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Barnsley 2 Leeds 0 – match report: Chris Dagnall scores twice

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Barnsley 2 Leeds 0: Dagnall double provides dream end to nightmare week

By
Wayne Gardiner, Press Association

PUBLISHED:

17:57 GMT, 12 January 2013

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UPDATED:

17:57 GMT, 12 January 2013

Barnsley's week to forget ended on a high as Chris Dagnall's brace earned the managerless Tykes a 2-0 derby win over Leeds.

Both Terry Butcher and Sean O'Driscoll have turned the vacant job down in the last seven days, but the man currently holding the fort, Dave Flitcroft, is making a more than fair case for getting it himself.

This was his second win in succession and his side deserved to score more than the two given to them by Dagnall's first league goals of the season and his first since the opening day.

In fact, it was the 38-year-old Flitcroft and not 64-year-old Neil Warnock in the opposition dugout who appeared the shrewder boss. Midway through the second half, in the midst of a third defeat in a row at Oakwell, the Leeds fans sang 'Warnock, time to go'.

Brace: Dagnall celebrates with caretaker manager Flitcroft

Brace: Dagnall celebrates with caretaker manager Flitcroft

MATCH FACTS

Barnsley: Steele, Stones, Cranie, McNulty, Kennedy, O'Brien (Mellis 33), Dawson, Perkins, Golbourne, Dagnall (Noble-Lazarus 90), Harewood, Mellis (Rose 88).

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Hassell, Foster, Etuhu.

Goals: Dagnall 63 pen, 66.

Leeds: Kenny, Byram, Pearce, Tate, Peltier, Barkley, Austin, Norris (McCormack 46), Tonge, Becchio, Diouf (Green 51).

Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Lees, Varney, White, Somma.

Booked: Becchio.

Att: 13,999

Ref: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE, FIXTURES AND RESULTS

There was no obvious sign of the
turbulence to have affected Barnsley this week throughout as they
started well and carried it on until the end.

They tested Paddy Kenny after just 80
seconds when Jim O'Brien's deflected effort sent the goalkeeper flying
away to his left, while Stephen Dawson had legitimate claims for a
penalty turned down when he appeared to be felled by Luciano Becchio.

O'Brien then shot over and Dawson was
denied by Kenny as the Tykes mounted some pressure which nearly
culminated in a goal as Marlon Harewood, almost in slow motion, drifted
in from the left and cracked a shot against the foot of Kenny's
right-hand post.

Flitcroft's anguish at his side's
near misses was evident and his mood did not improve as Jim McNulty's
header was cleared on the line by Rodolph Austin.

Quick: Dagnall struck twice in three minutes to see off Leeds

Quick: Dagnall struck twice in three minutes to see off Leeds

Even the loss of O'Brien to a
nasty-looking injury following a collision with Lee Peltier did not
affect the home side, with Dagnall twice going close at the end of a
first half that was completely one-sided.

Leeds' first effort on 48 minutes
drew ironic cheers from their fans as debutant Ross Barkley dragged a
25-yarder just wide, with the Everton teenager then going closer as he
spun onto Becchio's knockdown and crashed a shot against the bar from
six yards.

United's presence as an attacking
force was a fleeting one, though, and as the clock ticked into the 63rd
minute, Barnsley got the goal they deserved.

Happy: Caretaker boss Flitcroft salutes the fans at Oakwell

Happy: Caretaker boss Flitcroft salutes the fans at Oakwell

Dagnall ran at Sam Byram and turned
inside out on the right-hand side of the area. Byram kicked him and once
Dagnall had wrestled the ball from Dawson and Harewood he sent Kenny
the wrong way.

Even 1-0 was harsh on Barnsley and
they put that right just three minutes later, with Byram again given a
torrid time by Dagnall. The former Rochdale striker stripped down his
inside after Harewood's touch and duly put a shot across Kenny into the
bottom corner.

Barkley offered Leeds' best response
with a cute curling effort which went just over but it was Barnsley's
day and they would have ended it with a third goal had Harewood shown
better accuracy after sprinting past Jason Pearce.

Nick Barmby and Paul Cox favourites to take over at Barnsley

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Barmby and Cox front runners for vacant Barnsley job

PUBLISHED:

16:29 GMT, 10 January 2013

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UPDATED:

16:44 GMT, 10 January 2013

Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox has emerged as one of the contenders to take over at Barnsley, with former Hull City boss Nick Barmby also in the frame.

The South Yorkshire club are seeking a replacement for Keith Hill, who was sacked on December 29 following a 3-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers which left them bottom of the Championship.

In the running: Mansfield manager Paul Cox is a contender for the Barnsley job

In the running: Mansfield manager Paul Cox is a contender for the Barnsley job

Contender: Former Hull boss Nick Barmby is also in the running

Contender: Former Hull boss Nick Barmby is also in the running

Inverness manager Terry Butcher was also linked with the vacant position but has said he will be remaining in Scotland, while recently fired Nottingham Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll also turned it down.

Cox, 41, is contracted at Mansfield until 2014 having joined the club in 2011. He guided the Stags to the third round of the FA Cup, where they were unfortunate to lose 2-1 to Liverpool last weekend.

