Build up for Sunday’s Manchester derby has officially started with South American duo Radamel Falcao and Sergio Aguero featuring in a promo video for sponsors Puma. In the aptly-named 'Head to Head,' production, Manchester United forward Falcao and his Manchester City counterpart Aguero do just that as they battle it out in a cage style match. And while the scenario won't replicate the atmosphere at Old Trafford the introduction of both players, as they gear up for their unique encounter is met with fans cheering, dressed in the duo's respective team's colours. South American duo Radamel Falcao (left) and Sergio Aguero feature in a promo video for sponsors Puma . Manchester United striker Falcao awaits the arrival of Aguero - backed by a mass of Red Devils' supporters . Aguero is all smiles at the start of the video as the two rival players get ready for cage style encounter . Falcao (left) tries to go past Aguero during the opening stages of their cage match encounter . United's No 9 (left) leaves Aguero trailing in his wake after producing a piece of skill in the video . However, the Manchester City hitman (left) has Falcao backpedaling as he takes a 2-1 lead in the video . Yet, Falcao (left) has the last laugh as he scores an equaliser to see the match end on a cliffhanger at 2-2 . And like for so much of the Premier League era, it is United who take first blood when Falcao shows off his nimble footwork before firing past Aguero. However, it isn't long before the City hitman proves the scourge of the red half of Manchester once more as he nutmegs United's No 9 to equalise before showing all of his predatory qualities to tap home from close range. With both Falcao and Aguero calling on a fan to aid them midway through the encounter, United have the last laugh in the video with a trademark late goal as the former curls home an equaliser to level the scoreline at 2-2. And while the video ends with the scoreline in the balance, neither side will be playing for a draw then they meet for real on Sunday. Manuel Pellegrini’s side travel to Old Trafford looking to secure a Champions League place after defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday all but ended their pursuit of league leaders Chelsea. But, the Chilean could also be fighting to hold on to his job as a lacklustre City look to save what looks to be, by their recent high standards, a disappointing campaign. United, on the other hand, have hit form at exactly the right time and are also looking to secure a Champions League spot having started the season poorly. City boss Manuel Pellegrini witnessed his side limp to a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace . Puncheon celebrates his brilliant free kick which all but ended Manchester City's hopes of catching Chelsea . City striker Aguero stands, hands on hips, after seeing his side fall behind at Selhurst Park .

Premier League duo Radamel Falcao and Sergio Aguero star in Puma video . South American strikers feature in advert ahead of Manchester derby . Manchester City travel to Old Trafford looking to salvage their poor season . Manchester United are looking for Champions League spot after slow start .


A teenager from Illinois is tackling her disability head-on and attempting to positively influence thousands of others by dancing. Dayna Dobias, 19, from Downers Grove was born with cerebral palsy, but she hopes to inspire others with her enthusiastic videos. 'I've gotten bullied because of it and I get people all the time, staring and so it's definitely made things difficult in my life,' Dayna told Daily Mail Online. Scroll down for video . Challenging: Dayna Dobias, 18, is hoping change the way people with disabilities are represented by the television, film and the fashion industry . Her hope is that the video not only entertains, but inspires others to think before judging. The teenager says her motivation for creating the video was to counteract stereotypes held by people over certain disabilities. 'People tend to think that because I have cerebral palsy I cannot do anything and that I am so different from everyone else, when in reality I am pretty much just the same as everyone else,' she added. 'I might do things a little bit differently than most people, but that doesn't mean that I should be treated differently.' This is one of several videos that Dayna has created. Last year the teenager produced another dancing clip with her strutting her stuff to Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. Inspirational: The Illinois teen who suffers from cerebal palsy has created a video in which she dances . Don't judge: People tend to think that because I have cerebral palsy I cannot do anything and that I am so different from everyone else, when in reality I am pretty much just the same as everyone else,' Dayna says . 'People like to define me based on disability. People just look at me and think, oh that's just the girl with cerebral palsy,' she said. 'I would like people to look past that and be like, oh she's just one of us.' Dayna says she wanted to turn any negativity that might be held over her disability into something positive and hopefully inspire others, or at the very least raise a smile. 'When I was first diagnosed with cerebral palsy, doctors warned my parents that I may never walk, but here I am dancing! I drive, I go to college, I do things like every other 19-year-old,' she says. The teen has now begun to do some motivational speaking at a couple of local schools. Confident: Dayna has now taken up motivational speaking and has visited several schools in the Chicago area .

Dayna Dobias, 19, has created a video in which she dances despite having a disability that makes it difficult for her to walk . She loves TV, film and fashion, and says she’s not happy with how people with disabilities are represented . The teen has created several videos during the past year aimed at changing stereotypes .


A 23-month-old girl in  died after her father struck her with a pickup truck when he didn't see that she was in the driveway, police have said said. Police were called to the scene in the North Las Vegas neighborhood at about 11.30am on Thursday, police spokesman Aaron Patty said. The father, 24, and other family members inside did not know that the toddler, who later died at University Medical Hospital, had gotten out of the house and on to the driveway, police said. A 23-month-old toddler was killed after her father, who didn't know she was in the driveway, struck her with a pickup truck just days before her second birthday . The father and other family members say that they did not know the toddler was in the driveway. The incident was deemed an accident . The incident was deemed an accident and no charges will be filed, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The girl was going to turn two this weekend, according to KLAS. No names have been released of the father, toddler or the family members who were at the house. The names of the father, toddler and family members who were at the house have not been released to the public .

Police were called to the North Las Vegas neighborhood at about 11.30am on Thursday . Father and other family members did not know toddler was in the driveway . The incident was deemed an accident and no charges were filed . The toddler died in the hospital just days before her second birthday .


A Florida woman has been arrested for driving under the influence after she allegedly caused a scene at a McDonald's drive-through while wearing nothing but a bra and panties, police say. Lydia Kelm, 23, had a blood-alcohol content of .247 when police tested her after showing up to the McDonald's in Leesburg, Florida, early Monday. Police say the woman wouldn't pull up to the drive-through window at around 3.30am, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Caused a Scene: Lydia Kelm, 23 (photographed), was arrested for driving under the influence after she allegedly caused a scene at a McDonald's drive-through in Florida while wearing nothing but a bra and panties . Police say that instead of purchasing food and driving away, the 23-year-old nurse revved her engine loudly and backed up twice, prompting workers to yell repeatedly for her to move forward. She 'seemed to be confused, lethargic' and 'had slurred speech,'  an arrest affidavit states. Kelm told officers she had three beers, the New York Daily News reports. Booked: Kelm (right) was charged with DUI and booked into the Lake County jail; she has since been released on $1,000 bail . McDonald's: Police say that instead of purchasing food from the McDonald's and driving away, Kelm revved her engine loudly and backed up twice, prompting workers to yell repeatedly for her to move forward . However, officers gave Kelm a sobriety test, which indicated her alcohol content was three times the legal limit. They did so after giving the woman a jacket to wear in the  48-degree weather. She was charged with DUI and booked into the Lake County jail, the Daily News reports. She has since been released on $1,000 bail. Alcohol: Kelm (photographed) said she had three beers, but a sobriety test indicated that her blood-alcohol level was .247 -- three times the legal limit .

Lydia Kelm, 23, was arrested with a DUI charge after driving to a McDonald's nearly naked and refusing to complete her order . Restaurant workers yelled repeatedly for Kelm to pull up to the drive-through window, but she revved her engine and backed up instead . Kelm's blood-alcohol level was .247 -- three times the legal limit .


An aspiring country singer from West Virginia has become a viral sensation after he posted a video of himself online singing to his uncle who has Down syndrome. Travis Hatfield, 21, from Gilbert, West Virginia sung a George Jones hit to his 47-year-old uncle, Jamie Joe Cline. 'He is a big part in my life and I don't know what I would do without him. He's one of the sweetest people I have ever met,' wrote Travis on his Facebook page. Sweet serenade: Travis Hatfield sung a George Jones song to his 47-year-old uncle, Jamie Joe Cline, who has Down syndrome. The video went viral onine . 'Just wanted everyone to see what our weekends together consist of!' he continued. The video of the two of them playing music together and singing He Stopped Loving Her Today has gone viral with more than 410,000 views so far. 'When I made the video it was made just to be sent to friends because everybody loves him. I just wanted them to see him happy and singing a little bit.' said Travis. In the video,Travis sings and his uncle chimes in with occasional lines as he recognizes parts of the song. Family fun: The pair sing together at least once a week. Uncle Jamie lives with Travis after his parets died a few years ago . At one stage the pair belt out the song with such passion, they are both in tune. 'He is the inspiration,' Hatfield told WOWK radio. 'His love for music is probably stronger than mine, honestly. Every day he is blasting his radio out.' Going up in West Virginia, Travis says he was surrounded by country music and knew he wanted to be a singer from about the age of six. Travis and Jamie team up to hit the high notes at least once a week during which time the duo can sing anything from George Jones, to Jason Aldean, to Brantley Gilbert. Uncle Jamie has lived with Travis for more than a decade since his uncle's parents died. Ambition: Travis says he had long dreamed of becoming a country singer and is now receiving offers from Nasville . Travis says he is now finding that because of the popularity of the video, he has fans all over the country and has even taken calls from Nashville record labels. He vows that if all goes well he will be auditioning for The Voice for the 2016 season. He is currently working on a CD that consists of 12 original songs and hopes to release his music soon. The budding performer says he also hopes to take a trip to Tennessee and visit Music City USA before long to hopefully secure a record deal his family can be proud of.

Travis Hatfield, 21, from West Virginia performed with his 47-year-old uncle . Their video went viral with more than 410,000 views . The singer says he is how receiving offers from record labels .


