond Juliano with a quick second touch.

Neymar then rounded off a formidable attack to cap an incredible individual and collective display. Madson sprinted down the left, sent the ball inside for Robinho, whose first touch rolled straight into the path of Neymar for a low effort inside the near post.

A dejected Juliano said after the match: "I'd never conceded eight before, but Santos have to be congratulated."

The aftermath

The secret was well and truly out.

In the book 'My Story - Conversations with my Father', Neymar's dad said: "It was one of Juninho's best matches. He scored five times! It felt like the good old days, when Pele played for Santos. Except that now it was the Santos of Neymar Jr and his friends."

His form showed no sign of abating and 14,000 people signed a petition for Neymar to be selected for Brazil's 2010 World Cup squad, while Pele, Romario and Ronaldo were among the footballing heavyweights to get behind the idea. Unsurprisingly, Selecao boss Dunga took no notice.

"The lobbying that is done for certain players to get in the national team never made me nervous or frustrated," Dunga said after leaving Neymar, Ganso, Ronaldinho and Adriano out.

Chelsea did not doubt that Neymar was ready for a move to Europe, but their advances in August 2010 were turned down by a player keen on securing legendary status at Santos.

He unquestionably achieved that. O Peixe won the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Paulista that year, with two more state championships following before Neymar departed for Barcelona. There was also success in the 2011 Copa Libertadores and the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana.

It was a memorable, decorated spell for Neymar and Santos, and his five-goal haul against Guarani was one of the first moments it all looked truly possible.

Here are some of the tributes to the man who led Scotland to consecutive major tournaments in the late 1990s and later managed Preston, Motherwell and Aberdeen.

Former Clyde and Scotland winger Pat Nevin, whose professional career began after an offer from then-Bully Wee manager Brown, wrote on Twitter: “Missing my old gaffer and friend Craig Brown already. What a sparkling, lovely, charming, talented and caring human being. I wouldn’t have had the life I did without him.”

Former Scotland midfielder Craig Burley wrote on Twitter: “Sad news with the passing of Craig Brown. In particular Euro 96 & France 98 stick in the memory as great times to be involved with the Scotland squad. Craig can be proud of how he managed Scotland during his tenure. Great sense of humor & some terrific one liners too.”

Former Scotland international Paul Lambert told Sky Sports News: “He was a brilliant one-liner. He would lay it right on the line for you and knew exactly what you were going to do. He was a really good disciplinarian, taught you great habits.”

League Managers Association chairman Howard Wilkinson said: “You couldn’t help but like Craig. He was great fun, he always had a story or comment to share but his modesty and willingness to help when called upon made him such a good friend. As a professional, he was a great coach educator and proper lover of football. He was very intelligent, like a football professor, but would never try to impress you with his knowledge of the game. He will be missed greatly and our thought are with Craig’s family and friends at this time.”

Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan wrote on Twitter: “Football has lost a great man. A man of integrity, honesty, passion and humility. Craig you may be gone but will never be forgotten. You touched the lives of so many in a positive way and inspired players and coaches to be the best they can be. I’m a lucky man to have known you.”

Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield wrote on Twitter: “Just a story into Craig Brown the manager and person, when he left Aberdeen as manager he sent every player a individual handwritten letter thanking them and put beautiful words to what that individual meant to him, I still have mine in a safe place and will cherish it.”

Walking Football Scotland wrote on Twitter: “Walking Football Scotland mourns the loss of one of our patrons Craig Brown. Craig, a Scottish footballing legend, will be dearly missed by so many. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time and we are grateful to the incredible support he gave us as patron.”

Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows, who served as Motherwell press officer under Brown, wrote on Twitter: “Craig was always brilliant with me. He was brilliant the first day I met him on Tuesday 29 December 2009, and he was brilliant in the last conversation we had a week last Thursday. He could barely make it through a chat without saying something nice, paying an undue compliment or thanking you for something or other, even when he himself was struggling.

“He also had an incredible knack of making you feel ten feet tall. He would always know the right thing to say or do to help you, to reassure you or to inspire you. Most who met him would agree that it would only take one conversation with him to feel as if you had been friends for years, such was his warmth.”

Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill wrote on Twitter: “Very sad to hear that Craig Brown has passed away. I saw him at a function in Scotland recently and he was wonderful company. Football has lost a great man today.”

Montrose player Craig Brown, writing on Twitter, responded to an interview from his grandfather and namesake that was aired by Sky Sports: “Sometimes you were too modest. Thank you for the memories Papa, and the jelly babies from that pocket.”

First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote on Twitter: “A towering figure of the Scottish game, Craig Brown & the Scotland team he managed gave us many good memories over the years. You would be hard pressed to find a man who loved Scotland as passionately as he did.”

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter: “So sorry to hear that Craig Brown has died. I last saw him in March at my uncle’s retirement from @ayrracecourse. He was in fine form – full of laughs and anecdotes from his life in football. He was an outstanding manager of @ScotlandNT and a truly lovely man.”

Charlton’s family announced in a statement on Saturday that the ex-Manchester United player, who was a key member of England’s 1966 World Cup success, had died at the aged 86.

Beckham came through the ranks at Manchester United having attended Bobby Charlton’s Soccer School and was given the middle name Robert as his father was such a fan of the 1968 European Cup winner.

A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham)

“It all began with Sir Bobby. Sir Bobby was the reason I had the opportunity to play for Manchester United… I will be forever grateful to a man I was named after, someone I looked up to and was a hero to many around the world not just in Manchester and our country where he won the World Cup in 1966,” Beckham posted on Instagram.

“A true gentleman, family man and truly a national hero… Today isn’t just a sad day for Manchester United & England it’s a sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented… Our thoughts go out to Lady Norma, their daughters and grandchildren x Rest in Peace Sir Bobby x @manchesterunited @england Today our hearts are heavy.”

Charlton had previously held the record as all-time top goalscorer for both England and United, where he also won the European Cup in 1968 and former Red Devils captain Gary Neville praised his impact in all aspects of the game.

“I think he is Manchester United’s greatest representative around the world and has been for 50/60 years,” he told Sky Sports.

“When you think he was one of the original Busby Babes, part of that tragic Munich air crash and survived it having lost a lot of his team-mates and colleagues in that but came through. He won Youth Cups at Manchester United under Sir Matt Busby then obviously went on to win the European Cup, World Cup and in the more modern era a director of the club.

“He used to come into the changing room after a match – win, lose or draw. Something when I was a player at the club you maybe would take for granted – this legend would be walking around your changing room saying ‘well done’ or offering his commiserations.

“It is obviously a great loss today, but no doubt he is English football’s greatest player and greatest ambassador. A champion on and off the pitch.

“He was the golden thread through from Sir Matt Busby to Sir Alex Ferguson, two golden eras in Man Utd’s history and he was the constant through both of them.”

Ex-England striker and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker hailed Charlton’s lasting impact on the sport – saying he had achieved “footballing immortality”.

“Deeply saddened to hear that Sir Bobby Charlton has died. A truly wonderful footballer and genuinely lovely man. A World Cup winner, @ManUtd great and, for me, England’s greatest ever player. He may longer be with us but he’ll have footballing immortality. RIP Sir Bobby,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Charlton’s death means Sir Geoff Hurst is now the only man who started the 1966 World Cup final win over West Germany who is still alive.

Hurst, who hit a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory, also paid respect to his former team-mate, writing: “Very sad news today. 1 of the true Greats Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away. We will never forget him & nor will all of football. A great colleague & friend he will be sorely missed by all of the country beyond sport alone. Condolences to his family & friends from Geoff and Judith,” he wrote.

Rio Ferdinand, another former captain of both England and United, posted a lengthy tribute to Charlton – dubbing him “Mr Manchester United”.

“Icon, Legend, Great! these words are thrown around by all of us to many who 100% don’t deserve them, especially when you compare them to man of Sir Bobby’s calibre. What a true gentleman of not many words, but when he spoke you stood still, stopped what you were doing and listened.

“A lot of the history was living and breathing through him and he was a constant at the club while I was there – travelling with us all over the world. Win, lose or draw he would be in the changing room wishing us well. The words he shared with me at the bottom of those stairs in Moscow, before I went up to lift the CL trophy will stay with me forever.