Sacked! Barnsley manager Keith Hill was fired after the defeat by Blackburn

Sacked! Barnsley manager Keith Hill was fired after the defeat by Blackburn

Former England midfielder Barmby, 38, was last at the helm of Hull City last season but was sacked in May last year after making comments about the owners and his transfer budget.

Euro 2012: A history of England v Sweden

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A history of England v Sweden

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UPDATED:

22:04 GMT, 14 June 2012

England 0, Sweden 0, Wembley, Oct 19, 1988.

This World Cup qualifier was England's first-ever tournament game against Sweden, and, as has happened so many times since, it ended in deadlock. Chris Waddle thought he had scored, only to be pulled up for a foul on Glenn Hysen, later of Liverpool, while Robert Prytz optimistically appealed for a penalty after diving theatrically over a Bryan Robson challenge. England might have snatched it in the second half, but for Gary Lineker steering a free header over the bar, from a John Barnes cross, then shooting wide, with just the keeper to beat.

England – Shilton; Stevens, Adams (Walker 64), Butcher, Pearce; Waddle, Webb, Robson, Barnes (Cottee 79); Beardsley, Lineker. Sweden – Ravelli; R.Nilsson (Schiller 77), Hysen, Ljung, Larsson; Prytz, Thern, Stromberg, Pettersson; J.Nilsson, Holmqvist (Ekstrom 63).

Att – 65,628.

Sweden 0, England 0, Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sept 6, 1989.

Anyone notice a pattern developing Goalless again between Group Two's top two teams, but England still booked their place at Italia 90, as Terry Butcher stemmed the flow of Swedish attacks but not the flow of blood from a first-half clash of heads with Johnny Ekstrom. Patched up by the medical staff and sent back out with the cut stitched and bandaged, Butcher would insist on getting his head to one cross after another, opening up the wound each time and turning the dressing, and the front of his England shirt, crimson. The result was all that mattered, and he happily beamed for the cameras at the end.

Sweden – Ravelli; R.Nilsson, Hysen, Ljung, Larsson; Enqvist, Thern, Ingesson (Stromberg 72), Magnusson; J.Nilsson (Limpar 77), Ekstrom. England – Shilton; Stevens, Walker, Butcher, Pearce; Waddle, Webb (Gascoigne 72), McMahon, Barnes (Rocastle 76); Beardsley, Lineker.

Att – 38,558.

Sweden 2, England 1, Rasunda Stadium, June 17, 1992.

Sweden's Tomas Brolin the winner

England needed a win from their final European Championship group game and looked on course when David Platt converted a Gary Lineker cross after only three minutes. But it soon turned sour. And how. Gary Lineker was so dismayed at being substituted that he ended his international career there and then, on 80 caps and 48 goals, just one short of Bobby Charlton's scoring record. Jan Eriksson had already equalised, and when Tomas Brolin swopped passes with Martin Dahlin and fired home a late winner, Lineker wasn't the only one gunning for Graham Taylor. So were the headline writers, with Swedes 2, Turnips 1 the most scathing.

Sweden – Ravelli; R.Nilsson, Eriksson, Andersson, Schwarz; Ingesson, Bjorklund, Thern, Limpar (Ekstrom 46); Brolin, Dahlin. England – Woods; Palmer, Keown, Walker, Pearce; Daley, Batty, Platt, Webb, Sinton (Merson 79); Lineker (Smith 64).

Eriksson 51 Platt 3 Brolin 82

Att – 30,126.

Sweden 2, England 1, Rasunda Stadium, September 5, 1998

England could hardly have made a better start to this European Championship Group Five qualifier, after Alan Shearer fired a free-kick past Coventry City keeper Magnus Hedman after just 74 seconds. Once more, the initiative was surrendered, though, as Andreas Andersson levelled in the 32nd minute and Johan Mjallby punished a series of defensive howlers with what was to prove the winner soon after. To make matters worse, Paul Ince became only the sixth England player to receive his marching orders, after picking up a booking for a first-half foul and then testing Pierluigi Collina's patience once too often with a 67th-minute challenge on Henrik Larsson.

Sweden – Hedman; R.Nilsson, Bjorklund, Kaamark (Lucic 82), P.Andersson; A.Andersson (D.Andersson 90), Mjallby, Schwarz, Pettersson; Ljungberg, Larsson. England – Seaman; Southgate, Adams, Campbell (Merson 75), Le Saux; Anderton (Lee 43), Ince, Redknapp, Scholes (Sheringham 87); Shearer, Owen.

A.Andersson 32, Shearer 2 Mjallby 33

Att – 35,394.

England 0, Sweden 0, Wembley, June 5, 1999.

England's David Beckham charges through

There was a minute's silence to mark the passing of 1966 World Cup winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey, but a sorry tally of one effort on target by shot-shy England scarcely counted as a fitting tribute, in a low-key Euro 2000 qualifier. Alan Shearer picked up his 50th cap, but there was a less distinguished entry into the record books for Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes. Two late tackles on ex-Arsenal midfielder Stefan Schwarz, in the 27th and 51st minutes, brought him two yellow cards and made him the first England player to be dismissed on home soil.

