Daily Post

Football: Positive Pennant

Kaisers lautern 3 Liverpool 2 PAGES 4-5

Football: Shearer Reveals Decision to Decline England Coaching Role ; Football/Tranmere Rovers

ENGLAND manager Steve McClaren last night suffered the first setback of his reign as it was revealed that Alan Shearer has turned down the chance to be part of the national team's coaching staff. Former Newcastle and England striker Shearer, 35, was approached by McClaren just prior to the World Cup but has decided to continue his work as a television pundit for the BBC, having verbally agreed a contract extension with them before his discussions with McClaren.

Football: Season Starting with Mixed Moods ; Football/Tranmere Rovers Ward's Safe Keeping Makes Him the One

NEW signing Gavin Ward will keep the goalkeeping gloves when Tranmere launch into the new League One campaign next Saturday. The well travelled 35-year-old, recruited from Preston in the summer, is getting the nod from manager Ronnie Moore after playing in all but one of Tranmere's pre-season games this summer.

Football: Tranmere End Summer Still Searching for an Even Keel ; Football/Tranmere Rovers

Stockpor 0 Tranmere 1

Tainio' S Stunner Finishes Off Inter ; Football/Tranmere Rovers

A SUPERB goal from Teemu Tainio helped Tottenham overcome recently-crowned Italian champions Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly at White Hart Lane. Summer signing Dimitar Berbatov made his home debut but Finnish midfielder Tainio stole the show with a 50-yard run and long-range shot which proved the difference between the teams.

New Boy Pennant Provides Positives ; Pre-Season Friendly

LIECHTENSTEIN, it is fair to say, has not witnessed too many exciting moments in football down the years. Yet Jermaine Pennant's highly encouraging debut performance in the tiny European country left Liverpool's band of travelling supporters with plenty to be optimistic about for the future.

Football: Jermaine Can Thrive at Anfield - Bruce ; Pre-Season Friendly

BIRMINGHAM manager Steve Bruce expects Jermaine Pennant to put his controversial past behind him and thrive at Liverpool. Pennant moved to Anfield for an initial pounds 6.7million in the summer after being an ever-present in the league last season.

Football: Penalty Defeat Can't Mar 'Winning' Feeling ; Pre-Season Friendly

Club America 1 Everton 1

Football: Arteta Happy to Be Everton S Mr Versatile ; Pre-Season Friendly

MIKEL ARTETA is ready to become Everton's midfield Mr Versatile for the new season. The Spanish midfielder continued last season's impressive form with another fine display during the friendly against Club America on Saturday night in Dallas.

Football: Motors Step Up a Gear As Martindale Leaves It Late ; Pre-Season Friendlies

Vauxhall Motors. 2 Everton XI 1

Football: Chester Finish with Flourish

Chester City 0 Huddersfield Town 0

Football: Williams Star of Show ; Pre-Season Friendlies

The New Saints 2 Northwich Victoria 2

Football: Leadbetter Effort in Vain ; Pre-Season Friendlies

Bamber Bridge 2 Burscough 1

Booth Buries Winning Strike ; Pre-Season Friendlies

SOUTHPORT continued their build-up to the start of the new season with a hard-fought but well deserved win in their friendly fixture with Coca-Cola Division Two opponents Bury. The visitors looked as though they would win comfortably after making a bright start but the Southport defence coped without too much trouble and snatched the winning goal six minutes from the end when Robbie Booth beat goalkeeper Aaro.

Mcnally at the Double ; Pre-Season Friendlies

Congleton 2 Skelmersdale 2

Football: Midlands Duo Draw ; Pre-Season Friendlies

WEST BROM and Birmingham, two of the Coca-Cola Championship promotion favourites, rounded off their pre-season programmes with home draws against foreign opposition. The former held Spanish Primera Liga side Real Sociedad to a goalless draw at The Hawthorns, with Hungarian midfielder Zoltan Gera the Baggies' top performer.

Cricket: No Panic Measures From Coach Woolmer Yet

PAKISTAN will resist the temptation to rush back pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar as they plan a route back into the Test series against England. The tourists had no answer at Old Trafford to the pace and bounce of Stephen Harmison and the spin of Monty Panesar, the two England bowlers who shared all but one of the wickets to fall in a crushing innings victory.

Cricket: Graveney Hails Display of Duo for Depleted England

DAVID GRAVENEY has hailed the new bowling partnership that has lifted the gloom over England's summer with an emphatic second Test victory over Pakistan. England's chairman of selectors has battled all summer to try to find the right balance to the side after suffering long-term injuries to Andrew Flintoff (ankle), Michael Vaughan (knee), Ashley Giles (hip), Simon Jones (knee) and James Anderson (knee).

Cricket: Loye Leads Lancs Back to the Top

MAL LOYE hit his third hundred of the season as Lancashire romped home to their sixth Liverpool Victoria County Championship victory to return to the top of Division One. Loye made 108 from 178 balls with 14 fours, while Iain Sutcliffe batted for more than six hours to finish unbeaten on 139, as the visitors knocked off the 74 runs needed for a five-wicket win inside the first hour of play on Saturday.

Lancashire Celebrating Twice the Achievements ; Motor Racing/Tennis/in Brief

LANCASHIRE tennis players have just completed a notable double, with their men winning the second division county championship to earn a return to Division One, and the women holding on to the first division place they captured last season. Liverpool's Ken Skupski, now the county vice-captain, played a prominent part in partnership with skipper Mark Schofield, the pair winning all 15 matches and dropping just one set in the whole tournament.