Unfortunately you have to prove yourself every week

Unfortunately, you have to prove yourself every week.”To illustrate his last remark, Reading followed up their midweek Coca- Cola Cup win over Leeds at Elland Road with a 4-0 home defeat by fellow quarter-finalists Ipswich Town.. “Only three people in the ground did not see it,” Clark said “I spoke to the referee. He said he and his linesmen didn’t see it.”Oxford United, whose entire squad is up for sale as debts soar, lost 2-1 at Norwich City and will not have interested too many buyers in a drab match but the Queen’s Park Rangers caretaker manager, John Hollins, again nudged the club-owner Chris Wright as Rangers beat Huddersfield 2-1, Nigel Quashie scoring both “He was superb,” Hollins enthused. “He’s elegant, ruthless and sees things so well.” As to his own prospects: “Winning helps Rangers’ cause rather than mine. In the final 15 minutes of the first half we lost our way and let Forest take command.”Some good news for Manchester City fans: the Sky Blues won. Tony Vaughan’s 93rd-minute header looped into the net for the only goal of the home game against Bradford City.”You never give up until the final whistle but when it’s that late you begin to think it is never going to go in,” the relieved City manager Frank Clark said.

“This was a big match but we treated it like an end-of-season jolly-up. Dave Bassett told me he thought the scoreline was a little bit flattering in favour of his Forest side but I wouldn’t agree We really lost the plot today. “Now we face another tough examination at [second-placed] Middlesbrough on Wednesday.”
At the end of the Pierre show, Bradley Allen pulled one back for Charlton and then Forest’s Ian Woan scored twice, once for each side, to make it 4-2 before setting up Kevin Campbell’s header three minutes from time.Alan Curbishley, the Charlton manager, was disgusted. Pierre Van Hooijdonk scored a hat-trick at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest’s 5-2 win over Charlton Athletic lifted them three points clear at the top of the First Division.

Van Hooijdonk claimed Forest’s first three goals – shots from 18 and 25 yards and a tap-in – to take his season’s total to 17. “It’s nice to score five goals but the most important thing was that we collected three points,” the Forest manager, Dave Bassett, said. His fresh legs could have turned the game, but both shots he managed found Keller in his line of fire.. In attack, Nathan Blake was subdued by Matt Elliott’s intimidating presence, although he should have scored in the 58th minute when Dean Holdsworth’s drive from Michael Johansen’s deflected cross saw the ball drop at his feet, only for him to stab his drive into Kasey Keller’s side-netting.On one of the few occasions in the later stages when Bolton were able to raise the siege, Blake gave Keller a fright eight minutes from time with a 25-yard volley that bounced out of the keeper’s hands with no Bolton foot in the vicinity to capitalise.The arrival of Arnar Gunnlaugsson for Johansen 10 minutes from time also caused the occasional wobble in Leicester’s defence. Marshall headed Steve Guppy’s cross wide six minutes into the second half and five minutes later Muzzy Izzett scooped a great chance over the bar when Marshall’s head had created the opportunity.Bolton were superbly served in midfield by the gifted Alan Thompson and rarely lost the upper hand in defence, where Andy Todd and Mark Fish show signs of developing into a formidable barrier. Without him, Leicester became a blunt and mostly inaccurate instrument near goal.Ian Marshall and Steve Claridge laboured manfully, and the former’s ability to win aerial battles created what few chances there were. The visiting defence withstood a late barrage, but that point can’t be begrudged.Leicester’s manager, Martin O’Neill, joked that he told his missing striker Emile Heskey to remind him to fine him tomorrow morning.

This was the first of three matches the suspended Heskey will miss and on this evidence his absence could prove costly. Middlesbrough look ready to take on the nation’s best already and their frustration with last season’s relegation must be growing by the game.. Leicester City 0

Bolton Wanderers 0
Attendance: 20,464It wasn’t for lack of effort that Leicester had to watch struggling Bolton leave Filbert Street with a point that could prove invaluable for the Lancashire side in six months’ time. The winner did not come until 15 minutes from time and only after Swindon could have regained the lead at least three times.But class told in the end when Merson swung in a deep corner, Mikkel Beck headed back towards the near post and Emerson nodded the ball in from a yard.