England – Seaman; P.Neville, Keown (Ferdinand 34), Campbell, Le Saux (Gray 46); Beckham (Parlour 75), Batty, Sherwood, Scholes; Cole, Shearer. Sweden – Hedman; R.Nilsson, Bjorklund, Kaamark, P.Andersson; K.Andersson, Mjallby (D.Andersson 82), Ljungberg, Schwarz; Mild (Alexandersson 69), Larsson (Svensson 6).

Att – 75,824.

England 1, Sweden 1, June 2, 2002.

England must have felt they were finally on track to end their Swedish hoodoo after Sol Campbell rose to plant an unstoppable header past Hedman from a David Beckham cross. But they had to settle for a point, in this World Cup Group F opener, after one-time Sheffield Wednesday winger Niclas Alexandersson pounced on hesitancy from Danny Mills to force home a second-half equaliser. Campbell's goal was his first for England, while Beckham was earning his 50th cap.

England – Seaman; Mills, Ferdinand, Campbell, A.Cole; Beckham (Dyer 63), Hargreaves, Scholes, Vassell (J.Cole 74); Owen, Heskey. Sweden – Hedman; Mjallby, Mellberg, Jakobsson, Lucic; Alexandersson, Linderoth, M.Svensson (A.Svensson 56), Allback (Andersson 80); Ljungberg, Larsson.

Campbell 24, Alexandersson 59 Saitama-shi, Japan

Att – 52,721.

England 2, Sweden 2, June 20, 2006.

Michael Owen of England lies injured on the ground

A sight almost as familiar as the final score disrupted England's plans in the opening minute, as Michael Owen ruptured a cruciate ligament and hobbled off, to be replaced three minutes later by Peter Crouch. England might have drawn inspiration from a stunning opening goal from Joe Cole, who controlled the ball on his chest near the left flank and unleashed a volley that flew into the top far corner. Instead, they allowed themselves to be pegged back twice, in this World Cup Group B game, Henrik Larsson's last-minute equaliser preserving a remarkable 38-year old unbeaten record against England for the Swedes.

England – Robinson; Carragher, Ferdinand (Campbell 56), Terry, A.Cole; Beckham, Hargreaves, Lampard, J.Cole; Rooney (Gerrard 69), Owen (Crouch 4). Sweden – Isaksson; Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman; Linderoth (D.Andersson 90), Kallstrom, Jonsson (Wilhelmsson 54), Ljungberg; Allback (Elmander 74), Larsson.

J.Cole 34 Allback 51 Gerrard 85 Larsson 90, Cologne

Att – 45,000.

To duck or to attack: How can England new boy Bairstow beat the bouncers?

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To duck or to attack: How can England new boy Bairstow beat the bouncers

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UPDATED:

22:16 GMT, 29 May 2012

England’s young No 6 Jonny Bairstow was found out by a barrage of high-quality, short-pitched bowling at Trent Bridge. More is on the way at Edgbaston, so Sportsmail sought advice from a former England captain and a West Indies pace legend…

Learn to be a better ducker: Batsman's verdict with Nasser Hussain

At first sight it’s fair to say Jonny Bairstow appears to have an issue with the short ball — but let’s give the lad a chance. He won’t have seen too many bowlers in county cricket steaming in at pace from as wide of the crease as Kemar Roach, so it’s been very much a case of learning on his feet.

To me, it looks as if he doesn’t duck very well. Roach hit him on the chest with his first ball at Lord’s, and he pinned him again second ball at Trent Bridge. Bairstow will need to go away and do some serious work with England’s batting coach Graham Gooch, because if he gets into a tangle again in the third Test at Edgbaston I wouldn’t risk him against Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel when South Africa arrive in July.

Chin music: Jonny Bairstow dodges a bumper from Kemar Roach

Chin music: Jonny Bairstow dodges a
bumper from Kemar Roach

Everyone has a different technique. The best ducker of the ball I played with was Mark Butcher. I preferred to try to play the ball, so I’d be trying to ride the bounce. And if it got too big on me, I’d drop my hands or try to sway out of the way.

I remember spending a long time working with Geoff Boycott and the net bowlers up at Headingley before I went on the tour of the West Indies in 1989-90. Gooch, Alec Stewart and I were all put through our paces by blokes coming in off 16 yards and trying to knock our blocks off.

It really helped me when I got out to the Caribbean, and perhaps Gooch now has to do the same with Bairstow. Not to put too fine a point on it, he’s got to hurt Bairstow, so that when he walks out to bat against Roach in Birmingham it doesn’t seem quite so intimidating.

I do know, though, that Jonny is a gutsy character. It’s a challenge he should relish.

Sage advice: Goeff Boycott passes on his wisdom to a youthful Nasser Hussain

Sage advice: Goeff Boycott passes on his wisdom to a youthful Nasser Hussain

Attack, only if you're well in: Bowler's verdict with Michael Holding

The best players of short bowling are the ones who know how to get out of the way! They’ll keep their eye on the ball, then bob and weave accordingly.

