Andriy Yarmolenko gives Ukraine solid play-off lead against Slovenia

Ukraine’s hopes of finally ending their play-off hoodoo and qualifying for Euro 2016 were given a huge boost with a 2-0 first-leg victory over Slovenia in Lviv.

The Ukrainians have failed in play-offs on five occasions, with Slovenia among the countries who have dashed their dream in two-legged contests in a tie to qualify for Euro 2000. However, Mykhaylo Fomenko’s men are well placed to be in France next summer after Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Seleznyov scored in either half.

The cushion they will take to Slovenia on Tuesday could have been even greater, though, yet Denys Garmash and Seleznyov were unable to add a third goal against the lacklustre visitors.

Yarmolenko was his nation’s top scorer in qualifying and it was the Dynamo Kyiv winger who struck 22 minutes in. Yevhen Konoplyanka’s corner was only half-cleared and the Sevilla midfielder crossed the ball back in and Samir Handanovic’s punch fell to Yarmolenko at the back post. Rene Krhin and Jasmin Kurtic believed the 26-year‑old was going to pull the trigger with his left foot, but he feigned a shot and moved the ball on to his right to rifle past Handanovic and into the far corner.

Up until that point the visitors had showed little attacking threat, and a half-volley from Josip Ilicic that sailed over the top in the 28th minute was their first attempt on goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo: I want to retire with 'dignity', not in USA, Qatar or Dubai

Cristiano Ronaldo said Friday that he wants to end his career “with dignity” and not playing in “the United States, Qatar or Dubai”. The Real Madrid and Portugal star, the subject of a new documentary that premiered on Monday in London, said Thursday in an interview on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show that he expected to play six or seven more seasons and hoped to finish his career at the highest level. The remarks ostensibly referenced the recent wave of top players who have finished their careers outside of Europe’s top leagues, among them MLS imports Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, along with Xavi, the lifelong Barcelona midfielder who signed with Qatari club Al Sadd in May. “That does not mean it’s bad play in the leagues of the United States, Qatar or Dubai, but I do not see myself there,” Ronaldo said. Ronaldo, who turns 31 in February, became Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer last month and has th...

Falkirk chairman calls for restructure of ‘outdated’ Scottish league

The format of the Scottish league is outdated and should be restructured with a 16-team Premiership to help boost football in the country, says the chairman of second-tier promotion-challengers Falkirk . Speaking at the club’s AGM, Doug Henderson said the slide of Scottish football, from falling attendances to the poor performance of the national side and their top clubs in Europe, would continue unless steps were taken to change the current system. Scotland were the only team from the British Isles not to qualify for next year’s European Championship and Celtic , Scottish champions for the past four seasons, regularly fail to make any impact in European competition. Scottish football’s top four tiers are currently organised into a 12-team Premiership with three lower divisions each containing 10 teams. “Reflecting economic reality and the need for premier division full-time football, I believe that we must put vested interest aside and reform our lea...

Young people to lose access to unemployment benefits as part of welfare reforms

YOUNG people will not be able to get unemployment benefits until they turn 25 under reforms introduced by the Turnbull Government today. The coalition has unveiled wide-ranging welfare reforms in parliament today, including changes to the Newstart program. It hopes to stop people aged 22 to 24 getting Newstart or the Sickness allowance, and they will instead be shifted to the Youth Allowance payment. This will reduce the amount of money that they will be able to get, costing a single person living away from home about $90 a fortnight. They will also be required to study in order to qualify for the payments. “The key aim of this measure is to provide incentives for young unemployed people to obtain the relevant education and training to increase employability,” according to an explanatory memorandum for the bill. However, it says Youth Allowance does allow students to earn a higher amount of money from part-time or casual work than Newstart, before this begins imp...

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