FIFA presidential candidate Luis Figo on Wednesday disputed the Confederation of African Football's claim that all 54 votes from the continent will go to incumbent Sepp Blatter in the presidential elections next month. The former Portugal international, in Egypt at the CAF Congress to canvass for votes, told Sportsmail he did not believe all Africa was solidly behind Blatter, who seeks re-election on May 29 against Figo, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan and the Dutch football association president Michael van Praag. 'I feel there's a lot of respect for CAF among all the African federations but I'm positive that (CAF president) Mr (Issa) Hayatou did not speak in the name of the 54 members of the confederation,' said the former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder. Luis Figo does not believe that Sepp Blatter will receive ALL 54 votes from African nations . Blatter (left) has received the backing of African football's president Issa Hayatou (right) 'Even when he (Hayatou) announced he would support Blatter, we could notice a difference from past congresses when a statement like that normally is followed by a standing ovation. 'This time we heard just a normal applause, which confirms my idea that a lot of African countries understand and agree with the need to change for the better of everyone, especially the national associations. 'In fact there were federation presidents who ensured me they would vote for me but they were reluctant to saying this out loud because they feared reactions against them, their federations and even their countries,' said Figo. 'It also to end this kind of atmosphere that I decided to be a candidate. Football should be about a beautiful game and people should be able to express themselves freely and openly.' Figo (left) and Michael van Pragg (right) are opposing Blatter and have chosen to run for presidency . Prince Ali bin al-Hussein is the third challenger and the FIFA vice-president was in attendance in Zimbabwe . The CAF congress in Cairo ended on Tuesday with Hayatou declaring Africa's complete support for Blatter's re-election but on all previous occasions when the CAF chief has promised a block of African votes, many have broken ranks. When Blatter came to power in 1998, Hayatou pledged Africa's votes to rival Lennart Johansson of Sweden but most defied him to vote Blatter into power. When Hayatou stood against Blatter in 2002, almost half the African countries voted for the Swiss rather than their own confederation president.

Luis Figo is challenging to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president . Former Portugal star doesn't believe all of Confederation of African Football's (CAF) 54 votes will decide in Blatter's favour . Prince Ali bin Al Hussein and Michael van Praag are also in the running .


This is the surreal moment a dog takes the reins and literally drags his owner out for a walk. Dashcam footage, shared by dailymotion.com user Vidsking, shows a giant St. Bernard  running across a road somewhere in the Czech Republic with a child trailing behind. It appears to be a rather uncomfortable excursion, with the young boy going along the ground on his belly with his legs stretched out behind. As the canine scampers along, his passenger holds tightly to a leash. Two men watching the bizarre scene from their car are heard chuckling in the background. They're forced to slow down  to avoid hitting the animal and human train. Once the dog reaches the other side of the road, it makes its way over a muddy verge. At that point the boy gets up and stumbles forwards. Another pedestrian is seen on the roadside but he doesn't appear to be overly fazed by the scene. According to the video time stamp, the incident took place on March 3 just past 5pm. 'A dog walks a child,' the cameraman casually titled the unusual piece of footage. Caught on camera: Dashcam footage shared by dailymotion.com user Vidsking, shows a giant St. Bernard dog running across a road somewhere in the Czech Republic with a child trailing behind . Bumpy ride: It appears to be a rather uncomfortable excursion, with the young boy being pulled along the ground on his belly with his legs stretched out behind . Ready for walkies? As the canine scampers along, his passenger holds tightly to a leash .

Dashcam footage shared by dailymotion.com user Vidsking, shows a St. Bernard dog running across a road somewhere with a child trailing behind . It appears to be a rather uncomfortable excursion, with the young boy being pulled along the ground on his belly .


All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo when Real Madrid visit Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday. The 30-year-old hit five in Real's thumping 9-1 win against Granada at the weekend to take his tally to 36 goals in the league so far. Ronaldo's quintuplet moved him above Lionel Messi in the race for the Pichichi trophy given to the top goalscorer in La Liga at the end of the season. Spanish paper Marca (left) previews Real Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night - with the focus on superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo after his five-goal haul against Granada at the weekend . And going into Wednesday's Madrid derby, Marca builds up to the match by focusing on Ronaldo. Leading with the headline: 'Captain Thunder against Rayo,' the paper states that Ronaldo 'arrives unleashed after his exhibition against Granada.' In addition Marca adds that Ronaldo will be up against Rayo striker Alberto Bueno - the highest scoring Spaniard in the league at present with 15 goals. Meanwhile in Catalonia, Mundo Deportivo looks ahead to Barcelona's clash against Almeria on Wednesday night - and more so the importance of Lionel Messi. If he plays at the Nou Camp, it would be the 50th consecutive week that the Argentina maestro has done so in the Spanish top flight - dating back to January 11, 2014. Barca coach Luis Enrique says he will make changes against Almeria - but Mundo adds that if Messi isn't spared then it is 'cruel' on the 27-year-old. Meanwhile in Italy, the reaction from Juventus' Coppa Italia semi-final triumph over their bitter rivals Fiorentina continues. Over in Italy, the papers focus on Juventus' 3-0 Coppa Italia semi-final second leg win over Fiorentina . Goals from Alessandro Matri, Roberto Pereyra and Leonardo Bonucci saw Juve overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit to win 4-2 on aggregate at the home of the Viola. Corriere dello Sport hails the visitors' performance with the headline 'Tre-mendous Juventus' adding that manager Massimiliano Allegri produced a tactical masterpiece to seal victory without a number of his regular starters - including star striker Carlos Tevez. Aside from Juventus' win, Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport both report that Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani is being linked with a move to AC Milan. The 28-year-old is reportedly fed up of playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the French capital, often shunted out wide to get the best out of the Swedish striker. And Tuttosport adds that the Uruguay international has been offered to Milan - with the deal currently being 'weighed up.'

Real Madrid thrashed Granada 9-1 in La Liga at the weekend . Cristiano Ronaldo scored five to take his league tally to 36 for the season . Real travel to Rayo Vallecano in a Madrid derby on Wednesday night . Juventus won 3-0 at Fiorentina to reach the Coppa Italia final on Tuesday .


Vincent Kompany believes that if Manchester City are able to pick up a valuable three points away to rivals Manchester United, then they can help 'rectify' a disappointing season. Manuel Pellegrini's side were given a torrid time by Crystal Palace on Monday night, as their Premier League title hopes were all but dashed and a place in the top two is all they have left to fight for. The City captain admits that the derby game is crucial and believes being the underdogs suits his side. Vincent Kompany (left) believes that a win against rivals Manchester United will help rectify their season . Manuel Pellegrini is under pressure after a disappointing season and could be replaced in the summer . He said: 'A derby is a derby. It doesn't matter what place you are in the league, it's a derby. If anything, it's a good moment to go into a derby. I guess the momentum is a little bit with our neighbours at the moment, but it's the perfect place for us to go and try to rectify what we've had.' With speculation surrounding their manager Pellegrini, it remains to be seen if he'll still be in charge in the summer but Kompany says that a strong finish will be key for them next season. 'My only concern is we get back to our best form,' he added. 'I think it's our general form that we have to improve. I've learnt from the past seasons as well that finishing a season strongly can have an impact on your next season as well. In some funny way, it wasn't even a bad game [against Palace]. Glenn Murray terrorised the Manchester City defence and opened the scoring despite being offside . Kompany and his team-mates talk to referee Michael Oliver after the clearly offside goal was awarded . 'We are demanding with ourselves because we have to win, but you guys saw it. Did they have a shot on goal except for set-pieces? They are definitely a solid team. They are definitely a team who knows how to defend. 'They had a game plan so credit to them but, for us, it wasn't a bad game in comparison with other games that we might have lost. It has a bit of a different feel to it maybe than the result at Burnley. But a team like us needs results.'

Vincent Kompany says beating Manchester United can 'rectify' the season . Manchester City were beaten 2-1 away to in-form Crystal Palace . Kompany reckons that being underdogs suits his side at Old Trafford . READ: Sportsmail identifies five problems that need sorting at the Etihad . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester City news .


Christian Benteke rescued Aston Villa from the drop zone with a brilliant late free-kick to seal his hat-trick and salvage a point against relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers. Tim Sherwood’s team were set to drop into the bottom three when Charlie Austin scored his 17th Premier League goal of the season 12 minutes from the end, before Benteke’s intervention five minutes later to cap off a pulsating game. The point lifts QPR above Burnley to 18th on goal difference, while Villa move above Hull to 16th. Tim Sherwood was disappointed that Aston Villa's domination of QPR did not result in three points for his side . Sherwood did concede that the point taken could be vital and praised Christian Benteke for his hat-trick . Sherwood said: ‘I’m disappointed with a point when we’ve dominated the match like that. The referee should have stopped it at half-time. Anyone who has seen that football match knows it shouldn’t have been close. ‘But it’s not about what you deserve, it’s about what you actually get. This could be a vital point come the end of the season. When you’re going so late into the game and Christian’s had to pull that one out of the bag, we’re grateful for that.’ Chris Ramsey was equally frustrated that his team only took a point from Villa Park, having twice led, initially through Matt Phillips’ header. Benteke equalised with a deflected shot before putting Villa ahead before the break with a cool finish. Defender Clint Hill levelled the game with a header before Austin struck and Benteke scored his seventh goal in five Villa games to ensure honours finished even. Benteke was Villa's star man, twice pulling them level with three goals that earned a point at Villa Park . Charlie Austin had scored late on for QPR as they looked to claim and unlikely away end in the Midlands . Ramsey praised Benteke, saying: ‘He is a formidable player. When you are playing against people that can pull out that little bit of magic, sometimes you have to hold your hands up. His free-kick was a fantastic strike in off the post against a top keeper, who had it been anywhere else probably would have saved it.’ The QPR head coach added: ‘Based on the way we played in the second half and the beginning of the first half you have to be disappointed you haven’t been able to get above the line, which was the aim before we started the last two games. We showed tonight we’re more than capable of doing that. I don’t know what we need but we’re probably going to have to win three games. We know our next home games will be very important. We have the potential cup final against Leicester on the last game of the season. QPR head coach Chris Ramsey called Benteke a 'formidable player' after he took apart the visitors . Sherwood and Ramsey embrace before kick-off having spent periods of their careers working together . ‘Any team would take being in it right till the end and then roll the dice. You don’t want to become detached where every game is a mountain to climb. There is a belief in the camp they are capable of surviving, there is no doom and gloom.’ Sherwood added: ‘We’re creating chances, aren’t we? I can’t really understand why they scored 12 goals before I came in, incredible really for players with that kind of strike-rate... we must keep our tempo up and shore it up at the back. Otherwise we could find ourselves in trouble.’ Sherwood now takes his team to Tottenham and Manchester City. ‘Who is to say we can’t go to any of those games and win?’ he said. ‘We’ll try. We can’t do what QPR have done today, we’ll play on the front foot.’ .