“What it meant to lift that trophy for Man Utd, what it meant for the fans, what it meant for us as a team and what it now meant for myself doing it as captain. It was a privilege for me to even get that moment with him at that specific time. Thank you Sir Bobby. Mr Manchester United. RIP.”

Eriksson, who was England's first foreign manager, revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

His former clubs, England and UEFA, have expressed their condolences, along with countless players and managers as they honoured the Swede's life and career.

David Beckham was named Three Lions captain in 2001 by Eriksson, captaining the side 57 times under the Swede.

"We laughed, we cried, and we knew we were saying goodbye," Beckham said.

"Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been - passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman.

"I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain, but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family... Thank you, Sven, and in your last words to me 'It will be ok'."

Wayne Rooney was handed his England debut by Eriksson as a 17-year-old and described him as a "special man".

"Rest in peace, Sven," he said on X.

"Thanks for the memories and all your help and advice. Thoughts and prayers with all his family and friends."

Eriksson led England to three major quarter-finals in his five-year spell as manager, at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004.

He oversaw 67 games in charge of the Three Lions, with only Walter Winterbottom (139), Alf Ramsey (113), Gareth Southgate (102) and Bobby Robson (95) leading the team on more occasions.

The national side published a tribute to their former manager, saying: "We are deeply saddened that Sven-Goran Eriksson, who managed the Three Lions from 2001 to 2006, has passed away aged 76.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Rest in peace, Sven. You will be greatly missed."

Eriksson managed 12 clubs, winning 18 trophies across his career, with Swedish side Gothenburg the first top-flight club he managed.

He won four trophies during his three-year stay between 1979 and 1982, including the UEFA Cup.

"We are so grateful for his deed, the one he did in IFK Gothenburg and for Swedish football," the club said in a statement.

"We are also happy that we were able to thank him this spring, both with a match in his honour and by naming one of our stands at Gamla Ullevi after him."

He also had spells in charge of Benfica, Lazio, Manchester City and Leicester City. The clubs sent their condolences, with Lazio holding a minute's silence for their former manager at training.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who played under Eriksson at Notts County, Man City and Leicester, posted a heartfelt tribute.

"It feels very strange to have to write this, and I feel like I've had to write too many of these over the years. It was only yesterday evening that I sat and watched the documentary about his life. And what a life! We have lost an incredible man to whom I owe a great deal," he said.

"Sven was the first manager to truly believe in me and give me a chance at the highest level. He was the first manager to call me world-class, and he made me feel 10 feet tall.

"He gave me my Premier League debut, brought me to Notts County, and finally to Leicester, where I enjoyed the best time of my career. It is a great loss to football and the world. I want to thank him for everything he did for me."

Last year's Champions League finalists claimed their third win from four matches in this season's competition, with substitute Malen securing all three points with five minutes remaining.

The Netherlands international executed a neat one-two with Serhou Guirassy to put Dortmund fourth in the league table on nine points.

And though they left it late, Sahin felt his side were worthy of their victory.

"A very important win," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "It was a deserved win, even if we scored late. We controlled the game for the most time.

"We stayed clear. I thought it would happen earlier [the goal]. But even though we scored a late goal, it's nine points for us so far."

Meanwhile, Sturm Graz are left rooted to the foot of the table, and still seeking their first points of the competition.

"In my opinion, we had the better opportunities in the phase before they scored," coach Christian Ilzer said.

"But then the goal was scored and we were left empty-handed. That's very annoying. But we have to take the lead in a game like this."

Germany joined China in failing to make it out of the group for the first time ever, with Brazil falling at that stage for the first time since 1995 and Olympic champions Canada another notable casualty.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key statistics so far.

Germany beat Morocco 6-0 in their opening game but lost to an injury-time goal for Colombia before drawing with South Korea.

Their eight goals came from only 11 shots on target, while Alexandra Popp’s joint lead in the Golden Boot standings is set to count for nought.

A failure to win back possession may have cost Germany, with only 169 forced turnovers – fewer than any team other than fellow Group H eliminees South Korea as the two lowest-ranked teams in the group progressed.

Germany’s goal difference of plus five is a record for an eliminated team, with only two teams before this tournament knocked out with a positive goal difference.

