UEFA Europa League results

AA Gent 3-1 Sporting

AEK Athens 1-1 Anderlecht

BATE Borisov 3-1 FC Sheriff Tiraspol

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Aris Salonika

Club Bruges 0-2 Dinamo Zagreb

CSKA Moscow 3-1 Palermo

Dynamo Kiev 2-0 AZ Alkmaar

FC Porto 1-1 Besiktas

Getafe 0-3 VfB Stuttgart

Hajduk Split 2-3 Zenit St Petersburg

Juventus 0-0 Red Bull Salzburg

Lausanne Sports 1-3 Sparta Prague

Lech Poznan 3-1 Manchester City

Levski Sofia 2-2 Lille

Liverpool 3-1 Napoli

Odense BK 2-0 Young Boys

PAOK Salonika 1-0 Villarreal

Paris SG 0-0 Borussia Dortmund

PSV Eindhoven 3-0 Debrecen

Rapid Vienna 1-2 CSKA Sofia

Rosenborg 1-2 Atletico Madrid

Sampdoria 0-0 FC Metalist Kharkiv

Sevilla 4-0 Karpaty Lviv

Steaua Bucharest 3-1 FC Utrecht

Forestry Tasmania again sponsor Tasmanian Premier League football

Photo: (L-R) Ken Jeffreys, John Boulous and Forestry Tasmania CEO Bob Gordon [Photo courtesy of Forestry Tasmania]

Football Federation Tasmania is pleased to announce the continuation of Forestry Tasmania’s sponsorship for 2011.

Forestry Tasmania have been proud supporters of Tasmanian Football since 2009, sponsoring both the men’s Southern and Northern Premier Leagues, as well as the Statewide Final Series.

Forestry Tasmania General Manager Corporate Relations and Tourism, Ken Jeffreys, said the organisation was proud to be associated with Football Federation Tasmania and looked forward to continuing to work together in the third year of the sponsorship.

“Forestry Tasmania has had a strong relationship with FFT for the past few years and we are pleased to announce that it will remain our biggest Community Assist partner in 2011,” Mr Jeffreys said.

“Football Federation Tasmania has again been chosen as Forestry Tasmania’s major sponsorship because of the immense contribution to sport and fitness that football provides to the 14,000 plus members who play the sport statewide.”

Football Federation Tasmania CEO John Boulous is delighted in retaining Forestry Tasmania’s support of Football in Tasmania.

“Forestry Tasmania renewing their sponsorship of the Northern and Southern Premier League and Finals Series is a tremendous boost for football in Tasmania,” Mr Boulous said.

Chelsea qualify for final 16 in Champions League

Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow

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Chelsea were never in trouble against Spartak Moscow at Stamford Bridge, but it is rare for them not to score in the first half, especially against a side they beat 2-0 away in Moscow.

They rested captain Terry and midfielder Essien and included several youngsters on the bench.

To Spartak’s credit, they came to Stamford Bridge and attacked and went close to scoring a couple of times in the opening half, although their coach, Valerie Karpin, cutting a stunning classical Russian figure in the technical area, rarely looked relaxed.

Three goals in 17 minutes in the second half put Chelsea well on top, while Spartak’s consolation goal looked off-side.

Ivanovic’s second goal of the match - his third goal in two outings - came deep into stoppage time and underlined the home side’s dominance.

Anelka opened the scoring in the 49th minute, running onto Kalou’s reverse pass to the right and lashing the ball across keeper Dykan and into the far corner of the net from an acute angle. It was Anelka’s 5th goal in four games in this season’s Champions League.

Makeev brought down Drogba in the 62nd minute to concede a penalty and Drogba despatched it himself with aplomb, although Dykan dived the correct way and just failed to reach the ball.

Four minutes later, Ivanovic headed home Drogba’s free-kick from the right to seal the match.

Substitute Bazhenov slid the ball home after looking off-side in the 86th minute to reduce the arrears, but Ivanovic smashed home a loose ball in the 2nd minute of stoppage time to make it 4-1.

The Scotsman McGeady looked good in patches for Spartak, as did Alex, the captain, but they were powerless to stop a Chelsea side that looks physically impressive. They must surely be one of the most athletic looking sides in world football and they just ooze confidence.

The win gives Chelsea a 100 per cent record in group F and they have now qualified for the final 16 of the European Champions League.

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Chelsea: Cech - Ferreira, Ivanovic, Alex, Cole - Mikel (McEachran 68), Ramires, Zhirkov - Kalou, Drogba (Sturridge 76), Anelka (Kakuta 76) [Substitutes not used: Turnbull, Terry, Van Aanholt, Bruma]

Booked: Mikel 38

Goals: Anelka 49, Drogba 62 pen, Ivanovic 66, 90+2

Spartak Moscow: Dykan - Ivanov, Pareja, Suchy, Makeev - Ibson, Shyeshukov (Drincic 67) - McGeady (Bazhenov 79), Alex (Kozlov 68), Kombarov - Welliton [Substitutes not used: Belanov, Sabitov, Khodyrev, Ananidze]

Booked: Kombarov 43, Ivanov 67

Goals: Bazhenov 86

Att: 40,477

Ref: C Cakir (Turkey)

Wednesday European Champions League results

AC Milan 2-2 Real Madrid

Auxerre 2-1 Ajax

Basle 2-3 Roma

CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca 0-4 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow

MSK Zilina 0-7 Marseille

Partizan Belgrade 0-1 Braga

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Arsenal

Perth Glory 0-0 Melbourne Heart: Glory end inglorious run of losses

Perth Glory 0-0 Melbourne Heart

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Perth Glory ended their dismal run of seven consecutive defeats with this goalless draw against the visiting Melbourne Heart at NIB Stadium in Perth on Wednesday evening.

It was the third clean sheet for Heart and their fifth game without defeat in a row.

Perth made five changes to their line-up, with Robbie Fowler relegated to the bench and Branco Jelic dropped. Mile Sterjovski and Michael Baird led the home side’s attack.

Heart gave captain Simon Colosimo a place in the starting line-up, but in midfield and not in defence.

Glory had the better of the opening half, but they were unable to beat Clint Bolton.

Both sides had chances in the second period, the best for Perth falling to Sterjovksi. Baird sent over a cross from the left, but Sterjovski ballooned the ball over the bar.

In the dying minutes, Heart launched an all-out blitz on the Perth goal and Eli Babalj smacked a header against a post and then had a close-range effort saved by Tando Velaphi.

In the end, both sides were pleased to earn a point.

The Heart stay in 6th place but draw level on 17 points with 5th placed Melbourne Victory, while Perth remain 8th but are level on 12 points with 7th-placed Wellington Phoenix.

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Perth Glory: Velaphi - Neville, Todd, Griffiths, J Coyne - Amphlett (Fowler 65), Burns, Fondyke (Pellegrino 76), Howarth - Sterjovski, Baird (Mitchell 79) [Substitute not used: Vrteski]

Booked: Baird 11, Griffiths 39, Todd 72, Fowler 77, Fondyke 77

Melbourne Heart: Bolton - Marrone, Beauchamp, Thompson, Behich - Skoko, Colosimo, Kalmar - Zahra (Hoffman 68), Sibon (Babalj 58), Worm (Heffernan 90) [Substitute not used: Zois]

Booked: Marrone 67, Worm 72

Att: 5,745

Ref: C Beath