Aston Villa draw 3-3 with QPR  with Christian Benteke scoring a hat-trick . Tim Sherwood felt his side should have got more than a draw from clash . Villa dominated for long periods but almost lost to fall into bottom three . Benteke's late free-kick rescued them from that fate at Villa Park . Chris Ramsey praises the Belgian for being a 'formidable player'


Scotland's Bradley Neil has received the backing of world No 1 Rory McIlroy as he ponders when to turn professional. Winning the Amateur championship at Royal Portrush last year secured Neil invites to the Masters and US Open in 2015, with the Walker Cup another important date on the calendar. However, the 19-year-old Scot admits he may turn professional before September's clash with the United States at Royal Lytham and impressed McIlroy during their practice round together at Augusta on Monday. Rory McIlroy (left) accompanies Bradley Neil (centre) during practice ahead of the Masters . The world No 1 congratulates the amateur champion after chipping in at the second hole . The Scot pens his scorecard as McIlroy practices his putting ahead of his grand slam bid . 'I rate his game really highly,' said McIlroy, who was on the losing side in the 2007 Walker Cup. 'He looks ready. He's very impressive. Hits it a long way, doesn't seem to be in awe of anything. 'So I just told him to go out there and enjoy it. Don't second guess yourself, commit to your shots, be decisive, all the things I tell myself. McIlroy has tipped the youngster to be a success when he decides to turn professional . 'If he feels ready (to turn professional), then he should go ahead and do it. He's definitely got the game. Even though he grew up playing links golf he hits it quite high and he can flight it; I can see him one day coming over here and doing well on the PGA Tour. He has the game for the style of golf to suit playing over here.'

Rory McIlroy heads to Masters hoping to complete a career grand slam . World No 1 backs Scotland's Bradley Neil to succeed as a professional . Winner of last year's Amateur championship has been invited to Augusta, US Open and the Walker Cup . CLICK HERE for all the latest news from the 2015 Masters .


If you had planned to jet off today to catch the end of the Easter school break, you may just wish you had stayed at home. In a double hit for thousands of holidaymakers trying to leave Britain today, strikes by French air traffic controllers and new border control checks threaten severe delays. Air passengers face up to three days of disruption, with British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Flybe among the airlines forced to cancel dozens of flights. Scroll down for video . Delays: easyJet is one of many airlines set to cancel flights over a strike by French air traffic controllers over the next three days (file photo) Chaos: New passport regulations could cause queues on roads leading to Dover and Folkestone (file photo) And those travelling abroad by ferry or Eurotunnel face queues as exit checks are introduced at Britain’s ports. The change, which takes effect from today, means every passenger in a car or coach will have their passport scanned. The walkout by France’s biggest air traffic controllers’ union SNCTA will begin at 5am today and run until 5am on Friday – with vast knock-on disruption expected. Last night, easyJet, which flies to more than a dozen French cities, said it was cancelling 118 flights, including ten directly affecting the UK. BA warned of ‘significant disruption’ and apologised for the cancellation of around a dozen return flights from Britain. Flybe said it was cancelling 16 of today’s flights including services to Paris from Manchester, Birmingham and Exeter as well as some flights from Southampton. Crush: Passengers travelling on the Channel Tunnel or on cross-Channel ferries are likely to see the worst of the disruption (file photo) Ryanair said it was cancelling 250 of today’s flights, with more likely, branding the strike ‘grossly unfair’. Nearly a third involve the UK, although many are destinations outside of France hit by the knock-on effect. A Ryanair spokesman said all affected customers have been contacted by email and text message and advised of their options – full refund, free transfer on to the next available flight or free transfer on to an alternatively routed flight. The Civil Aviation Authority said passengers affected by the strike would not receive compensation because industrial action is classed as an ‘unforeseen circumstance’ outside the control of airlines. But they will be entitled to food, drink and, if necessary, hotel accommodation. In response to dire warnings that the introduction of border control checks would cause chaos, ministers have tried to lessen the impact by phasing the new rules in. For the first month, all passports will be scanned but only a quarter of passport holders will have to have their details verified. By June, this will rise to 100 per cent . Forget Rome or Athens, the best place to bask in spring sunshine this week will be Britain. The glorious weather is set to stretch out for the rest of the week – with hotter temperatures here than in many Mediterranean destinations. The mercury is set to rise steadily until Friday, when southern parts of England are forecast to hit 21C (70F) or higher, which would be the hottest temperature here so far this year. Rome and Athens are only expected to reach 16C (61F), while Marseille is set to stall at 18C (65F). But make the most of it when you can as last week’s cooler weather is predicted to return on Sunday. Dan Williams, spokesman for the Met Office, said: ‘We are looking at high temperatures until the weekend. It will be cooler and breezier over the weekend with some rain. That will make way for more unsettled weather into next week.’

Strikes by French air traffic controllers will affect thousands of Brits today . New border control checks may also mean major delays for holidaymakers . BA, easyJet, Flybe and Ryanair among airlines forced to cancel flights . Three days of disruption start today at 5am and end on Friday morning .


New York City police are searching for a man who was caught on a surveillance camera dumping an unconscious woman on a street in Queens over the weekend. The NYPD released the video Tuesday, along with a photo of the victim in the hospital in hopes of identifying her. The woman was critically injured and still has not regained consciousness. The grainy video, obtained from a store owner in the Richmond Hill section of Queens, shows a man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants dragging the limp body of a woman from the backseat of a parked car at around 12.30am Saturday. Discarded: New York City police are searching for a man who was caught on a surveillance camera dumping an unconscious woman on a street in Queens . The video shows a man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants dragging the limp body of a woman from the backseat of a car parked at 131st Street and Jamaica Avenue Saturday morning . Person of interest: The man walks back to the car, briefly glances at the woman's body on the ground, then gets behind the wheel and drives off . Paramedics arrived on the scene 20 minutes later and transported the victim to a hospital in critical condition . After making sure no one is watching, the man props the woman against the wall of a nearby building, but without his support she slumps to the ground face first. The man walks back to the car, briefly glances at the woman's body on the ground, then gets behind the wheel and drives off. The owner of the business whose camera captured the incident told WABC it was disheartening to see that the unidentified man left the woman all alone lying in the middle of the sidewalk at night instead of calling for help. Paramedics responded to the scene at the corner of 131st Street and Jamaica Avenue just before 1am and transported the unnamed victim to Jamaica Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator. She was listed in critical but stable condition suffering from injuries to her legs and bruising. Jane Doe: Police have released a photo of the unidentified victim in the hospital (left) and an image of her clothes from Saturday (right) In a hospital photo released by police, the victim appears to be an African-American woman in her 20s. Her face is covered in scrapes, her left eye is bruised and there is a breathing tube in her mouth. The NYPD also disseminated a photo of the clothes the woman was wearing Saturday, including a dark-colored jacket, jeans and sneakers. Anyone with information on the woman or the man who left her in the street is being asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

CCTV camera captured a man in a hoodie dragging woman's limp body from car parked at 131st Street and Jamaica Avenue in Queens Saturday . Woman was left slumped on the sidewalk for 20 minutes until paramedics arrived and took her to a hospital . She was placed on a ventilator and remains in critical but stable condition with leg injuries .


Frustration was clear in the voices of Peter Moores and Alastair Cook  as they fended off repeated enquiries about Kevin Pietersen's future more than a year after he had seemingly been banished from international cricket for good. Well, there is only one person to blame — and that is Colin Graves. The incoming ECB chairman has been responsible for the mixed messages that leave the England team in as big a state of turmoil and internal rebellion as ever. Graves has forged an excellent reputation in English cricket as chairman of Yorkshire for the way he bankrolled and transformed the club, but his initial forays into the international game have been little short of an embarrassment. Colin Graves has made a habit of talking before thinking since being announced as ECB chairman . He has become the loose cannon of English cricket — and he has yet to take up office. It all started on March 1 when he gave an interview to Garry Richardson of the BBC, who is known for his persistence and admirable success in coaxing ear-catching sound bites from interviewees. So when Graves said that Pietersen — exiled for valid reasons after the last Ashes debacle before producing a nasty autobiography that only supported the ECB's decision — had to be playing county cricket to earn an England recall, it was put down to Yorkshire straight-talking. Yet subsequently, most importantly in a phone conversation with Pietersen, Graves has done little to play down the 34-year-old's chances — even if privately the chairman is said to be perplexed at the media's 'spin' on his apparent opening of the England door. If Graves, who has apparently assured senior figures that he does not want Pietersen back, really had no intention of encouraging the maverick, then he has made a right old mess of it. For he has created a soap opera that will run and run now Pietersen has rejoined Surrey and put huge pressure on a fledgling England middle order who made significant Test progress last summer. England head coach Peter Moores (left) and Alastair Cook  answer questions at a press conference . Not to mention completely undermining managing director Paul Downton and national selector James Whitaker, who have repeatedly clarified England's stance on the batsman over the last 14 months. And if Graves disagreed with the original decision to axe Pietersen, then he had a duty as deputy chairman of the ECB to say so then, not wait until he had taken over from Giles Clarke. That is not all. Since his Pietersen outburst, Graves has said that there will be an inquiry if England do not beat a 'mediocre' West Indies in the upcoming three-Test series. This prompted the respected Barbadian commentator Tony Cozier to liken the comments to Tony Greig's infamous intention in 1976 to make the West Indies 'grovel'. Then Graves came out with the ridiculous notion of reducing Test matches to four days. This would be achieved by introducing the unrealistic target of playing 105 overs a day — a move that would destroy the primacy of the ultimate game. Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has been linked with a return to the national side recently . If Graves wants to make himself useful, then he should concentrate on his supposed main aim of introducing a 10-team English Premier League franchise Twenty20 competition. Everybody bar a few myopic counties wants that. He could also do something about a crippling fixture list that will see England play 17 Tests in the next 10 months — a key factor in why they have fallen so far behind in the 50-over game and just endured the worst World Cup in their history. There is much for the ECB's new regime — which includes new chief executive Tom Harrison and communications director Chris Haynes — to do, but all the new chairman has done so far is make things worse. Colin Graves should think very carefully in future before he speaks.

Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves has handled the potential return of Kevin Pietersen very poorly . Graves has pitched several outlandish ideas about reducing Test matches to four days . He should focus his attention on addressing the England fixture congestion .


Not one but two very familiar faces will be ranged against Andy Murray on the support benches as he revisits one of the most highly charged matches of his career. Tomas Berdych is his opponent in the semi-final of the Miami Open, the man Murray met — and eventually beat — at the same stage of the Australian Open in January. It was a match that had everything, with even the saintly Kim Sears caught uttering profanities in the direction of the Czech powerhouse. Andy Murray will have to cope with seeing two of his former team in the opposite corner in Miami . Fitness trainer Jez Green (left) and coach Danny Vallverdu left Murray to join Tomas Berdych's team . There is no love lost on the tour between the British No 1 and his Czech opponent Berdych (right) Much of the build-up to that fractious encounter centred on the fact it was a reunion between Murray and his close friend and assistant coach Dani Vallverdu, who had switched jobs to work with world No 9 Berdych. Now there is the added presence of Murray’s former fitness trainer Jez Green, with whom he spent so many painstaking hours becoming a super athlete, following Vallverdu into the Berdych camp while also working with the outstanding German teenager Alex Zverev. By the time they met in Melbourne there had been endless references to people failing to pull in the same direction when on Murray’s team. It is fairly clear that meant disagreements over training methods and other matters. Murray's fiance Kim Sears was caught shouting expletives towards Berdych at the Australian Open . Murray and Berdych meet at the net after the Brit's semi-final victory in Melbourne in January . Murray, who after one break in Melbourne pointedly celebrated straight at Vallverdu, admits the Australian match was difficult due to the intensity of the friendships. However, he insists that tension has now dissipated. ‘We chat most days when we’re in the locker room and stuff,’ said the Scot. ‘In Melbourne it was a bit awkward but now I feel I’m past that. We’ve moved on.’ He admits to not being close to Berdych. And that has not changed. Murray reached the last four in Key Biscayne after a three-set defeat of rising prospect Dominic Thiem .

British No 1 faces Tomas Berdych in the Miami Open semi-finals . Former coach Dani Vallverdu and now fitness trainer Jez Green left Andy Murray's team to join up with the Czech . Murray defeated Berdych in a controversial Australian Open semi-final .


John Isner reached the semifinals of the Miami Open after easily beating fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday. The 6-foot-10, hard-serving Isner is the first American man to make the semifinals in Miami since 2011. He'll next meet either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer on Friday night. Isner won the final eight points of the first set, breaking Nishikori at love to end it. He then ran out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never faced serious trouble. Big serving John Isner became the first American to reach the semi finals in Miami since 2011 . Kei Nishikori could not cope with Isner's power play in a straight sets 6-4, 6-3 defeat . Nishikori never had a break chance Thursday, and Isner hasn't been broken in the tournament. Meanwhile, Andy Murray will face not one but two of his former team when he meets Tomas Berdych in the other semi final in Key Biscayne. His former fitness coach Jez Green has followed his once close friend and assistant coach Dani Vallverdu, to join the Czech world No 9. Sparks flew when the pair met in this year's Australian Open semi-final, which Murray eventually won in four sets. There will be no love lost when Andy Murray takes on Tomas Berdych in the other semi final . Even mild mannered Kim Sears was captured uttering expletives in the Czech's direction at Australian Open .

John Isner will play either Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer in the last four . He became the first American to reach Miami Open semi final since 2011 . Kei Nishikori could not handle Isner's serve in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat .


Phil Jones has demanded that Manchester United reproduce their recent level of performances ahead of Sunday's derby against Manchester City. United host their 'noisy neighbours' at Old Trafford sitting third in the table - one point and place above their bitter rivals with seven games remaining. It is the first time since November 23, 2013 that the Red Devils are ahead of City in the Premier League table after having played the same number of matches in a campaign. Phil Jones hopes Manchester United 'turn up and play their football' vs Manchester City on Sunday . Jones (left) started for United in their 3-1 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon . Louis van Gaal's side are on a run of five consecutive league wins - which includes scalps over top four rivals Tottenham and Liverpool last month. And following their 3-1 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, Jones is hoping they can continue their momentum when Manuel Pellegrini's side enter the red half of Manchester. 'Victory doesn't last long enough,' the 23-year-old told MUTV after their win over Villa. 'We've got to move on the next game. It's nice to go into the derby, such a big game, playing well and in form. We need to turn up and make sure we put on another great performance next Sunday. 'City are still a good team. We know what they're capable of and the threat they have going forward. They've got some great players in their squad but so have we. We've seen in the last few weeks and all season really, what sort of team we can be when we turn up and play our football. Hopefully, we can do that on Sunday as well.' Jones (left) will be hoping United can stretch their current league form to six wins in a row come Sunday .

Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the Premier League on SaturdayÂ . Man Utd host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon . Red Devils have won their last five league matches to move into third place . READ: Manchester United end 499-day wait over Manchester City . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United newsÂ .


Carla Suarez Navarro advanced to the final of the Miami Open after topping Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-3 in a semi-final  on Thursday. The  Spaniard 12th-seed didn't face a single break point and will meet either top seed Serena Williams or third seed Simona Halep in Saturday's final. It's the eighth time that Suarez Navarro has reached a WTA final. She's looking for her second title. Carla Suarez Navarro celebrates after match point in her match against Andrea Petkovic on Thursday . Suarez Navarro will play either Simona Halep or Serena Williams in the final of the Miami Open . Petkovic, the No 9 seed from Germany, lost to Suarez Navarro for the third time in five meetings. Petkovic had not dropped a set in any of her first four matches this year at Key Biscayne. Suarez Navarro took control of the opening set with an early break, then broke Petkovic again when the German's forehand sailed well long to end the set. And in the second, Suarez Navarro broke yet again for a 4-2 lead and finished it off not long afterward. Suarez Navarro had been pushed to three-setters in each of her previous two matches. She threw her fists in the air and smacked a ball into the stands with joy when Petkovic's final shot sailed wide. Williams and Halep - the last woman to beat the world's No 1 - were set to play Thursday night to determine the other finalist. The schedule Thursday includes a pair of men's quarterfinal matches, with fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan facing 22nd-seed John Isner of the United States in the afternoon - the first head-to-head matchup between those two - and No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia meeting No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain in the evening. The Spaniard hits a forehand on her way to a 6-3, 6-3 victory at Crandon park Tennis Center . Petkovic shows her frustration during the semi-final match on Thursday .

Carla Suarez Navarro advances to final of the Miami Open with win . Spaniard will play either Serena Williams or Simona Halep in final . Suarez Navarro beats Andrea Petkovic in straight sets - 6-3, 6-3 .


There was no special treatment for Lewis Ferguson at Paul Nicholls’s yard on Thursday morning. The 18-year-old was mucking out the stables as usual, just a cut on the nose to show for the fall which has made him an internet sensation. Ferguson’s spectacular double somersault fall from the favourite Merrion Square in the 4.20pm at Wincanton has been watched hundreds of thousands of times online. But he was back riding out and is undeterred from getting back in the saddle. Amateur jockey Lee Lewis Ferguson has just a cut on his nose to show for his ordeal . Teenager Ferguson was flung from his horse in spectacular fashion at Wincanton . ‘It was just a blur,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t work out what had happened until I got back to the weighing room and watched the replay. All the other jockeys asked me if I was all right and stuff, they all watched with me and looked away in horror. It’s about the most impressive fall I’ve seen. ‘There was nothing I could do to avoid it, you just have to let it take its course and hope it’s not a bad one. I’ve been very lucky. I got a bit of abuse from the lads and picked up a few hundred Twitter followers but it’s all good banter. ‘Given the somersaults, maybe I’ll look at having a gymnastics career after finishing racing.’

Lewis Ferguson was mucking out the stables as usual on Thursday . Favourite Merrion Square threw jockey in a freak fall on Wednesday . His spectacular double somersault fall made him internet sensation .