Brazil, along with Portugal, also joined that list this year after beating Panama 4-0 in their opener. Defeat to France and a draw with Jamaica put paid to the Selecao’s hopes despite 61 shots – trailing only Spain’s 78 – with 37 of them from inside the penalty area, where they scored all of their five goals.

Canada and China’s failures to progress can be pinpointed to specific moments – Canada missing a penalty and China conceding a last-minute winner against the teams who qualified at their expense, respectively Nigeria and Denmark.

Both struggled to produce effective shots though – Canada on target with only 12 out of 41 attempts, which included 11 headers, while 14 of China’s 23 came from outside the penalty area. They had only eight on target and both of their goals came from Wang Shuang penalties.

China covered by far the most distance of any team – over 362 kilometres, 12km more than nearest challengers Japan – but more at walking pace than any team other than Haiti and Colombia.

They were not the only big teams to struggle, with four-time champions the United States scraping through their group – though Vlatko Andonovski’s side allowed only nine shots to their opponents, seven fewer than any other team and in contrast to the 59 they attempted at the other end.

Japan scored 11 goals without reply in winning their three Group C games, including a 4-0 rout of fellow qualifiers Spain.

The two teams led the way for shots on target – Japan with 28 and Spain 29, with the Netherlands (23) and Brazil the only other teams to reach 20. La Roja racked up 46 total attempts in their opening win over Costa Rica alone.

The Dutch, in a tough Group E containing the USA and Portugal, and Sweden each scored nine and conceded one, with England just a goal behind after their rout of China as they and Sweden joined Japan with 100 per cent records.

Switzerland and Jamaica were the only other teams not to concede, the latter impressively holding both France and Brazil to goalless draws and joining South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco as surprise qualifiers.

The Lionesses also possessed one of the stand-out players as Lauren James scored the winner against Denmark then had two goals and three assists against China.

She joined Japan’s Mina Tanaka and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana as the only players with multiple goals and assists and is one off the Golden Boot lead of four goals, shared by Tanaka’s team-mate Hinata Miyazawa and the eliminated Popp.

There were hat-tricks for Brazil’s Ary Borges and France’s Kadidiatou Diani, both against Panama, and Norway’s Sophie Roman Haug against the Philippines.

Dogged defence

Inter’s progression to this weekend’s showcase at the Ataturk Stadium owes a lot to a stingy defence. Simone Inzaghi’s combative team emerged from a group containing Bayern Munich and Barcelona. They have also kept a tournament-high eight clean sheets in their 12 matches, including five from six in the knockout stages, with goalkeeper Andre Onana a star performer.

Lautaro Martinez

Argentinian World Cup winner Martinez has once again been a potent threat up front for Inter this season. The 25-year-old, who is supported by the experienced pair of former City striker Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku, has been prolific over the past four years. Ahead of the semi-final, he urged his club-mates to harness the unity which led to his country triumphing in Qatar and that could again serve them well.

Underdog status

Inzaghi revealed his remit was to reach the last 16 of the Champions League when he was appointed in the summer of 2021. He satisfied that target last term before exceeding expectations this time around. He knows City will be overwhelming favourites and under greater pressure to deliver, and he has shown he can use such situations to his advantage.

Inconsistency

Despite their impressive run in Europe, Inter endured a mixed domestic campaign and the Serie A champions of 2021 were unable to keep pace with runaway winners Napoli. Their final position of third place owed a lot to a late-season charge as well as pressure being eased by Juventus’ 10-point penalty. Inzaghi’s men lost a large percentage of their games – 12 of 38 – but benefitted from keeping draws – just three – to a minimum.

Unfamiliar territory

As three-time winners, most recently in 2010, Inter have historical pedigree in Europe but their recent big-game experience on this stage is limited. Since Jose Mourinho carried them to glory 13 years ago, they have progressed beyond the group stage just four times. That contrasts starkly with City’s record. The English club have reached the knockout stages in each of the past 10 seasons and progressed to at least the semi-finals in the last three. They were also finalists in 2021.

Lack of attacking width?

Inzaghi has developed a well-balanced side operating in a 3-5-2 system, bucking modern trends by playing with two strikers. The formation allows the 47-year-old to make the most of his four forwards – Martinez, Lukaku, Joaquin Correa and Dzeko. Yet the reliance on wing-backs alone to provide width in attacking areas can lead to play becoming concentrated in the centre of the pitch and makes it difficult to break down opponents.