I don’t want to judge a guy after two Tests, but Jonny Bairstow did look pretty uncomfortable against Kemar Roach. He just didn’t seem to have a plan for dealing with the short ball.

Some people say you should just stay leg-side of the ball, but that isn’t always easy, especially if the
bowler learns how to bring it back into you, so that the ball seems to follow you. Roach’s angle does exactly that.

My advice is to watch the ball all the way, then leave it alone. Later in your innings, when the ball is softer, the bowlers are tired and you have the pace of the pitch, you might decide to take on the short delivery. But it’s up to you as a batsman to work out when that moment arrives.

Fearsome: Michael Holding

Playing the short ball: Gooch

Fearsome: Michael Holding in his pomp (left), while Graham Gooch attacks the short ball with aplomb

Graham Gooch was one of the best players of the short ball among batsmen I bowled to. He didn’t hook until the moment was right. If the ball was up by his shoulders, he’d leave it alone. If the batsman was always swaying out of the way, I’d get frustrated. When they were hooking, I was happy, because I knew a hook shot gave me a better chance of a wicket.

The former Australia captain Kim Hughes was a compulsive hooker. I remember him saying in a press
conference that he was going to give up the shot. Then in the next Test at Perth he got out to the hook. Sometimes it’s in the blood.

It’s a personal thing, though. Bairstow will have to work out his own method.

Jimmy Greaves fit after suffering stroke

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I'm as fit as ever, claims Greaves after England legend suffers stroke

Former England footballer Jimmy Greaves has made a full recovery after suffering a stroke.

The 72-year-old former Tottenham star spent two nights in hospital and underwent neck surgery after falling ill at his home in Chelmsford, Essex. He has since been discharged and says he is feeling as fit as ever.

'I had a mini-stroke but just weeks later I'm honestly feeling better than I have in years – I'm as fit as a butcher's dog,' Greaves told The People.

On the mend: Jimmy Greaves insists he's fighting fit after suffering a stroke

On the mend: Jimmy Greaves insists he's fighting fit after suffering a stroke

Doctors at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital discovered the football columnist, who is England's third-greatest scorer with 44 goals, had suffered a transient ischaemic attack.

They performed a successful operation on an artery in his neck before giving him the all-clear.

Star turn: Greaves (left) scored more than 200 goals for Tottenham

Star turn: Greaves (left) scored more than 200 goals for Tottenham

Greaves added: 'I'm out and about, enjoying life to the full. I lost a stone, which I needed to do and it's made me feel a lot younger.

'If anyone complains about the NHS, don't believe a word of it. The people who looked after me couldn't have been any more professional or caring.'

England captains: The ones you can be proud of

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Remember Moore, Butcher, Robson and the times you could be proud of England's captain

He was the ultimate England captain, but World Cup-winning hero Bobby Moore was still the man most remembered among a proud tradition down the ages of English football.

Moore will always be revered as the gentleman footballer who wiped his muddy hands before meeting the Queen to collect the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley in 1966.

Sportsmail recalls some of the other great icons we’ve been proud to hail as leaders.

Captain, leader, legend: England's World Cup winning skipper Bobby Moore

Captain, leader, legend: England's World Cup winning skipper Bobby Moore

BRYAN ROBSON

The original ‘Captain Marvel’ who ranged from box to box as tough-tackling defender and deadly goalscorer, he wore the armband 65 times in 90 games. Scored the fastest goal in a World Cup finals – after 27 seconds in 1982.

TERRY BUTCHER

Blood-soaked Butcher battling through a World Cup qualifier in Sweden remains one of the most
iconic images of any England star. The high point of his 77 caps was
leading Bobby Robson’s side in the 1990 World Cup semi-final.

England captain Bryan Robson

England's Terry Butcher

Write caption here

KEVIN KEEGAN

Twice selected as European Footballer of
the Year, the Liverpool and Hamburg striker’s enthusiasm for the game
was as bubbly as his 1970s permed hair. He spent six years as captain and scored 21 goals from 63 games.

BILLY WRIGHT

The first player in the world to win a
century of caps, he was skipper in 90 of his 105 appearances. A dominant
centre half though only 5ft 7in, he was never booked or sent off for
England or in 541 games for Wolves.

England captain Kevin Keegan

England captain Kevin Keegan

England captain Billy Wright

England captain Billy Wright

Inverness Caley Thistle 0 Celtic 2: Samaras and Brown ease Scottish Cup holders into last eight

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Inverness Caley Thistle 0 Celtic 2: Samaras and Brown ease Scottish Cup holders into last eight

Goals from Georgios Samaras and Scott Brown eased Celtic impressively past Inverness in their William Hill Scottish Cup fifth-round tie at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

Both sides took time to come to terms with the windy conditions but the pendulum swung the visitors' way when the Greece striker fired high past Jonny Tuffey in the 33rd minute to give them the interval lead.

In the 67th minute, after Caley defender David Proctor had conceded a penalty for a foul on Gary Hooper, Celtic skipper Brown slotted in the spot-kick for his third goal in three games to take the holders into Monday's draw at Hampden.