Rory McIlroy admits Thursday cannot come soon enough as he bids to complete the career grand slam by winning the Masters. The hype surrounding McIlroy's attempt to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning all four major titles has been building since the night before his Open victory at Hoylake last July. And although the return of Woods to competitive action after two months on the sidelines has taken some of the spotlight off McIlroy, the world No 1 is anxious to let his clubs do the talking. Rory McIlroy insists he has arrived at Augusta ready to mount a serious challenge on the Masters . The world No 1 shields himself from the rain as he plays a shot during a practice round . 'I said in the middle of last week, 'If Augusta was to start tomorrow, I'd be okay. I'm ready,'' McIlroy said on Tuesday. 'I think that's a good indication of where I am with my game. I've been ready for this thing to start for a week already so just trying to keep my game where it is and do some quality work, not overdo it. 'Just do the right amount so that when I got here yesterday for the first time, I was ready to play and just needed to go see the golf course. I wasn't working on anything in my game, my swing. Wasn't thinking about technique at all. Just all about hitting the shots I need to and thinking about how to manage my game and get it around here for the next four days. 'Results-wise, the last three tournaments haven't been what I've wanted. I still feel like there's plenty of positives to take from them, especially Doral and Bay Hill, I felt like I played pretty good there. A couple silly mistakes here and there, but for the most part I felt like I got what I needed out of them. 'But the last two weeks have been great. I've just practised at home in Florida and made another trip up here a couple of Fridays ago. 'I just really felt like spending a couple of weeks away from this (media attention), I guess, and just preparing at home and in private and not really having everything critiqued and analysed and over-analysed. I just wanted to get away from it all, and I feel like it's been a good thing.' All eyes have been on Tiger Woods' latest comeback, which could take the pressure off of McIlroy . The Northern Irishman speaks to Wood's girlfriend Lindsey Vonn and his children during practice . McIlroy followed Woods into the media centre at Augusta National and admitted the presence of the 14-time major winner - who was relaxed and jovial with the press - could work in his favour. 'A little bit, I guess,' the 25-year-old added. 'It is such a big story, Tiger coming back at the Masters after a bit of a lengthy period where he has not been around. But still I'm just here to play golf and you guys can write the stories, I won't read them and we'll move on.' McIlroy has recorded just one top-10 finish in six previous appearances at Augusta - last year's tie for eighth - although he did take a four-shot lead into the final round in 2011 before collapsing to a closing 80. He admits he will have to play the par fives better to have a chance of slipping on a green jacket on Sunday, covering them in level par last year compared to eight under by champion Bubba Watson, who finished eight shots ahead. McIlroy led the field heading into the final day of the 2011 Masters before suffering a dramatic meltdown . McIlroy plays a shot from the azaleas as he recorded his best finish of eighth in last year's tournament . But he also believes Augusta National suits his game if he can take advantage of having a nine iron in his hands for second shots to holes like the 13th and 15th. 'I think I've developed a game where I can compete at pretty much any golf course now. That might not have been the case two or three years ago,' McIlroy added. 'But if you're looking at the courses, Augusta's the one that should set up the best for me just with my ball flight and being comfortable off the tee here, especially being able to turn the ball over from right to left. 'If I can play the way I know I can around here and just have a good week on the greens, then there's no reason why I shouldn't have a good chance.'

World No 1 arrives at Masters hoping to complete a career grand slam . Rory McIlroy insists he is 'ready' to win his final major at Augusta . Northern Irishman admits Tiger Woods' comeback could work in his favour .


Jonjo O'Neill hosted a media stable visit on Thursday at his Jackdaws Castle yard in Gloucestershire and said he could not be happier with favourite for the Crabbie's Grand National, Shutthefrontdoor. He trains Shutthefrontdoor for his principal patron J P McManus, who owns Jackdaws Castle and retains AP McCoy, the record-breaking Jump jockey who is about to gain his 20th consecutive jockeys' championship and retire. McCoy has not decided yet whether he is riding Shutthefrontdoor in the £1million Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree on  April 11, but everything points to him doing so. Jonjo O'Neill hopes jockey AP McCoy rides Shutthefrontdoor to Grand National success later this month . O'Neill told Betfred: 'Shutthefrontdoor is in great form. I could not be happier with him. I would have liked to have got a run into him (before the Grand National) but he had an abscess on his sinus in January/February time which took a while to find out where it was. 'We did think about giving him at run at Cheltenham (at the Festival in March) but decided not to. I think he is a better horse on a flat track and secondly I did not want to give him a hard race at a time when he wasn't as well as he is now. He is schooling well and is spot on. 'He is a clean-winded horse, who is not hard to get ready. He was ready to run and win first time out at Carlisle. He is going to Aintree fresh and well. It is all down to AP now if he is going ride him. 'You need to have a good classy horse for the National. Before, you needed a good jumper and a lot of luck, now it is a proper race. Aintree has done a great job with the track and the fences are first class. 'He likes to be up there and hopefully in the first half of the runners - that at least is my plan. If he got luck in running over the first mile, I would ride him myself. 'I don't bet so it does not make any difference to me what price he is - I am just training the horse as though he was going for a little race at Stratford or whatever! This year's Grand National will be McCoy's last-ever at Aintree before his retirement at the end of the season . 'Hopefully, AP is going to ride Shutthefrontdoor and the public will want to back him, looking for a fairytale story. We would all love that to happen, but it is a tall order. 'The only pressure (on me) is that Shutthefrontdoor gets there safe and sound. He is in the best form I can possibly get him. I would be more nervous if we had hiccups now but we had them in January and February. If he doesn't win, we can blame whoever rides him! 'I'd love good ground at Aintree - he is a well-balanced horse and a great mover. He does not want it too soft. Perfect jumping ground is ideal. They make a good job of the ground at Aintree - we just don't want the heavens to open. He is as good as any horse in the National. 'We are going there full of confidence, but you have got to be realistic - it is the National.' Don't Push It gave O'Neill, McManus and McCoy their first Grand National victory in 2010. O'Neill continued: 'This preparation has gone better than Don't Push It's. Don't Push It was a bit of a law unto himself. Alan Berry has done all the work with this horse, like he did with Don't Push It. We think we have got it all right and are very happy with the way things have gone. Shutthefrontdoor, pictured with O'Neill (right) is the favourite for the race on April 11 . 'Shutthefrontdoor is a lovely horse - a real old pet - and loves racing, while the other horse was half-mad, a character. 'He lacks experience as a jumper but I think he is quite clever, pretty accurate and knows what he is doing. If he does take to the fences, he will run a blinder. 'I have taken him away (to racecourses) a couple of times so he is not too fresh. I don't want him to be too fresh over the first couple of fences. I used to build three or four National fences every year but one year we didn't and that was the year Don't Push It won so we haven't since. The Grand National fences are now really inviting. 'The Grand National grips you and is magic to be involved in. 'We will miss AP not riding in races next season but hopefully he is still going to be involved. We are not going to let him off the hook that easily - we may drag him in for schooling.' O'Neill envisages a team of between eight and 12 running at Aintree during the three days of the Crabbie's Grand National Festival (April 9 - 11). 'Holywell will run in the Betfred Bowl (April 9) after a great run (fourth) in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was beaten fair and square - the ground went against us a bit. He put a lot of effort into his jumping and did not quite get home. 'He came out of the race a bit tired for the first week to 10 days but is absolutely flying now and did a lovely bit of work yesterday [Wednesday] morning. He came alive there last year and seems to like the track.'

Crabbie's Grand National takes place at Aintree on April 11 . Shutthefrontdoor, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, is the race favourite . AP McCoy is expected to ride Shutthefrontdoor at Aintree .


Marcelo Bosch basked in the gratitude of his team-mates after kicking Saracens into the semi-finals of the Champions Cup in dramatic scenes in north Paris. Bosch, striking the ball into a strong wind, landed a 55-metre penalty in the final act of the last eight showdown against Racing Metro to snatch a 12-11 victory at the Stade Yves-Du-Manoir. It completed a scarcely believable win given Saracens had been battered for most of the match only to display remarkable tenacity and set up a semi-final appointment with Clermont in St Etienne in two weeks. Marcelo Bosch kicks the winning penalty as Saracens beat Racing Metro 12-11 . Bosch is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring the kick that won his team the game . Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall admitted he was surprised to see Bosch taking the penalty . 'With kicks like this you're either the hero of the day or the bad guy, so I'm happy that it went my way. I just stayed relaxed and fortunately it went through the posts,' Bosch, 31, said. 'Sometimes they ask me if I'm keen to take the long-range kicks and because of the wind it was not a good distance for the other kickers. I said 'why not? I can take it' and the rest is history. 'The last time I did a kick like that was when I was 21 and playing for an amateur club in Argentina. It was from more or less the same range against our classico rivals. 'It was a great memory for me, but it was a long time ago. I tried to be as relaxed as possible because we had the wind in our face and I didn't want to force it. 'It was the last minute of the game so I was tired and tried not to think about what it represented.' Bosch also executed a try-saving tackle on Racing wing Juan Imhoff when all his Argentina team-mate had to do was fall over the line for a potentially decisive final-quarter try. 'Juan is a real player. He's like a striker - always smelling the goal. I followed him and fortunately stopped him from scoring at the end,' Bosch said. Until Bosch delivered the knockout blow - referee Nigel Owens awarded the penalty with 10 seconds left on the clock - a full blooded quarter-final that was often a poor spectacle appeared to be destined for a home win. Saracens fly-half Charlie Hodgson kicked one penalty and full-back Alex Goode supplied six points to keep the match favourites in sight. Two second-half penalties from scrum-half Maxime Machenaud, who also crossed for the game's solitary try in the 27th minute, placed Racing in control that the Parisians only relinquished as Owens was preparing to blow for full time. 'I was surprised to see it was Bosch taking it because I though it was in Alex Goode's range,' Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said. 'But the wind was very strong, so it was Bosch's range. He had the nerve and balls to say he wanted it, which is half the battle. He hit it pretty sweetly. 'Marcelo is pretty cool. He's pretty laid back, but like anybody, that's one of those kicks that if you miss it can cause the damage. 'I'm very grateful that he held his nerve. He also made the tackle on our goalline that kept us in the match as well. Chris Ashton (left) of Saracens is tackled by Juan Imhoff of Racing Metro in the quarter-final clash . Alex Goode (centre) of Saracens sprints with the ball as Jamie Roberts (right) approaches . 'We weren't great in the first half even though we had a very strong wind behind us. But that's where it turned around and I'd say our second half performance was as courageous, brave and hard working as I've seen. 'We went hunting and kept knocking them down and scrapped for absolutely everything.' Racing's Wales centre Jamie Roberts was distraught at the outcome. 'I'm hugely frustrated and gutted for the team. We thought we had it in the bag. That last minute cost us so fair play to Marcelo with the kick at the end,' Roberts said.

Marcelo Bosch secured a  12-11 win for Saracens against Racing Metro . Saracens struggled for most of the Champions Cup quarter-final . But Bosch's huge penalty conversion saw them make the semi-final .


