Handel » vn homer in the fifth that chased Wainwright. Ellis also score

Hal Robson-Kanu scored the winner as Wales beat Slovakia 2-1 in their first ever match at a European Championship finals. The substitute carved his name into Welsh football history with a low strike nine minutes from time, after Ondrej Duda (60) had cancelled out Gareth Bales first-half free-kick in Bordeaux.It means Wales tasted victory in their first match at a major international tournament since the 1958 World Cup and are now in a strong position to qualify from Group B ahead of clashes with England on Thursday and Russia next Monday. Bale celebrates opening the scoring for Wales Chris Coleman had suffered a blow ahead of the game as first-choice goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey woke up with a back spasm meaning 22-year-old Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward made his first international start in goal.And he almost conceded just four minutes into the match when Slovakia playmaker Marek Hamsik showed sublime skill to run 30 yards into the area and produce a low left-footed shot which beat the Wales goalkeeper - only for Ben Davies to slide in and make a last-ditch clearance off the line. Player ratings Jack Collison rates the Wales team after Saturdays famous win Just six minutes later, Wales took the lead thanks to the left foot of Bale. Jonny Williams was needlessly tripped by Patrik Hrosovsky 30 yards out and the Real Madrid star stepped up to curl the ball over the wall and into the net.Bale rushed to the Wales bench to joyfully celebrate a landmark goal, but Slovakia will ask questions of goalkeeper Matus Kozacik, who took a step to the left just before the ball was struck and was beaten far too easily. Ben Davies clears Marek Hamsiks shot Chris Colemans side might have had a penalty on 32 minutes when Martin Skrtel stepped across and appeared to bundle Jonny Williams over with his elbow inside the area. However, nothing was given - even though one of the extra officials was standing two yards from the incident.Wales continued to control the game after the interval with a firm Bale header forcing a fine save from Kozacik to his right with 58 minutes gone. Marek Hamsik of Slovakia and Joe Allen of Wales compete for the ball That prompted Slovakia manager Jan Kozak to make a double substitution with Duda and Adam Nemec introduced for Hrosovsky and Michal Duris.It proved to be an inspired move as Duda scored with his very first touch.The goal was engineered by a fine run from Robert Mak, who cut in from the right and beat Aaron Ramsey and David Edwards before setting up the substitute to strike low between two defenders and beyond Ward from near the penalty spot. Ondrej Duda equalises for Slovakia Slovakia seized the initiative as Juraj Kucka forced a save from Ward before Coleman made an inspired double substitution of his own on 69 minutes as Robson-Kanu and Joe Ledley replaced Jonny Williams and Edwards.Robson-Kanu almost created a goal with his first real involvement, crossing for Ramsey from the right, but the midfielders header from inside the six-yard box went over the bar.But the substitutes were both involved in a goal that will be long remembered by Wales fans. Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey vies for the ball against Slovakias midfielder Miroslav Stoch In the 81st minute, Ledley played a superb long pass to Ramsey, who nicked the ball past Skrtel and into the path of Robson-Kanu who scuffed the ball through the legs of Durica and beyond the goalkeeper.The final touch appeared to come off his shin, but that mattered little as the Wales players dived on top of the goalscorer in wild celebrations by the corner flag. Hal Robson-Kanu shoots to score the winner Nemec might have denied Wales with four minutes left, but his header clattered the post, while both Bale and Ramsey wasted late opportunities to put the game beyond doubt.But Wales held on to earn a win that could see them extend their stay at their first major international tournament in 58 years beyond the group stage.Team line-upsWales: Ward, Chester, Ashley Williams, Davies, Gunter, Allen, Edwards, Ramsey, Taylor, Jonny Williams, Bale.Used subs: Robson-Kanu, Ledley, RichardsSlovakia: Kozacik, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Svento, Kucka, Hrosovsky, Hamsik, Mak, Duris, Weiss.Used subs: Duda, Nemec, StochMan of the match: Joe Allen Jack Butland England Jersey .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. 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Check out the duster for yourself.