The result extended the Hoops' domestic winning run to 15 games and, being one point clear of Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and in the final of the Scottish Communities League Cup final, kept them on course for the domestic treble.

Match-winner: Samaras struck against ICT

Match-winner: Samaras struck against ICT

MATCH FACTS

Inverness CT: Tuffey, Graeme Shinnie, Gillet, Proctor, Meekings, Tokely, Hayes (Winnall 74), Tansey, Foran, Ross (Gnakpa 61), Tade (Sutherland 61). Subs not used: Esson, Piermayr.

Booked: Proctor.

Celtic: Forster, Kelvin Wilson, Rogne, Mulgrew, Matthews, Brown, Ledley (Twardzik 90), Wanyama, Hooper (Stokes 82) Samaras, Commons (Forrest 62). Subs not used: Zaluska, Majstorovic.

Scorers: Samaras 33, Brown (pen) 68.

Referee: Calum Murray.

Attendance: 5,743.

Once again Celtic manager Neil Lennon tinkered with his side, making four changes.

Defenders Adam Matthews and Kelvin
Wilson, midfielder Kris Commons and striker Samaras came in for Cha
Du-ri, Emilio Izaguirre, James Forrest and Anthony Stokes, the latter
two starting on the bench.

Caley boss Terry Butcher replaced
keeper Ryan Esson with Tuffey and brought in midfielder Graeme Shinnie
for Shane Sutherland but they never looked like replicating their two
previous cup shocks over Celtic in the tournament, in 2000 and 2003.

Inverness were unbeaten in seven matches but on a freezing, windy day they struggled as much as Celtic to tame the conditions.

In the sixth minute Hooper managed to
escape the attention of the Caley defence but he was unable to get the
ball under control and ended up with a back-heeled effort which was
blocked by Tuffey.

It quickly turned into a scrappy
affair. Celtic keeper Fraser Forster was called into action for the
first time in the 23rd minute when he had to dive smartly down to his
right to tip a low drive from Nick Ross round the post.

Caley defender Josh Meekings flicked
on Greg Tansey's corner at the near post but the ball was blocked by
sheer numbers inside the six-yard box.

On the half-hour mark, as Celtic
tested the nervy looking Highland defence again, Hooper had a decent
effort from the edge of the box saved by Tuffey.

However, the cup holders' opener was only three minutes away with Tokely at fault.

The big Inverness stopper stretched a
leg out but failed to cut out Commons' through-ball and the Greece
striker raced on before firing high past Tuffey from 16 yards, with the
ball appearing to take a swerve.

Moments later, a short pass-back from
Tokely allowed Hooper to run in on goal but Tuffey blocked his angled
shot with his leg and from the rebound the keeper saved again, this time
from Joe Ledley before the danger was eventually cleared.

The home side were all over the place
but six minutes from the break Tokely headed a Jonny Hayes corner over
the bar, passing up on the chance to make amends for earlier
indiscretions.

Celtic looked in command by the break, though, and they came out for the second period determined to get the next goal.

In the 50th minute, following a fine
move involving Commons and Hooper inside the Caley box, the former
Scunthorpe striker cut the ball across goal only to see Ledley clear the
bar from close range.

Then the sliding Samaras could not
get enough on a great Ledley cross from the left and the ball spun past
the far post for a goal-kick.

On the hour mark, with the home side
starting to make some progress, Sutherland replaced Tade and Claude
Gnakpa came on for Ross, before Forrest replaced Commons.

Samaras came close again when he
reached a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick with a flashing header which drew
another good save from Tuffey.

However, the tie was effectively over
when Brown grabbed number two from the spot – the goal again coming as a
result of careless Caley defending.

When Hooper robbed Proctor on the
byline, the Inverness defender chopped him down leaving referee no
option but to award a penalty from which the Hoops skipper sent Tuffey
the wrong way.

Forrest finished a driving run into
the box with a cross-cum-shot which just evaded Hooper at the back post -
Celtic's last real chance before they cruised to the final whistle.

Macclesfield to honour Keith Alexander and Richard Butcher at Bolton FA Cup tie

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Lost friends Alexander and Butcher are in our hearts as Macc face big guns

Just before two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, a giant banner will be hung at Macclesfield Town's Moss Rose ground. It reads: 'Keith Alexander, Richard Butcher – Forever Silkmen.'

It is unfurled for every home game but for the FA Cup third-round tie against Bolton, the unofficial ceremony will be more poignant than usual, taking place as it does on the first anniversary weekend of Butcher's death at the age of 29.

Alexander, the Macclesfield manager, passed away 10 months earlier, in March 2010. He was only 53.

Passed away: Keith Alexander

Tragic loss: Richard Butcher

Tragic losses: Keith Alexander (left) and Richard Butcher (right)

You do not have to search for tributes to both men at Moss Rose. They come to you. The supporters' bar has been renamed 'Keith's Bar'. Turn to the back page of the match-day programme and a blue shirt upon which 'Butcher' is underscored by the number 21 shouts out proudly from its centre.