Sussex head coach Mark Robinson has warned that wicketkeeper Matt Prior remains 'pretty much out indefinitely' as his recovery from an achilles injury continues. Prior, 33, was badly affected by the problem last summer, eventually losing his England place to Jos Buttler, and has not played since July. He took a break to focus on rehabilitation and admitted 'I could have played my last game (for England)' - and Robinson's prognosis offers no further encouragement. Matt Prior has not played since July, when he lost his England place because of an achilles injury . Prior, seen here celebrating the 2013 Ashes victory with captain Alastair Cook, is out 'indefinitely' 'He's out pretty much indefinitely at the moment. He's still recovering from an Achilles injury which he did playing for England,' Robinson told Sky Sports News HQ. 'It's a blow for him and a blow for us. He's working hard on his rehab. He's in most days of the week. Sometimes it's a bit soul-destroying. As everybody knows, it's been a long injury. 'We feel for him as a cricketer - he's just itching to get playing again - and for the club too, because to have your wicketkeeper batting in the top five would have been such a bonus for us.' Prior admitted he may never play Test cricket for England again after his injury last summer .

Matt Prior picked up injury playing for England last year . Achilles problem saw him lose his Test place to Jos Buttler . Despite almost a year of rehab, Prior is still a long way from making return .


World No 1 Mark Selby demolished Gary Wilson 10-2 in the final of the Baic Motor China Open on Sunday. The Leicester cueman dominated the the best-of-19 showpiece to claim the sixth ranking title of his career and £85,000 in prize money. Selby, who won the German Masters title in February, overcame neck pain earlier in the tournament to beat Wilson, who lies 55 places below him in the rankings. Mark Selby poses with his China Open trophy after beating Gary Wilson 10-2 on Sunday . World No 1 Selby dominated the best-of-19 showpiece to earn his sixth ranking title and £85,000 . The 31-year-old won the first three frames before Wilson fired back with a break of 91 to take the fourth. Selby won the next two before firing a tournament high break of 145 on the way to a commanding 9-1 lead. Wilson took the next with a 101 break but it was not enough to derail Selby, who claimed the title in the 12th. Wilson took the fourth frame after Selby's fast start but he was unable to mount a comeback . Selby and Wilson study the table during Sunday's showpiece final in Beijing, China .

World No 1 Mark Selby defeated Gary Wilson 10-2 on Sunday . Selby earned his sixth ranking title and £85,000 in prize money . The Leicester cueman overcame a neck issue to win the tournament .


Wisconsin ended Kentucky's bid to become the first college basketball team to remain undefeated in nearly 40 years, beating the Wildcats 71-64 behind 20 points and 11 rebounds from Frank Kaminsky. Wisconsin will play Duke, an 81-61 winner over Michigan State in the earlier semi-final, at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday night. 'It gives us another 40 minutes, I know that,' said Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, who leads the Badgers to their first final since 1941. Wisconsin celebrate a 71-64 victory over Kentucky in the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament . Wisconsin players run onto the court in celebration as Kentucky's unbeaten season was brought to an end . Wisconsin moved through to the final with a tense victory over Kentucky at the Lucas Oil Stadium . And Kentucky has a long ride home, finishing the season at 38-1 - two wins short of becoming the first undefeated team in college basketball since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers. Instead, these NBA-ready group of Wildcats join the star-studded 1991 UNLV team as the latest to take an undefeated record into the Final Four but lose in the semifinals. Trailing by four and gasping for breath after going 6 minutes without a bucket, the Badgers (36-3) responded with an 8-0 run to take a lead Kentucky couldn't overcome. Kaminsky and Bronson Koenig went 7 for 8 from the line over the last 24 seconds to seal the win. The 70,000-capacity Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home of the Colts in the NFL, is hosting the Final Four . Wisconsin Badgers fans cheer on their team at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis . Kentucky's last, best chance came while trailing by three with 12 seconds left. But Karl-Anthony Towns received the ball in the post and got fouled. He made only one free throw, and from there, Wisconsin clinched it from the foul-line. Earlier Saturday, Justise Winslow scored 19 points and Jahlil Okafor added 18 to lead top-seeded Duke to an 81-61 victory over Michigan State on Saturday and a shot at its fifth national championship. Winslow, who played through some early foul trouble, had nine rebounds and was 5 for 7 from the field, while Okafor grabbed six rebounds and was 7 for 11 from the field. Duke celebrated reaching the final of the NCAA Tournament with a 81-61 win over Michigan State . Justise Winslow of the Duke Blue Devils goes up for a dunk in the semi-final in Indianapolis . Senior Quinn Cook had 17 points for the Blue Devils, who dominated the game except for the opening minutes when they trailed 14-6. Defensively, it was a team effort, just the way coach Mike Krzyzewski has stressed for his 35 seasons at Duke. What had been wide open 3-pointers early for Michigan State became contested shots and when the Blue Devils started getting up and on the Spartans, the points were suddenly tough to come by. Denzel Valentine finished with 22 points, which included hitting three quick 3-pointers in the first quarter to give the No.7 seed Michigan State an early lead. Trice scored 16 points and Branden Dawson added 12 for the Spartans.

Wisconsin beat Kentucky 71-64 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Final Four . Kentucky Wildcats were looking to complete an unbeaten season . Duke earlier beat Michigan State 81-61 to move into the final . Wisconsin will play Duke in Monday's final of the NCAA Tournament .


Officially it's known as a 'forward three-and-a-half somersaults with one twist pike' but unofficially it's the 'firework' and Tom Daley hopes it's the dive that turns London bronze into Rio gold. The former world champion knows he needs to push the boundaries of his sport and spent most of last year battling to master his 'demon' dive, a dizzying combination of somersaults and twists he had hoped would prove the difference. However, along with new coach Jane Figueiredo he spent the winter modifying a new plunge, something that has never been attempted before. Daley spent long hours on the trampoline perfecting technique before building the dive in stages from different heights. Tom Daley hopes his new 'firework' dive can help win Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio de Janiero Games . It was painstaking and detailed work but the dive finally got its premiere at the British Championships and was part of Daley's repertoire when he won silver, with a personal best score, at the recent World Diving Series in Dubai. 'There was a sense of relief when we decided to bin the old dive but the pressure was on to come up with something,' admitted Daley. 'The old dive did terrify me and while I did conquer my demons with it, it's a weight off my shoulders that I've moved on because it was a bad dive for me. 'We wanted to do the least twist possible because I hate the twisting part. We've only got one twist in this dive so we had to decide whether we were going to do it at the beginning or at the end because you can do that dive three different ways. 'We tried doing it at the beginning but it made the dive really hard because the G-force getting into your pike shape is really difficult. 'We go through 20 Gs of force as we're spinning around so at the end we decided to do it on the way out. So you spin as fast as you can and then you come out at the end, do one twist then land in the water.' Daley (right) has spent the winter modifying the plunge with his new coach Jane Figueiredo . It's six years since Daley won his breakthrough world title in Rome, one year after making his Olympic debut as a 14-year old in Beijing. Last year there were inaccurate reports that Daley was to call time on his diving career but he insists he's enjoying the sport more than ever, following the decision to relocate from Plymouth to London. His home pool is now the Olympic pool, a place with happy memories, and he'll be the star attraction at next month's FINA Diving World Series, 1-3 May in his newly-adopted hometown. But Daley is no longer the sole standard bearer for British diving, Jack Laugher became the first non-Chinese diver to win on the World Series this year in Dubai and Tonia Couch and synchro partner Sarah Barrow are also established among the world's elite. 'I have never loved diving as much as I do now and I want to stay in diving for as long as I possibly can,' added Daley. The 20-year-old says he is enjoying diving more than ever after relocating from Plymouth to London . 'With the move to London it has become exciting again. Especially with the new dive, there are new challenges and new obstacles to overcome. 'It's been great having Jane on board, we've had a year and three months working together now. 'There's little things that we've changed – the strength and conditioning, the way that we work in the pool, the way we work in the gym but it's really working out. 'British diving is the strongest it's ever been and we are all really excited about coming back to London and competing in our own pool. 'We know in London that we always get a crowd that's loud. It's normally a sell-out and the atmosphere is a bit more electric than anyone else, it gives you that extra adrenaline rush and, in theory, it should get us to dive a little bit better.' And Daley hopes his new dive will bring victory at next month's FINA Diving World Series in London . But Daley's key ambition for the season in this summer's World Championships in Kazan. Since striking gold in Rome, he has settled for a fifth and sixth at the event, a record he concedes must change. His rivals will be the normal suspects, reigning champion Qiu Bo, Olympic champion David Boudia and Germany's Sascha Klein. 'The build up to Rio is going pretty well,' he added. 'It's got a lot of competitions leading up to it and the worlds will be our first chance to qualify. 'London is one of the key parts of the diving calendar this year because it's the middle part of the World Series. So it's a really good marker to see how the new dive's going and how all of that is piecing together and it's exactly the half-way mark competition wise so I'm really looking forward to it.' See Tom Daley in the FINA Diving World Series, May 1-3 at the London Aquatics Centre. Tickets on sale at ticketmaster.co.uk/diving .

Tom Daley won  bronze  in the men's 10m platform at the 2012 Olympics . Firework dive is a forward three-and-a-half somersaults with one twist pike . Daley won silver with the plunge at the World Diving Series last month . Daley's main aim this year is to win gold at the World Championships .


Ryuichi Kiyonari bettered the Donington Park lap record to take put his Buildbase BMW on to pole start for the Easter Monday opening round of the MCE British Superbike Championship. The Japanese rider powered in a scorching time of one minute 29.455 seconds. In doing so, he headed off the close attentions of James Ellison on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki by just 0.029secs. Ryuichi Kiyonari bettered the Donington Park lap record to take put his Buildbase BMW on to pole start . Defending champion Shane Byrne, despite hand and ankle injuries he suffered last month during testing Spain, completed the front row of the grid aboard the PBM Kawasaki . The British rider finished less than a quarter of a second down. The Japanese rider powered in a scorching time of one minute 29.455 seconds ahead of James Ellison .

Ryuichi Kiyonari bettered the Donington Park lap record on Sunday . Japanese rider powered in a scorching time of one minute 29.455 seconds . Shane Bryne finished less than a quarter of a second downÂ .


