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Results Based News

Clarets book Wembley ticket

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 13/05/2009

Burnley will meet Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on May 25 after a 2-0 win at Reading gave them a 3-0 aggregate success.

Both their second leg goals came after the interval in a game which went Reading's way before the break, without the Royals being able to score.

Martin Paterson and Steven Thompson were on the mark for the Clarets with superb long-range strikes.

The result led to the resignation of Reading manager Steve Coppell following a five-and-a-half year reign.

However, in terms of football betting, Sheffield United are overwhelming favourites to win the final later this month as they finished four points better off in the Championship table than Burnley.

Elsewhere, Celtic moved back to the top of the Scottish Premier League table, but only after surviving a second-half onslaught from Dundee United.

The Hoops won 2-1 at Parkhead courtesy of goals from Georgios Samaras and Glenn Loovens.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen's European hopes look to have disappeared following a goalless draw with Hearts at Pittodrie.

The third-placed Edinburgh club survived the second-half sending off of Marius Zaliukas to retain their five-point lead over the Dons.

In cricket's Friends Provident Trophy, Leicestershire were 18-run winners over Worcestershire at New Road.

Also in Group A, Hampshire coasted to a six-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire at the Rose Bowl.

Warwickshire overcame Middlesex by six wickets in Group B, while there were Group C wins for Essex and Lancashire against Glamorgan and Northamptonshire respectively.

In the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians thrashed Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets in Pretoria.

Meanwhile, Bangalore Royal Challengers were six-wicket winners over the hapless Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Madrid Open kicked into gear with a second-round victory for Britain's Andy Murray.

The new world number three eased to a 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 win over Simone Bolelli.

There were opening wins for second seed Roger Federer and seventh seed Fernando Verdasco, but ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost to Ivan Ljubicic.

In the women's draw, world number three Venus Williams is an early casualty after losing to unseeded Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova in the second round.

Italy's Danilo di Luca won the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia after edging out compatriots Stefano Garzelli and Franco Pellizotti.

Meanwhile, Team Columbia rider Thomas Lovkvist of Sweden claimed the leader's pink jersey from Alessandro Petacchi.

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