The salute of Alexander's successor Gary Simpson carries a personal touch. Every match Simpson wears '21' on his back for Butcher and yellow socks in memory of Alexander, who did the same throughout his managerial career.

Simpson said: 'What has happened is never out of my mind and I'm sure it's never out of the minds of some of the players. It's unprecedented for any football club.

'On a personal level, the Gaffer and
Butch were the two people that I was closest to in football. And as
friends. Keith was a larger-than-life character. He could communicate at
any level and for the black community he was a leader. In terms of
running a football club and being a figurehead for that club, there was
nobody finer.

Here's to you: Alexander has a bar named after him at Moss Rose

Here's to you: Alexander has a bar named after him at Moss Rose

'Butch was a fantastic lad. If you had a daughter, he would be the ideal person you would want her to walk in the door with.'

No-one in Cheshire felt the double tragedy with greater force. Simpson spent 15 years as Alexander's assistant, while his bond with Butcher was forged when he spotted the 21-year-old midfielder playing for non-League Kettering and persuaded him to join the Alexander revolution at Lincoln.

The unsteadiness of Simpson's voice as he chronicles events hints at the private grief which he has yet to fully overcome.

His
has been a remarkable, if wholly unwanted, journey. It began in
unbridled shock after Alexander, who had suffered two cerebral aneurysms
in 2003, collapsed at home after returning from Macclesfield's midweek
game at Notts County. He never regained consciousness.

Alexander had given a player a lift to the game that night. It was Butcher.

'I can remember ringing Keith as he
was dropping Butch off,' added Simpson. 'We said, “Speak to you in the
morning”. Then, at 10 to eight the next morning, I got a phone call off
his son Matt to say he had died and that they had turned the life
support machine off.

Memory: Butcher's retired shirt number appears on the back of every home programme

Memory: Butcher's retired shirt number appears on the back of every home programme

'I notified the club. The players were off that day. They reported to the ground the day after and it was very upsetting for everybody. It devastated the club.

'I took over as caretaker because it was imperative that we stayed in the league and that the lads stuck together. I just said, “Let me get you safe. Let me get you a few points on the board”. But I didn't know what I wanted to do, whether I wanted to stay or whatever.'

Alexander's death united the
Macclesfield squad and they retained Football League status. Butcher, on
loan from Lincoln, made his transfer permanent in the summer. No one
could have foreseen that a cardiac arrhythmia would claim his life at
his Manchester home early last January while his wife Sarah worked as a
nurse back in Lincoln.

Simpson said: 'Butch was a great kid, the fittest kid I've ever come
across. He was like a son, always on the phone to me. When he didn't
turn up for training in the morning I just had a feeling there was
something wrong.

'I rang
and rang. I just couldn't get hold of him. I ended up ringing Futch
(Butcher's former Lincoln team-mate Ben Futcher, then at Bury) because I
knew he lived near him.

'I asked him if he'd seen Butch. He
said, “No, but I'm not far off his house, I'll pop round”. He rang back
and said, “The car's on the drive, but the curtains are closed. I'm
knocking and I can hear the dog barking”. I said, “You'll have to smash
the door down. Something's not right”. He said, “I can't find anything to smash the window with. I'll ring the police”.

Never forgotten: New manager Gary Simpson honours both men at every match

Never forgotten: New manager Gary Simpson honours both men at every match

'Within two minutes the police arrived and broke in. They went upstairs and found him in bed. Futch rang me and broke down and said Butch was dead. I just said, “You're joking!”

'He was just the last person you would have expected it to happen to. Again I had to notify the club and the chairman. He came to the training ground the next day. It was upsetting, devastating trying to speak to the players. With all the will in the world, we were all crying.

'To lose Butch hit the players a lot
harder. He was one of them and we struggled. I don't think we won in 10
or 12 games but we stayed up again.'

For the second time in 10 months, the club opened up a book of
condolence, scarves were tied to railings and a minute's applause for
another footballing life cut tragically short echoed around Moss Rose.

Big clash: Macclesfield host Bolton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday

Big clash: Macclesfield host Bolton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday

For Butcher, that was on January 22 last year. It would have been his 30th birthday and 30 white doves were released to mark it. His Macclesfield No 21 shirt has been retired.

Through it all Simpson saw it as a duty of care to his departed friends to stay strong, to lead.

'I was trying to get through the upset myself. I was taking the first team one night and the reserves the next. Some of the players helped me and they were tremendous.

'You're waking up at ridiculous hours, you've got headaches and you think you're just not well. I didn't know how much stress and pressure I was under and how much it had taken out of me until I eventually went away and relaxed in the summer.

'Keith and Butch are a huge part of what we are about, that spirit we have to have at Macclesfield to compete, the togetherness we have.

'They will never be forgotten.'

Rangers 2 Inverness 1: Sub Lafferty keeps his nerve to keep Gers on a roll

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Rangers 2 Inverness 1: Sub Lafferty keeps his nerve to keep Gers on a roll

A dramatic late strike by substitute Kyle Lafferty gave Rangers an undeserved victory against Inverness to take them seven points clear of Celtic at the top of the Clydesdale BankPremier League.