Esteban Cambiasso has won all the major European competitions a player can during his illustrious career but revealed that keeping Leicester City in the Premier League would be up there with the best. The Foxes are currently seven points adrift at the bottom of the table, with only eight games remaining, knowing that time is running out to save themselves. Cambiasso refuses to give up and admits that keeping Leicester up will feel like winning a trophy. Esteban Cambiasso says that helping keep Leicester in the Premier League will feel like winning a trophy . 'For me, it's like another cup,' he told BBC East Midlands Today. 'When you start another season you have an objective, and this is the objective for us. 'For me, winning a cup or winning the league with another team is the same now as having the possibility to save Leicester in the Premier League.' The Argentinian midfielder poses with the trophy after his team won the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup . Cambiasso had an illustrious career at Inter Milan, winning an impressive 15 trophies during his stint . River Plate (2001-2002) Argentine Primera Division . Real Madrid (2002-2004) La Liga . Super Cup . Supercopa de Espana . Inter Milan (2004-2014) Champions League . Serie A (5) Coppa Italia (4) Supercoppa (4) FIFA Club World Cup . Having not won a game since January, Nigel Pearson's men face West Ham United on Saturday and Cambiasso is still convinced they can avoid the drop. 'I understood when I signed for Leicester it's not an easy job to stay in the Premier League,' he said. 'It's a difficult situation but I think we have our chances to win matches. There's a quarter of the Premier League left to finish. 'I think some people think for Leicester all is finished. But I'm sure, because I watch my team-mates every day, we can save Leicester and stay in the Premier League.' The former Inter Milan star signed for the Foxes in the summer, leaving Italy after ten years and embarking on a new challenge in England. After agreeing to a one-year-deal, Cambiasso has quickly established himself as a key player but it remains to be seen if he'll still be in the East Midlands at the start of next season. The former Real Madrid man was also successful during his short spell in Spain for Real Madrid . Cambiasso played during Real's 'Galatico' era, with Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham . 'Leicester always wanted me,' he added. 'After these nine months or eight months, I'm very happy because my family is OK, and I'm good. 'I want a few more points, but all the rest is perfect.' Cambiasso is happy in the East Midlands and could stay beyond his current one-year-deal .

Esteban Cambiasso says saving Leicester will feel like winning a trophy . The Argentinian has become a key player for Nigel Pearson's side . Leicester are currently seven points adrift at the bottom of the table . CLICK HERE for all the latest Leicester City news .


Sportsmail have teamed up with Gillette to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of Nike Magista Obra boots signed by the England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. This is a unique opportunity to own memorabilia autographed by one of the best players in the world today. And since Hart is a Gillette ambassador, the prize winner will also receive one of the brand new Fusion ProGlide razors with Flexball technology worth £12, plus a Gillette Fusion ProGlide shave gel worth £4.99. The competition closes on Sunday April 19. CLICK HERE TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THIS SPECIAL PRIZE . Win a pair of Nike boots signed by Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart in our competition . The lucky prize winner will also receive a Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor and shaving foam . Joe Hart is the No 1 for Manchester City and the England national team . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Win a pair of Nike Magista Obra boots signed by City and England No1 . Prize winner will receive band new Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor worth £12 . And we'll also throw in some Fusion ProGlide shave gel worth £4.99 . CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE COMPETITION .


Southampton striker Graziano Pelle insists his confidence hasn't been destroyed despite no scoring in the Premier League since December 20. The 29-year-old, who netted against England for Italy in the 1-1 international friendly on Tuesday, is now hoping to return to the form that saw him plunder eight goals in his first 17 league games. The former Feyenoord star has thanked Saints fans for continuing to support him through his lean spell, while manager Ronald Koeman has backed Pelle to go on a run during the final eight games of the campaign. Graziano Pelle remains confident despite not scoring in his last 13 Premier League games . The Italy striker celebrates after netting the opener in Tuesday's 1-1 friendly draw with England . 'I was happy to play in a nice stadium it's a great team to play against. I like those games. I was happy, especially because I scored,' he told Southampton's official website. 'For Southampton I got the chances, but I didn't profit about it. I'm not a person who thinks negative. I have a great job and all I can do is work more and more when something is going wrong. 'That way I can achieve what I want to do. When you perform well the goals can come. It's not only about scoring the goal, I want to do well for the team in general. Pelle last scored in the Premier League during Southampton's 3-0 defeat of Everton on December 20 . 'I'm really happy for the support they give me. I said I have to try and bring the supporters to my side when I joined, in the beginning not many people knew me. 'I did well and then everyone was behind me. Then it has gone a bit wrong and some people can think he's not good enough, but the stadium every time they make me feel good. 'I have to say thanks to them, I want to do my job as good as possible. I'm double happy if I score but I just want to think about the future, we have eight games left.'

Graziano Pelle hasn't scored in the Premier League since December 20 . Italy striker did find the net against England in recent international friendly . The 29-year-old has thanked Saints fans for supporting him in lean spell .


Rangers boss Stuart McCall has revealed he was warned about taking over at Ibrox by Walter Smith - but insists he has made the right decision. The former Light Blues midfielder steered his new side to their third victory on the bounce with Sunday's 2-1 win over Hearts. It was a crucial triumph that moves Gers back into second place in the Scottish Championship and looks to have restored vital momentum ahead of the end-of-season play-offs. Stuart McCall says he was warned not to take the Rangers job but is pleased that he took the risk in the end . McCall has managed to unite a forlorn band of players since taking over a month ago and quickly transformed them into real promotion contenders. But he has revealed nine-in-a-row boss Smith - who McCall says was the 'greatest manager' he ever worked for - called to make sure the former Scotland international knew what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to replace Kenny McDowall. McCall, who still does not know if he will remain in charge beyond the summer, told TalkSport: 'Walter Smith rung me up on the day I took the job and asked if I knew what I'd let myself in for. 'But in fairness, he understood I would never have got the opportunity to manage such a wonderful club like this [were it not for the club's current circumstances]. The Gers boss has seen his new side win their last three games in a row including a crucial win over Hearts . 'Even though I knew it was a gamble and the pitfalls, just to be part of it has been great. 'Regardless of what happens at the end of the season, I have relished every minute of it and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, especially with the results being good.' Rangers' promotion hopes looked to have crumbled earlier this season as previous bosses Ally McCoist and McDowall struggled to maintain the required levels of morale and confidence amid the din generated by the club's bitter off-field civil war. Dave King's boardroom coup saw McCall brought in to rally the troops and his impact has been impressive. Kenny Miller (centre) fires home the opening goal for Rangers during Sunday's Scottish Championship game . Newly-crowned Scottish Championship winners Hearts were clapped on to the pitch by the home players at Ibrox. But it was Rangers who left the field to cheers after clinging onto victory after playing the entire second half a man down following skipper Lee McCulloch's red card just before the break. Kenny Miller and Haris Vuckic netted a pair of clinical strikes and McCall believes the quality of his side's goals only proves that the feel-good factor has returned to Glasgow's south side. He told the Rangers website: 'They were brilliant and the first was a good move down the left. On-loan Haris Vuckic (centre) curls home his sides second goal at Ibrox to put them in command . 'I think everyone knows Lee Wallace's capabilities when he gets forwards. Nicky Law has played him in with a good weighted pass and it was a great cutback and a fantastic finish by Kenny. He is just playing off Nicky Clark at the moment and doing it really well. 'The second goal is why Haris played today. He's got a goal in him, he's a threat. He can come in on his left foot and do what he did so it didn't surprise me when he picked it up there that it ended up in the back of the net. 'I felt for him at half-time. I explained to him that we had to bring him off and it was nothing to do with his performance, it was just because of the change of shape. 'He took it well, he understands, but what is good in the dressing room is that it's not just the 11 or the 14. There's about 22 lads and staff and everybody in there was congratulating each other for that performance. It's good to keep the momentum, the belief and the confidence high.' The Slovenian celebrates his goal as he continues to impress during his spell from Newcastle United . Rangers take on Queen of the South at Palmerston on Thursday night and McCall is expecting another battle after Gers lost 2-0 under McCoist's charge the last time they visited in December. He said: 'I saw Queen of the South against Hibs and they are well organised and we know what happened the last time we were down there. 'It was a tough night so they'll be confident as well after their victory. But the momentum carries on and we are going to have to be at our best on Thursday.'

Stuart McCall revealed that he was warned about taking the Rangers job . Walter Smith rang to make sure McCall was making the right decision . Rangers have now won three games on the bounce in the Championship . Kenny Miller and Haris Vuckic scored the goals in 2-1 win over Hearts . CLICK HERE for all the latest Rangers news .


Catalans Dragons have suffered a blow after winger Vincent Duport was ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The France international, who scored three tries in the first six rounds of Super League XX, suffered a ruptured tendon in the Dragons' 33-22 defeat at Hull FC on March 20 which requires surgery. 'The news is a hugely disappointing blow for the player and the whole team,' said Catalans head coach Laurent Frayssinous. Catalans Dragons winger Vincent Duport has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury . 'Vincent already came back from big injuries in the past and I'm sure he will bounce back stronger. 'He is a key member in the team who has to support him.' Next up for the sixth-placed Catalans is a trip to Wigan on Sunday.

French international Vincent Duport is out for the rest of the season . Winger Duport suffered ruptured tendon against Hull FC defeat in March . The shoulder injury picked up in the 33-22 defeat requires surgery .


