Though Birmingham obviously relaxed, Stockport also suddenly sparked into form. The Birmingham keeper Ian Bennett had to produce a splendid save to deny Angell’s header before the striker got the goal he deserved, as he poked home Armstrong’s half-hit shot from six yards.Bennett was stretched on two more occasions – by another Angell header and a curling shot from Lee Todd – as Stockport served notice to Southampton that their Coca-Cola tie is not over yet Sadly, this one was.. Terry Venables maintained his perfect record as Australia coach as his team of home-based players beat Norway 1-0 in Sydney yesterday to win the four-nation tournament. The left-back Robbie Hooker scored in the 72nd minute to secure Australia’s third win in seven days for a maximum haul of nine points. Venables, who led England to the semi-finals of Euro 96 last summer, said: “We can’t get carried away because we’ve got a long way to go But it’s a very good sign. I’m very encouraged.” Australia had defeated New Zealand and South Korea in their previous matches in the tournament.
Venables added: “In the second half Norway had to come and get the ball, so they stretched their team. I thought in the last 15 minutes they got tired.” The former Barcelona and Tottenham manager, who was unable to select any players from European clubs for the tournament, said his Australian- based side had “put more pressure on overseas players than perhaps they have done before”.Australia organised the tournament as part of their preparations for the Oceania qualifying group matches later this year for the 1998 World Cup in France.

Venables has signed an 18-month contract to lead Australia through the qualifying campaign.New Zealand lost 3-1 to South Korea in the other match played yesterday. New Zealand led 1-0 at half-time through Vaughan Coveny but the South Koreans scored three times in the final 14 minutes.The forward Park Kun Ha equalised in the 77th minute with the substitute Go Jong Su scoring in the 83rd minute and setting up Yoo Sang Chui for the third.The second division strugglers Bournemouth attempted to forget, for 90 minutes at least, that yesterday’s game against Bristol City at Ashton Gate could have been their last after the receivers were called in with the club holding debts of pounds 3.7m. Certainly the players seemed little affected by the crisis and Bournemouth took the lead in the 42nd minute through the central defender Ian Cox. They held on against the division’s most prolific scorers to take three points and move up a place to 15th.The result was some comfort to the small band of travelling faithful who left wondering whether they will still have a club to follow by three o’clock next Saturday when another seaside club, Blackpool, are due to be the visitors to Dean Court where a local confectionery company has promised to give away free sticks of rocks to young supporters. AFC Bournemouth, however, need a donation of more substance.It remains to be seen whethher the Cherries can survive. The receivers have pledged that their aim is to “save football at Bournemouth …

We will explore all the options in the time available to us.” With the Football League demanding guarantees that the Dorset club can fulfil their fixtures until the end of the season, that time may be short.. In A country where excellence is measured by the world-class standards of those in black rugby shorts and jerseys, there was probably more interest in the goings on across the Tasman in Adelaide than there was over the second day’s play at Eden Park. Once again attendance was sparse, despite a handsome maiden century by Stephen Fleming and the relative resurrection of Michael Atherton. In the grandstand there were far more than cursory glances being raised to the numerous television screens bringing live action of the West Indies’ capitulation to Mark Taylor’s men, the gory details of which seemed to capture the imagination far more deeply than another sublime innings from Alec Stewart.
But then that is the price that bantamweights like England and New Zealand must pay for having bowling attacks incapable of fashioning drama from unforgiving pitches. It is, however, a small mercy for which Atherton, unbeaten on 48 when bad light halted play 11 overs early, would not have been ungrateful.Bowling sides out has been a problem for England ever since Ian Botham lost his outswinger 15 years ago.

Since then, a puzzling inconsistency has been just about the only consistent feature of an attack which seems to reveal its talent only when all is lost. Mind you, this is an accusation that can also be levelled at New Zealand, particularly following the departure of Richard Hadlee.So far, though, England have comfortably been the poorer here, squandering the opportunity to make use of the pitch when it was at its most extravagant on the first day. Since then, it has been reluctant to help anyone but the batsman. And they, confronted by some fairly facile bowling from both sides, have put runs on the board.For New Zealand those came mainly from the tall, languid Fleming, an unhurried player of sweetly timed strokes – except when the ball is launched at his Adam’s apple. Then, like all tall batsmen, he gets tangled up by the indecision over whether to duck or to play, a weakness which may explain why it has taken such a highly regarded player 23 Tests to register his first century.

It was only with well-directed bouncers, mainly from Yorkshire’s two “bang it in and smash” bowlers, Gough and White, that England managed to trouble him at all. Otherwise, his was an ambled journey to the magic milestone.”Getting there was a relief, as it has been a while coming,” he said afterwards. “I’m just pleased that the whole picture finally came together.”For his team, however, that picture had been but a sketch when Gough, winding down at mid-off, dropped Chris Cairns just before the close on the first day. Cairns, who was on five at the time and who was again missed on 20 by a flailing Alan Mullally off his own bowling, needed no further encouragement.