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Clayton Kershaw dominated through the first six innings, working with a four-run lead and making it appear as if a victory was within easy reach.Then baseballs best pitcher flopped.Matt Carpenter hit a go-ahead, three-run double off Kershaw in an eight-run seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 10-9 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a fiery NL Division Series opener Friday.I couldnt hold it, its a terrible feeling, Kershaw said. It doesnt feel good right now. I dont think it will feel good for the rest of the night.Kershaw retired 16 in a row between homers by Randal Grichuk in the first and Carpenter in the sixth.But he collapsed in a shaky seventh, when he gave up five of the Cardinals eight runs and became the first pitcher in post-season history to allow seven runs in consecutive starts. He yielded that many in losing Game 6 last year.I left some fastballs over the middle of the plate, Kershaw said. They got some good hits. Thats what they do, they ride momentum.Kershaw fell to 1-4 with a career 5.19 ERA in the post-season.He resented any suggestion that he tipped his pitches out of the stretch.Thats discrediting their team when you start thinking about that, Kershaw said. Thats just a cop-out.St. Louis held on when Trevor Rosenthal blew a 100 mph fastball past Yasiel Puig with a runner on third to end a back-and-forth game that lasted nearly four hours.Game 2 is Saturday night.In a matchup of 20-game winners, Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright hit Puig with a pitch leading off the third, triggering a bench-clearing scrum. There was shoving and shouting, but no punches were thrown.Wainwright succumbed first on the mound, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 4 2-3 innings. But Kershaw failed once again in the post-season.The left-hander whose 1.77 ERA led the major leagues for the fourth consecutive year came in eager to erase the memory of his poor showing in Game 6 of last years NL Championship Series, when the Dodgers were eliminated by the Cardinals.He gives up a hit or two and you always feel like hes going to get out of it, hes always going to rebound, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.The Dodgers rallied again in the ninth, pulling to 10-9 after Dee Gordons RBI groundout scored A.J. Ellis, who singled. But Puig struck out swinging against Rosenthal, who reached 100 mph on five of the seven pitches in the at-bat.Adrian Gonzalez pulled the Dodgers to 10-8 with a two-run homer in the eighth off Randy Choate. They had the potential tying run at the plate when pinch-hitter Justin Turner grounded to third to end the inning.ddddddddddddhe Cardinals ripped four consecutive singles to centre field to open the seventh. Matt Adams and Jon Jay had RBI singles, drawing them to 6-4.Carpenter then doubled to deep right, driving in three runs for a 7-6 lead and chasing Kershaw. He allowed eight runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings, struck out 10 and walked none.Pedro Baez came on and walked Grichuk. Matt Holliday followed with a three-run homer, silencing the 54,265 blue towel-waving fans and extending the Cardinals lead to 10-6.Wainwright, a 20-game winner with the NLs third-best ERA of 2.38, struggled mightily in the third and fourth innings at Dodger Stadium, where he has never been at his best. The right-hander allowed a pair of two-out runs in both innings, with the Dodgers taking a 4-1 lead.The early scrum clearly fired up the Dodgers, who took a 2-1 lead in the third.After getting drilled, Puig went to take first base and Gonzalez began jawing with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.Molina and Gonzalez went face-to-face yelling and soon both benches and bullpens emptied, creating a scrum around home plate. There was shoving and shouting, but no punches were thrown. Puig later gave Wainwright a friendly pat as he took his base.Ellis, who hit .191 during the regular season, had 4 of the Dodgers 16 hits, including a two-run homer in the fifth that chased Wainwright. Ellis also scored three runs.The bad vibes between the two teams extend to last year.Thats when Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly hit Hanley Ramirez in the ribs in the NLCS opener, limiting the shortstop for the rest of the matchup. The teams traded hit by pitches earlier this season, too.Ramirez got things going with two outs in the third, singling past diving second baseman Pete Kozma as Puig scored from second to tie the game at 1. Crawfords ground-rule double into deep right field scored Ramirez, who had stolen second.Puig singled with two outs in the fourth, scoring Ellis who singled leading off. Kemps RBI single made it 4-1.UP NEXTCardinals: Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74 ERA) is making his fourth consecutive post-season appearance with the Cardinals since reaching the majors in 2011. His five playoff wins are tied for third-most all-time on the club, trailing Chris Carpenter (10) and Bob Gibson (seven).Dodgers: Zack Greinke (17-8, 2.71) says the Cardinals hitters make adjustments better than most other teams, citing CF Jon Jay who went from chasing off-speed pitches one year to becoming good at handling them the next. ' ' '