Former Sunderland defender Danny Higginbotham has described a controversial speech made by Roy Keane which he calls 'one of the most bizarre team talks I've ever experienced'. Higginbotham and his Black Cats team-mates were about to take on Aston Villa during the 2007-08 Premier League season when Keane sat them down in the home changing room at the Stadium of Light. But instead of encouraging his players to put their poor start to the season behind them, the former Manchester United midfielder delivered an astonishing team talk. Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane (left) looks frustrated during his country's draw with Poland . Keane watches his Sunderland players in action against Aston Villa after delivering his 'bizarre' team talk . Danny Higginbotham (right) gave struggling Sunderland the lead during the game on December 15, 2007 . In his new autobiography Rise Of The Underdog: My Life Inside Football, Higginbotham - who scored in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Villa that day - describes Keane's attempt to motivate his players. '''Listen lads,' he said. 'Basically you're s***. Try and enjoy the game. You're probably going to get beat. But just enjoy being s***." 'Then he just walked out. Those words have got to be insulting to any professional, no matter who they come from, and I'll admit it served as the perfect motivation to get out there and prove him wrong. I scored after 10 minutes and we were leading at half-time. We ended up drawing.' Higginbotham also reveals how Keane once demanded for him to swear at and criticise his team-mates instead of getting behind them. Aston Villa winger Shaun Maloney (right) scored a free-kick to secure a 1-1 draw for the visitors . Keane is now part of Martin O'Neill's backroom staff after leaving his role at Aston Villa earlier this season . Higginbotham (right), pictured in action against Manchester City, played under Keane for a season . Referring to a talk with Keane, Higginbotham writes: '''Danny, all I'm f****** hearing from you when I'm watching that game yesterday is f****** encouragement. That's all I'm hearing." I thought, well, that's not so bad. "I don't f****** want that. I want you to tell some of them they're being c****. Tell them.''' Despite a 2-0 loss away at Bolton in the season's penultimate game, Sunderland secured their Premier League safety with a match to spare. But although he had helped ensure another year in England's top-flight, Keane was in no mood to praise his players after their defeat against Gary Megson's side. Higginbotham (left) now works as a pundit after hanging up his boots in January, 2014 . Reliving his manager's post-match team talk, Higginbotham writes: '''You're the reason I'm driving up and down the f****** country to find another player, you're not f****** good enough," he yells at one player. '"Your attitude is s***. You're not good enough," he bawls at others. '"Next week we've got our last home game, against Arsenal. You know at the end of the season when you walk around the pitch, thank the fans for their support? I'm ringing Umbro and getting you some hooded jumpers, because you're a f****** embarrassment, it's a joke and this is not going to stay this way."'

Danny Higginbotham covers his time under Roy Keane in his new book . He played for Keane's Sunderland during the 2007-08 season . Keane told his players 'basically you're s***' before a game with Aston Villa . He also told one player he was 'not f****** good enough' to play for the club .


Manchester City have not won a Premier League game having been behind at half-time in almost 20 years. The shocking stat is revealed as City's title hopes lay in tatters following Monday night's 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace which Manuel Pellegrini's side trailed at the interval. The last time City managed to win having been in a losing position at half-time was on April 17, 1995 when they beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 having been 2-1 down at the break. Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart trudge off the field after losing to Crystal Palace . Man City have not managed to win a Premier League fixture having trailed at half-time in almost 20 years . Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini looks to the floor at Selhurst Park as his side's title dreams lay in tatters . While City have spent five seasons out of the top-flight since the 1994-95 campaign - which Rovers went on to win - the stat still makes for incredible reading as the blue side of Manchester look to retain their Premier League crown and claim their third title in four seasons. City's goalscorers that day were defender Keith Curle, now manager of League 2 strugglers Carlisle, from the penalty spot,  former Brentford boss Uwe Rosler and Paul Walsh. City went on to finish the Premier League season in 17th, two places above the drop zone. Blackburn: Flowers, Kenna, Berg, Pearce, Hendry, Le Saux, Sherwood, Atkins (Batty, 78), Ripley, Sutton, Shearer. Scorers: Shearer, 7, Hendry, 39. Booked: Sutton, Atkins. Manchester City: Coton, Edghill, Foster, Curle, Kernaghan, Summerbee, Flitcroft, Simpson, Rosler, Walsh (Beagrie, 78), Quinn. Scorers: Curle (pen), 32, Rosler, 57, Walsh 71. Booked: Kernaghan, Simpson. Paul Walsh scores  in April 1995 - the last time Man City won having trailed at half-time in the Premier League . Uwe Rosler (left) celebrates equalising against Blackburn as Man City staged a comeback at Ewood Park . Alan Shearer celebrates for the eventual Premier League winners after scoring the opener on seven minutes . While City have not won having trailed at the interval in almost two decades, all of City's top six rivals have managed to overturn half-time deficits in the last five years. Spurs came from behind to beat Hull in November 2014, Manchester United and Chelsea claimed victory after trailing at half-time last season. Liverpool beat Aston Villa after losing 1-0 at the interval against Aston Villa in March 2013 while Arsenal came from 2-1 down to beat Chelsea 5-3 in October 2011. To make matters worse, it seems Manuel Pellegrini's men are in need of some new blood. City had the second oldest starting XI in the Premier League this weekend with an average age of 29 years and 345 days; only West Brom fielded an older side, during their 4-1 home defeat to QPR. Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and goalkeeper Joe Hart were the only starters against Palace aged 28 or under. Arsenal – 29/10/11 – 2-1 down at Chelsea at HT, won 5-3 . Chelsea – 11/5/14 – 1-0 down at Cardiff at HT, won 2-1 . Liverpool – 31/3/13 – 1-0 down at Aston Villa at HT, won 2-1 . Manchester United – 5/10/13 – 1-0 down at Sunderland at HT, won 2-1 . Tottenham  – 23/11/14 – 1-0 down at Hull at HT, won 2-1 . Here are more shocking stats which shame Man City... Swansea have earned two more Premier League points than Manchester City since selling Wilfried Bony .

Man City's last Premier League win having trailed at half-time was in 1995 . Man City came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 at Ewood Park . Uwe Rosler, Keith Curle and Paul Walsh scored in the comeback win . Manchester City lost to Crystal Palace on Monday night . CLICK HERE for all the latest Man City news . City have lost their last three Premier League away games, after losing two of the preceding 26 on the road. The last time Man City lost three straight league away games was between February and March 2011. City have scored more than once in a game once in their last six away from home in the league; they scored two or more in 11 of their 13 preceding away games. They have kept three clean sheets in their last 16 PL matches. They have lost six Premier League games in 2014/15, the same number as in 2012/13 and 2013/14. Swansea have won two more Premier League points than Manchester City (16-14) since selling Wilfried Bony on January 14.


Memphis moved into a tie for the second seed in the NBA's Southwest Division with a 100-92 win over Oklahoma City on Friday, with the Grizzlies defence shutting down Thunder star Russell Westbrook. The Grizzlies moved level with Houston atop the Southwest Division, both trailing Golden State, which has already sealed the conference title. San Antonio stayed within two games of that fight over the No 2 playoff seed by routing Denver, while the key postseason-shaping games in the East saw Brooklyn extend its winning streak with a narrow victory over Toronto, Chicago win a tight struggle against Detroit and Milwaukee overpower Boston in the second half. Memphis moved into a tie for the second seed in the NBA's Southwest Division with a 100-92 win on Friday . The Grizzlies defence were key, shutting down Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook repeatedly . Memphis' Jeff Green scored 22 points and Marc Gasol added 19 to lead six Grizzlies players in double figures. Enes Kanter led the Thunder with 24 points and 17 rebounds. Westbrook scored 18, but only six after the first quarter while connecting on only five of his 20 shots. San Antonio's Danny Green scored 21 points, including 6-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers, as the Spurs cruised past Denver 123-93 after losing Tiago Splitter to a calf injury during a strong start. Kawhi Leonard had 20 points for San Antonio, which has won six straight and extended its league record of consecutive 50-win seasons to 16 straight. Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points to lead Denver, which trailed by as many as 37 points despite shooting 47 percent from the field. Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter . Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) controls the ball against Thunder guard Anthony Morrow on Friday . Brooklyn's Deron Williams scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Nets to a 114-109 win against Toronto; their sixth-straight victory. Thaddeus Young made the tiebreaking basket with 22 seconds left and tied his season high with 29 points while Brook Lopez added 30 points and 17 rebounds for the Nets, who have surged into seventh place in the East. DeMar DeRozan finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors, who dropped behind Chicago in the contest for third place in the East. Kawhi Leonard (2) had 20 points for San Antonio as the Spurs cruised past Denver 123-93 . Deron Williams was in top form for Brooklyn Nets, scoring a season high of 31 points in their win . Chicago's Pau Gasol had 26 points and 10 rebounds for his 50th double-double of the season, helping the Bulls beat Detroit 88-82. Jimmy Butler scored 18 points for Chicago while Reggie Jackson had 22 points and nine assists for Detroit. Milwaukee's Ersan Ilyasova led a third-quarter surge from a halftime deficit with 11 points as the Bucks beat Boston 110-101 to put a dent in the Celtics' playoff hopes. Chicago Bulls beat Detroit Pistons 88-82 as they fought their way ahead of the Toronto Raptors . Boston dropped half a game behind idle Miami in the fight for the final playoff spot in the East with six games left. O.J. Mayo led Milwaukee with 24 points. Boston was led by Isaiah Thomas with 23. Portland celebrated its Northwest Division title with a 107-77 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, with C.J. McCollum scored a career-high 27 points to inflict a record-equaling 55th loss on the Lakers. New Orleans gained ground in the playoff race by outlasting an undermanned Sacramento 101-95, led by 21 points from Eric Gordon. New Orleans gained ground in the playoff race by outlasting an undermanned Sacramento 101-95 . Indiana's Rodney Stuckey scored 15 points off the bench to propel the Pacers to a 93-74 victory against Charlotte. Washington beat lowly New York 101-87, with Marcin Gortat scoring 19 points and Bradley Beal 18. Orlando's Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 37 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to power the Magic over Minnesota 97-84.

Memphis Grizzles' defence helped them to a 100-92 win over Oklahoma City . They moved level with Houston Rockets at top of the Southwest Division . Thunder star Russell Westbrook was largely shut down in their defeat . San Antonio stayed within two games of fight over No 2 playoff seed . Spurs cruised past Denver 123-93 after losing Tiago Splitter to a calf injury . Brooklyn's Deron Williams scored  31  to lead the Nets to a 114-109 win .