LONDON: Southampton and Aston Villa scored late winners in matches affecting opposite ends of the Premier League on Tuesday, while a touchline spat between the managers marred Sunderland’s 1-1 draw at Hull City.

Southampton revived their unlikely tilt at Champions League qualification thanks to Sadio Mane’s 83rd-minute goal in a 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace.

The south-coast club, which has been the surprise team of the season in England, ended a three-match winless run to jump provisionally to fifth — a point behind Manchester United.

A last-gasp Christian Benteke penalty handed Tim Sherwood his first win as Villa manager and lifted his side out of the relegation zone — at least until the midweek round of fixtures is completed on Wednesday — with a 2-1 home victory against West Bromwich Albion.

The Belgian striker’s goal gave Villa their first league win since Dec 7, shooting the club three points clear of the relegation zone and ending a run of seven consecutive defeats.

Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Gus Poyet was sent to the stands in his team’s draw at Hull which left them four points above the bottom three in 16th place, a point below Hull.

The Uruguayan was given his marching orders for protesting after Jack Rodwell was booked for diving and became involved in an angry exchange with Hull manager Steve Bruce before leaving the touchline.

Rodwell ended up scoring Sunderland’s equaliser in the 77th minute, cancelling out a third goal in four games by Dame N’Doye — a deadline-day signing in the winter transfer window.

LEVERKUSEN, DORTMUND INTO GERMAN CUP QUARTERS

BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen needed extra-time goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Stefan Kiessling to beat second-division Kaiserslautern 2-0 on Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals of the German Cup.

Ciro Immobile scored twice for Borussia Dortmund to advance 2-0 over third-division Dynamo Dresden.

Elsewhere, Hoffenheim won 2-0 at second-division VfR Aalen and Freiburg edged Cologne 2-1 in the only match between two Bundesliga clubs.

Leverkusen were eliminated by Kaiserslautern last season and only sealed victory when Kiessling pounced on a huge mistake by Kaiserslautern’s defence in the 114th minute after Turkey midfielder Calhanoglu had curled home a free-kick in the 102nd.

Immobile, criticised for a lack of Bundesliga goals this season, pounced on a mistake by Dresden captain Michael Hefele to give last season’s finalists Dortmund a 50th-minute lead.

The Italian then added Dortmund’s second when he fired home a superb cross from Poland winger Jakub Blaszczykowski on 90 minutes.

ST ETIENNE REACH FRENCH CUP SEMIS

PARIS: Ligue 1 side St Etienne squeezed through to the French Cup semi-finals after beating third-tier Boulogne-sur-Mer 4-3 on penalties in a shootout on Tuesday after the match finished 1-1.

Boulogne took the lead in the 80th minute through centre-half Anthony Soubervie’s penalty, but St Etienne hit back four minutes later through winger Benjamin Corgnet’s first goal of the season.

Following extra-time, goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier made the decisive save from midfielder Xavier Mercier to send St Etienne, who are fifth in the top flight, through to the last four.

Published in Dawn March 5th , 2015

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