Brisbane were beaten 2-0 by second-placed Sydney in their final match of the regular season at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday.

Goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Harry Van der Saag opened the door for the Mariners to move above the Roar and take third place, an opportunity they grabbed with both hands.

Jack Clisby struck in the first half and Marco Urena sealed the victory in stoppage time at Central Coast Stadium.

Alen Stajcic will pit his wits against fellow former Matildas coach Ante Milicic in an all-New South Wales clash next Saturday.

The Roar will have an extra day to prepare for a home showdown with Adelaide United a week on Sunday, when a place in the semi-finals will be up for grabs.

Newcastle Jets moved off the bottom of the table courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Perth Glory, A Jonathan Aspropotamitis own goal giving them a point after Bruno Fornaroli opened the scoring.

That point moved the Jets above Melbourne Victory, while Perth remain ninth.

Western Sydney Wanderers will host Macarthur FC in the 2020-21 season opener on December 27, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The other opening games will see Western United host Adelaide United, Wellington Phoenix visit Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC take on Melbourne City and the F3 Derby between Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets.

The opening round would seem like just another game, but history shows otherwise.

With the help of Opta data, we assess just what round one means in the A-League.

Opening loss and trophies become difficult

Incredibly, only twice in A-League history has a team that lost in round one gone on to be crowned champions or premiers of that season.

The first instance came in 2011-12, when the Mariners were edged by Brisbane in round one, but went on to win the Premiers' Plate, finishing two points clear of the Roar.

Melbourne Victory were the second, going on to be crowned champions in 2017-18 despite a 1-0 loss to Sydney FC in round one.

In all, six of the nine teams to do the A-League double of being crowned premiers and champions in a single season have done so far after winning in round one. The other three drew. Of the 15 champions, seven have won and seven have drawn, to go with Victory's 2017-18 defeat, in round one. Nine of the 15 premiers have won in the first round, alongside five draws and the Mariners' loss.

Round one looks hugely important in the A-League.

Fast-starting Sydney, Glory woes

Sydney have scored more goals (21) in round one games than any other team in the competition, while earning the most points per game (1.7) of teams to have featured in at least five seasons.

The Sky Blues have lost just two round one matches in their history, and the most recent of those was in 2012-13. They face a huge test to begin 2020-21 season, hosting Melbourne City in a Grand Final rematch at ANZ Stadium.

On the other hand, Perth Glory have lost more games in round one than any other team in A-League history with seven.

In contrast to Sydney, Perth are winless in their past five openers, their last win coming in 2014-15.

Rovers were up against it from the 17th minute when Harry Pickering was given his marching orders for upending Liam Delap when clean through but displayed great resilience and managed to take a 74th-minute lead through Sam Gallagher.

However, Hull recovered superbly and Connolly volleyed home an 81st-minute equaliser before handing the Tigers their first away league win since January with a composed finish seven minutes later.

Hull deserved their second straight victory on the balance of play but Rovers perhaps should have come out of the game with something and will rue missed chances for Gallagher and Niall Ennis a minute before Connolly’s decisive strike.

Hull went close twice early on, but Aynsley Pears produced a fine low save to repel Ozan Tufan’s eighth-minute shot before denying on-loan Scott Twine from a narrow angle.

The hosts’ afternoon was made considerably harder when Pickering saw red after misjudging a long ball and bringing down Delap 20 yards out with only the keeper to beat.

Rovers regrouped but Hull maintained the pressure and Callum Brittain made a vital block to thwart Tufan.

Twine struck the side-netting just after the restart but the Tigers should have been ahead in the 58th minute when Lewis Travis lost possession and Jean Michael Seri cut the ball back for Delap but Pears was alert and rushed out to make a brilliant stop with his outstretched leg.

Blackburn’s disciplined defending and counter-attacking approach looked to have paid off with 16 minutes left when Ennis drove forward and, though his shot was blocked, the ball fell to the feet of fellow substitute Gallagher who took a touch before emphatically slamming home from 12 yards.