When Light Blues defender Carlos Bocanegra shot the home side into the lead in the 55th minute it looked like they would go and make the result more comfortable.

Super sub: Kyle Lafferty slots home the winning goal

Super sub: Kyle Lafferty slots home the winning goal

MATCH FACTS

Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Bartley, Bocanegra, Wallace, Edu, Papac, Bedoya, Davis, Wylde, Jelavic.

Subs: Alexander, Broadfoot, McCulloch, Lafferty, McKay, Bendiksen, McCabe.

Inverness CT: Esson, Gillet, Tokely, Golobart, Graeme Shinnie, Cox, Foran, Hayes, Tansey, Tade, McKay.

Subs: Tuffey, Piermayr, Andrew Shinnie, Ross, Morrison, Sutherland.

Referee: Bobby Madden (Scotland)

However, the Highlanders fought back ferociously and former Rangers midfielder Andrew Shinnie, on as substitute for Greg Tansey, levelled before they missed several good chances to grab an unlikely win.

They were made to pay in the cruellest fashion when Lafferty, on for Alejandro Bedoya early in the second half, struck with eight minutes remaining to ease the nerves and increase the gap over their Old Firm rivals who play at St Johnstone tomorrow.

Rangers have been unconvincing in recent weeks and their fans will have left Ibrox aware that they were let off the hook.

Bedoya and defender Sasa Papac came into the Rangers side at the expense of Dorin Goian, who failed to recover from a fever and Lee McCulloch, who started on the bench along with striker Lafferty who returned from a back injury.

Caley boss Terry Butcher made three changes with Lee Cox, Gregory Tade and Graeme Shinnie coming in for injured Chris Hogg, suspended David Davis and Andrew Shinnie, who was named substitute. The Highlanders took the spoils in the first half with an impressive display.

Two easy: Lafferty celebrates his winner

Two easy: Lafferty celebrates his winner

It was a slow, unconvincing start by the home side and in the third minute Caley midfielder Cox stole into the Rangers box but failed to catch his shot properly, the ball spinning harmlessly wide.

Inverness midfielder Tansey then had a shot blocked by Ibrox defender Kyle Bartley.

In the 10th minute the Light Blues threatened for the first time and Caley keeper Ryan Esson made a terrific save to deny defender Steven Whittaker, who met a Gregg Wylde cross from eight yards out to power a header down towards the bottom corner.

There was not a great deal of creativity from the Ibrox men which began to irk the home support as they surveyed another possible afternoon of frustration.

Spring time: Rangers manager Ally McCoist tries out his Villas-Boas impression

Spring time: Rangers manager Ally McCoist tries out his Villas-Boas impression

The home side”s corner count slowly mounted, though and in the 28th minute top scorer Nikica Jelavic headed Wylde”s corner from the right over the bar but still the Highlanders refused to be cowed.

After Papac was robbed by Tansey, Cox went down the right and drove the ball across the box and the home fans were glad to see Bartley clear the danger.

In the 36th minute there was a strong Caley appeal for a penalty when Richie Foran”s header looked like it might have struck the arm of Jelavic in the Rangers box but referee Bobby Madden was unimpressed.

Jelavic had to stretch at the back post to reach a searching Wylde cross from the left but the ball fell into the arms of Esson.

McCulloch replaced Maurice Edu for the start of the second half and within three minutes Bedoya and Jelavic got into a tangle as they attacked a Lee Wallace cross and the chance was gone.

Caley striker William McKay claimed he was held by Bartley as he turned the Rangers defender inside the penalty box but again referee Madden shook his head, leaving McKay in a rage as Gers keeper Allan McGregor picked up the loose ball.

Lafferty came on for the injured Bedoya in the 52nd minute and the home side stepped up the pace which brought its reward three minutes later.

When Wallace crossed into the box Jelavic chested down for defender Bocanegra to slam the ball in from close range.

On the hour mark Lafferty escaped the attention of the Caley defence to go through on Esson but the Northern Ireland international slipped his side-footed shot past the far post.

The champions were in total control and in the 63rd minute Papac sent a spectacular drive from 30 yards crashing off the Caley bar.

But in the 67th minute there was a shock for the home side when Tade raced down the left and cut the ball back for substitute Andrew Shinnie and the former Rangers player side-footed the ball past McGregor from eight yards.

The Ibrox fans booed because Jelavic was down injured after a tackle by Roman Golobart in the lead-up to the leveller.

In the 70th minute Foran had the ball in the net from an Andrew Shinnie free-kick but the flag was up for offside.

In the 77th minute McKay rounded McGregor and from an acute angle struck the post.

Caley”s Jonny Hayes went round McGregor and had a close-range shot cleared off the line by Wallace, before McGregor had to save from McKay with the home defence in disarray.

But in the 82nd minute, and against the run of play, Lafferty ran onto a Steven Davis pass and knocked the ball past Esson.

