Phil Parkinson praised Wrexham for doing all the basics well in a scrappy game to set the foundation for their 2-0 League Two Welsh derby victory over Newport.
In a first meeting for five years, second-half goals from James Jones and Elliot Lee – both from long Ben Tozer throw-ins – secured victory as the Dragons maintained their automatic promotion chase.
The clash was played in windy conditions at the Racecourse Ground which made it difficult at times for both teams, but Parkinson felt the Dragons doing the fundamentals in football helped tee up their triumph.
He said: “It was a game played in very difficult conditions, swirling wind, but we’ve been training in those conditions this week so we’re kind of used to it.
“When it’s like that, the game’s always going to have a scrappy feel to it and it was important we were ready to scrap first and second balls all over the pitch.
“I felt we did that very well and the moments of quality in terms of football, we knew they might be not as often as what it is in normal conditions, but we still played some good football and we switched the play and got in some dangerous positions, so all in all I thought the lads have stuck to the job at hand and got another very important three points for us.
“We just kept saying to the lads at half-time ‘we’ve just got to keep grinding away today’.
“It was just one of those types of games. We’ve had them before and it’s about being ready to get your bodies in, to protect the ball upfront, to win those headers in midfield, to make sure the communication’s right when the ball comes from the keeper to our backline – and I thought they did that terrifically well.
“All those very basic things in football had to be in place for us to get us a win.”
Newport boss Graham Coughlan was left a frustrated figure after his side conceded from two set-pieces and failed to take their opportunities, but did not use the conditions as an excuse for defeat.
He said: “We had opportunities and chances. The first goal was always going to be big in this fixture and we had two or three chances in the first half to take them and we didn’t, so you leave yourself open.
“Yes, the conditions were there but they were the same for both teams, so by no means will we use that as an excuse.
“We had one or two sloppy moments and that’s probably what cost us, but we’ve seen them moments so many times this season and that’s what’s hurting us because we were in the game.
“Both teams tried to make a decent fist of the conditions and it was tough on both teams and both sets of players, but it’s disappointing when it comes down to two set-pieces and two long throws. That’s bitterly disappointing.
“If you don’t take those chances, then you’re going to leave yourself vulnerable.
“We didn’t take them, so we were always vulnerable and they were always going to put a bit of pressure on us, they were always going to be a different team in the second half.
“The game certainly changed at half-time, but they’ve taken their chances with two set pieces, which is probably sticking in my throat at this moment in time.
“I’d love to be honest and tell you what I’m really feeling but you can’t concede from two set-pieces from long throws. That should be bread and butter to people in our team.”
Putellas signs two-year deal with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has signed a two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.
Putellas was due to be out of contract next month, but extends her 12-year relationship with Barcelona, with the new deal also including an option for an additional season.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, though she has struggled with injuries that have kept her sidelined since winning the second.
Overall, she has made 424 appearances, scoring a record 189 goals for the club, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s recent domination in women’s football.
Putellas has won 29 major trophies with Barcelona and is looking for another on Saturday when they face Lyon in the Champions League final.
Having already clinched Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa this season, Putellas can help Barcelona to complete an unprecedented quadruple with a win over the French champions.
Alonso wants to write more history with Leverkusen in Europa League final
Xabi Alonso is hopeful that his Bayer Leverkusen side can make more history in their Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Leverkusen became the first side in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten in a single season on their way to the top-flight title, and across all competitions, they have not lost any of their last 51 matches.
Now, they have the opportunity to complete an unbeaten treble if they can get past Atalanta before taking on Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal on Saturday.
Only three sides have previously won the competition without losing a game – Chelsea in 2018-19, Villarreal in 2020-21 and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22, with Leverkusen looking to be added to that list.
Alonso is taking charge of his first European final as a manager and highlights the ambition the club have to do something significant.
"It would mean a lot, a lot to me [to win a European trophy]," he told UEFA. "To be able to share it with the people from the club, with the fans.
"You see what it meant when we won the Bundesliga. To be able to win a European title after so many years since we won [the UEFA Cup in 1988] would be historic, and we want to do that, to have a historic season.
"It would be something written in golden letters, not only in the history of our club but probably all European football. I hope we can."
Like his counterpart, Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini is also taking charge of a European final for the first time in his career.
The Italian side clinched a top-five finish in Serie A with their win over Lecce on Saturday and are looking to win their first major trophy in 61 years.
Looking back on the season, Gasperini says he is proud of the work his side have done to make it through to the club's first European final.
"It feels good," Gasperini said. "It's a great achievement and source of satisfaction, achieved with a really good season from this whole team.
"Is it the highest point of my career? Yes, in terms of accomplishment and prestige, absolutely. In terms of gratification, fortunately, I've had quite a few, although perhaps not on the same level.
"This team always wanted it. Sometimes, you get teams who are good technically but lacking in determination and hunger.
"From the start, from the group stage, since we played in Lisbon, in a group where we were not the favourites – Sporting [CP] were the favourites – we played great matches against strong opponents. Of course, winning at Anfield boosted our confidence even more."
Sargent earns recall as Pulisic, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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