However, Liam Rosenior’s men hit back in style seven minutes later when Seri’s pinpoint pass over the defence found the run of Connolly who crashed a superb volley into the roof of the net.

Back came Rovers in a pulsating finale when Adam Wharton set up Ennis who slammed his shot onto the right post before Hull cleared.

The game swung decisively within a minute as Blackburn went agonisingly close twice in the 87th minute when Gallagher raced clear only to see Matt Ingram block his shot and Ennis’ rebound header cleared off the line.

That reprieve left Hull free to deliver the knockout blow a minute later when Alfie Jones picked out another intelligent Connolly run and with just Pears to beat, he showed remarkable composure to roll the ball into the bottom left corner.

The home side were ahead within seven minutes of kick-off when January signing Adan George held off his man to fire firmly past goalkeeper Craig Ross, scoring his first goal for the club.

George might have doubled his tally with 20 minutes gone, but this time Ross was able to repel his attempt and he was equal to the task once again when Jack Jenkins took aim five minutes later.

The visitors got themselves back into it with 12 minutes remaining when Tobi Sho-Silva levelled, and Ross kept his side in it with a fine late save from Kane Thompson-Summers.

However, the keeper’s efforts were to count for nothing as Cosgrave won it in the seventh minute of added time.

A second-half header from Aaron Hayden was the difference as the Red Dragons earned the bragging rights in the first fixture between these two since January 2018.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the early opportunities in a frantic opening with Ollie Palmer, Elliott Lee and James McClean coming the closest to opening the scoring.

At the other end, Rovers’ best chance fell to Kristian Dennis who was inches away from prodding the ball home at the far post following a Regan Hendry cross.

Wrexham continued to turn the screw after the break and were rewarded in the 56th minute when Hayden headed home Tom O’Connor’s corner for his first of the season.

Parkinson’s men continued to push forward and could have extended their lead through Ollie Palmer while Dennis came closest to snatching an unlikely point for Rovers when his injury-time effort was blocked on the line.

It’s now five games unbeaten in League Two for Wrexham while Ian Dawes’ Tranmere side have lost three on the bounce.

Lewis got the ball straight from a Toby Savin clearance on 75 minutes and hit it first time into the far corner of the net to complete the scoring as the Stags moved up to third place in the league.

Mansfield had two shots on target in the first half and took them both.

They opened the scoring after 29 minutes when James Gale’s ball into the box was chested down by Davis Keillor-Dunn and his superb overhead kick found the top of the net.

It was two on 36 minutes when Keillor-Dunn turned provider, his low cross being fired home by George Maris from eight yards.

Stanley’s Jack Nolan had a long-range strike saved by Christy Pym in added time in the first half while, just after the re-start, Savin denied Maris a second.

It was action-packed with Pym pushing out a fierce Josh Andrews strike and Nolan could only put the follow-up over the bar while substitute Hiram Boateng fired narrowly wide for the Stags.

Then came the Lewis wonder goal to seal three points for Mansfield.

Kian Spence had given the visitors the lead early on, before Nemane levelled just before half-time on his 100th appearance for the club.

County goalkeeper Aidan Stone was called into action twice in quick succession as he denied Sam Foley’s shot with a fine save before tipping Cole Stockton’s effort over the crossbar.

But Barrow took the lead when Dom Telford’s deflected shot fell kindly into the path of Spence to head home.

However, the Magpies levelled the game shortly before half-time – Jodi Jones equalling the record for the most assists in a League Two season by teeing up Nemane at the back post.

The hosts continued to dominate, but almost fell behind again when Spence’s effort flew over the crossbar – Dan Crowley prodding an effort wide moments later.

Maynard was within inches of a victory during his first game but Jones’ teasing delivery was put over by top scorer Macaulay Langstaff.

The visitors took the lead in fine fashion as Max Dean’s neat turn in midfield was followed up with a sensational strike into the roof of Luca Ashby-Hammond’s net.

County almost levelled as Macaulay Langstaff saw his effort cannon back off the crossbar, with Dan Crowley also going close moments later.

The home side’s dominance was rewarded in the final minute of first-half stoppage-time as Nemane’s deflected cross found Sam Austin on the line to score.

Alassana Jatta headed the hosts in front three minutes into the second half after good work from Adam Chicksen.