Gloucester Luke Narraway is chasing England glory

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Plucking up courage! Butcher”s boy Narraway is chasing England glory

Whatever the stresses and strains of captaining Gloucester – and there have been plenty this season – Luke Narraway will be out and about on Christmas Eve, delivering turkeys on behalf of the family butcher”s shop in nearby Worcester.

No matter how intense the desire to resurrect his club”s faltering season and force his way back into the England ranks for the Six Nations, there will be other business to attend to. It acts as a useful outlet from the chosen profession and the28-year-old has as much of a passion for it as he does for his rugby.

Leading man: Gloucester captain Luke Narraway

Leading man: Gloucester captain Luke Narraway

“From the age of five I was in the butcher”s shop copying my dad, trying to gut a turkey or whatever,” he said. “It”s something I go back to every week and as he gets older it”s something I”ll get more involved in. I don”t cut any meat now but it keeps me busy.”

Several Gloucester team-mates have ordered turkeys from the Narraways but while festive birds are the focus at present, the future lies in pies. Luke plans to talk to his employers about selling “rugby pies” at games, with a view to expanding that concept in time to earn a catering contract at the next World Cup. They are quite fond of a chant in the Shed at Kingsholm, so some day soon it may have to be: “Who made all the pies” – aimed at the skipper.

Narraway will lead Gloucester into a home Heineken Cup tie against Connacht this afternoon hoping that victory in the reverse fixture in Galway last weekend will be the catalyst for a dramatic revival, after a slump of six defeats in seven games. Now, even if quarter-final qualification from a pool dominated by Toulouse looks unlikely, the aim is to establish precious momentum prior to a return to domestic duties on Boxing Day.

Having deputised as captain in the regular absence of Mike Tindall last season, Narraway has the job full time now and he admits it has its ups and downs in such a hotbed of the game.

Feel the force: Luke Narraway on the charge for Gloucester

Feel the force: Luke Narraway on the charge for Gloucester

“Last season, I saw the pros of the captaincy,” he said. “I lifted a cup, we went on an unbeaten run – it”s incredible to have thousands of people supporting you like that. This season there has been more pressure because we haven”t had the form we would hope for, especially at home. I just have to take the rough with the smooth.

“I live in Gloucester so I see a lot of supporters around town and you do get lots of remarks. I might be picking up some groceries and someone will say, “Any chance of you sorting it out this week”. But you generally don”t get too much abuse, it”s more humour.

“It matters to people in Gloucester whether we win or lose. A lot of people in the city live and breathe Gloucester rugby and that”s something we are well aware of.”

Having joined the club from school a decade ago, Narraway feels accepted as a bona fide Gloucester man now, in a place where that local identity is important. Yet former team-mate Ryan Lamb, who was born there but now plays for Northampton after a stint at London Irish, always calls him “Plastic Gloucester”.

“It is home to me now,” said Narra-way, whose father Ian played for Worcester. “I”ve been here for 10 years. It”s all that I know, but I still can”t quite say I”m a true Gloucester boy because I wasn”t born here and because Lamby would be straight on the phone calling me plastic! He can”t talk – he”s had more clubs than Tiger Woods.”

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The sense of belonging which is evidently important to Narraway came to the surface in a different context during the summer. He led England against the Barbarians in lateMay, only to miss out on a place in the preliminary 45-man World Cup squad. Leicester”s Kiwi No 8, Thomas “the Tank Engine” Waldrom, was promoted after discovering an English gran.

A frustrated tweet by Narraway read: “Good luck to Thomas the Tank and his English nan. #notbittermuch.”

Months later, he is eager to clarify that he had injured his back, so didn”t expect to be included. Nevertheless, as someone who would play as a child with his socks rolled down, pretending to be Dean Richards and dreaming of representing England, Narraway makes some valid observations on the thorny issue of nationality.

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“I felt bad for guys like Phil Dowson (Northampton back-rower who also missed the cut),” he said. “I really rate him, I”ve played with him, he was in the mix in the Six Nations but didn”t get a cap and then he didn”t make the 45-man squad in the summer. It”s a professional game, I understand there are players who weren”t born in England who will play for England and I”ve got no issue with that. But, speaking as an England fan, I would like to have seen them prove themselves in the Saxons before they were put straight into the senior squad. Put them in the Churchill Cup, see how they go and if they do well, promote them.

“It”s not just about ambitions that have developed in the last few years. A lot of us grow up dreaming of playing for England. But then look at Manu Tuilagi (born in Samoa) who is one of the hottest prospects in international rugby.

“We tend to put people from the southern hemisphere on a pedestal. I think that sometimes, guys who have played Super 15 get a reputation because no-one in the English game really knows what that competition is all about.

“Don”t get me wrong, sometimes that view is justified, but sometimes it isn”t.”

It was Stuart Lancaster, then coach of the Saxons, who named Narraway as captain against the Barbarians last summer. Now he is in charge of Six Nations selection as interim national head coach.

With James Haskell away on what amounts to a Test sabbatical -playing in Japan and New Zealand – and Nick Easter unlikely to be around at the next World Cup, the Gloucester captain must have a strong chance of a recall.

But for now he is determined to banish any thoughts of an England return, with some timely assistance from the festive turkey trade.