Dons would draw level with Ellis Harrison grabbing his first of the afternoon with a low finish into the bottom corner in the 64th minute, adding another seven minutes from time after breaking the offside trap and dinking the ball home.

However, the spoils were shared as Jodi Jones’ teasing delivery found Nemane unmarked at the back post to finish.

Both sides finished the game with 10 men as Stevenage moved up to fourth and the Latics suffered their fourth straight loss of the campaign.

After a feisty start, Pressley converted a ninth-minute penalty following a Babajide Adeeko foul on Jordan Roberts.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors as skipper Callum Lang was shown a second yellow card for a foul after 34 minutes of his 250th league appearance.

There were 19 minutes of first-half added time as Boro’s Luther James-Wildin was carried off on a stretcher following a head collision with team-mate Carl Piergianni.

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney also received a yellow card just before the break amid a busy afternoon for referee Alan Young.

Chaos continued in the 74th minute, as substitute Alex MacDonald saw a straight red for a foul on Charlie Hughes.

The visitors should have equalised when Josh Magennis scuffed wide seven minutes from time but Steve Evans’ side held on to remain six points off an automatic promotion place.

The 25-year-old had kept a clean sheet as the Gunners won at the home of their neighbours on January 15 to keep their Premier League title ambitions alive.

As Ramsdale collected his water bottle from behind the goal, Spurs fan Joseph Watts leapt onto the advertising hoarding and aimed a boot at the his back. Watts was eventually given a four-year banning order having been charged with assault and throwing a missile onto the pitch.

Speaking immediately after the game, Ramsdale told Sky Sports: “It’s a shame because it’s just a game of football at the end of the day. I think both sets of players tried to bring me away. Thankfully nothing actually happened too drastic. It’s a sour taste.”

Now the England international has explained that he was already dealing with pain in his private life before the incident at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“There are things that go on in our lives that the public has no idea about, and the past year has been an emotional rollercoaster for me and my family,” he wrote for The Players’ Tribune.

“After the high of climbing to the top of the Premier League table and going off to my first World Cup, my wife and I found out that we were expecting our first child.

“Mikel (Arteta) gave me a few extra days off after the World Cup, so we went on a brief holiday. It was genuinely the happiest time of our lives. And yeah … there’s no easy way to say this, but I feel like it’s important that people know.

“On the flight home, my wife had a miscarriage.

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“There’s really no way that I can describe the pain of that six-hour flight back to London, even now. I just want people out there to know that they’re not alone if they’re going through it themselves.”

Arteta offered Ramsdale additional time off – “in the middle of the title race, with so much pressure on the club… for me, that’s a manager” – but he opted to play on.

“Three days later, we were playing Spurs in the derby, and for me that was the only way to get my mind off things. Football has always been my escape. I told the manager I wanted to play,” he added.

“It couldn’t have been a better night. We won 2–0 under the floodlights, and our away fans were going absolutely ballistic. If you watch the match back, you can see me beaming at the final kick of the ball. I went to get my water bottle behind the goal, and never in a million years would I ever think that I’d get kicked in the back by a Tottenham fan.

“I’ve had some very spicy banter with fans all over the English leagues. I’ve been called everything you can imagine. But it’s never crossed the line like that. I remember when I got back to the dressing room, I couldn’t even celebrate because I got pulled out to give a police statement.”

“You know, I almost felt bad for the bloke who had done it, because I thought to myself: If he only knew me as a person, and what I’m actually going through right now, there’s no way that he would’ve done that. If we bumped into each other one day and got chatting about football, we’d probably be mates.”

Ramsdale, who is now expecting a baby with wife Georgina, also wrote about the challenges faced by his brother, who is gay, and wants to see football become a sport that is a “welcoming place for everyone”.

“I want my brother, Ollie — or anyone of any sexuality, race or religion — to come to games without having to fear abuse,” he wrote. “And when we lift a trophy at the Emirates Stadium, I want my brother there with me.”

Wales skipper Ramsey will lead the Dragons into battle against Armenia and Turkey and then turn his attention to the National Three Peaks Challenge and ascending Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa on Wednesday.

The walking distance is 23 miles and total ascent 10,052 feet with a driving distance of 462 miles.

“I am fully focused on the Welsh games, but we get back and fly up to Scotland and start there first,” said Ramsey, who is embarking on the journey with 10 others to raise funds for the @its.neveryoucharity created in memory of six-year-old Hugh Menai-Davis who died from rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2021.

“The plan will be to do that and work our way down to Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).

“It’s for a cause that’s really close to my heart as a good friend of mine lost his little one.

“So, I’ll be putting on my walking boots and trying to get my way up those mountains.

”Let’s just focus on these two games first, and get to the top of the table before the Three Peaks.”

Wales host Armenia in Cardiff on Friday before meeting Turkey in Samsun on Monday.

Rob Page’s side are looking to build on a promising start to the campaign in March when they took four points from two games, a 1-1 draw away to World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and a 1-0 home victory over Latvia.

Ramsey said: “We got off to a fantastic start after a difficult World Cup for many reasons.

“It was important for us to hit the ground running, away to Croatia. It has set us up quite nicely now and we’ve got some momentum going.

“But football can change very quickly and we’ve got to treat the Armenia game with respect.

“They’ve been dangerous in certain periods of their games, they scored a very good goal against Turkey for example.

“But it’s all on us. We are at home, fans behind us and we have a game plan.”

Wales are at full-strength with Brennan Johnson and Ben Davies back after missing the March qualifiers and Neco Williams cleared to play after breaking his jaw in April.

The Nottingham Forest full-back has taken a full part in training and manager Page confirmed that there was no need for him to wear a protective mask.

Williams’ Forest team-mate Johnson has been the subject of a reported £30million offer from Brentford and Page insisted it will not be a distraction for the 22-year-old forward.

Page said: “He is a great lad and he has got a great support network around him.

“I know his dad (David) – I used to play against him – and I know the messages his dad will be giving him.

“I was impressed with the way they conducted themselves in January when his head could have been turned.

“He could have had the opportunity to go to one of the so-called bigger clubs, and he didn’t. I thought he made the right decision for his future.

“He’s a level-headed lad, he’s sensible. His focus will be on this game on Friday.”

The Wales captain had the opportunity this summer to become the first British player to join Saudi Arabia’s lucrative league, ahead of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson moving there last month.

But Ramsey put family first and returned to hometown club Cardiff, where he made his senior debut as a 16-year-old in April 2007 to break John Toshack’s record as the Bluebirds’ youngest-ever player.

“There was an offer and there’s plenty of benefits to that offer over there,” said former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey, speaking about the Saudi Pro League interest for the first time.

“But for me, it wasn’t the right time or the right thing to do for me, my career and for my family.

“It can be very appealing and probably depends on a lot of things, on what you’ve done financially, if you’re secure or not and things like that.

“For another individual, it might be life changing, but for me, being around my family and things like that is priceless. So you couldn’t put a figure on that.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a powerful influence in world football that has seen a huge influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League.

It is estimated that Saudi Arabia’s football-related spending has exceeded £3.5billion in the past two years with a host of players following Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East kingdom.

Ramsey told Sky Sports: “It’s a hot topic at the moment. Obviously, there are financial rewards for going there – probably very rewarding – and a lot of players can’t see past that sort of thing.

“I think obviously it depends on the individual situation. I think I’ve been very fortunate in my career that I’ve done OK so far.

“So there’s plenty of factors that go into people’s decisions, but I’ve made mine based on my situation.”

Ramsey makes his third Cardiff debut – he had a short loan spell there in 2011 after suffering serious injury at Arsenal – at Leeds on Sunday with excitement swirling around the Bluebirds.

Despite being under an EFL transfer embargo that has prevented them from paying fees for players, new boss Erol Bulut has strengthened a squad that flirted with relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season.

Bulut has signed six players in total with former Reading striker Yakou Meite and West Brom loanee Karlan Grant among the arrivals.

“I like the way the manager has come in and put down his own stamp so far,” said Ramsey. “He’s very positive and so is the style of football that he wants to try and play.

“He’s managed Fenerbahce – one of the top teams in Turkey – and is used to the expectations and pressures at the highest level to be able to perform and to win games.

“The club had some great years at the highest level and that is something we want to try and bring back here.

“So hopefully not too long in the future, we can see Cardiff back in the Premier League.”