Football: Round-up: Late blow for Barnsley

WHEN your luck is out, the Premiership is a terribly cruel place to be. Bottom of the table Barnsley seemed to be grinding out a precious point against Coventry City at Highfield Road as the clock ran down. Then, a minute from time, the Sky Blues' left back, David Burrows, swung a hopeful cross into the Barnsley penalty area and Dion Dublin sprawled under the challenge from Peter Markstedt.

The referee, Alan Wilkie, pointed to the spot, Dublin sent Dave Watson the wrong way as he converted the penalty, his 17th goal of the season, consigning Barnsley to their 11th away defeat.

Like the Tykes, Bolton Wanderers have played some decent football in the Premiership this season but their inability to make the most of chances created has cost them dear. Yesterday, at home to West Ham United, beaten 10 times in 14 previous away games, Bolton had Dean Holdsworth back after 11 weeks out with injury to partner Nathan Blake.

The former Wimbledon striker had two goals disallowed for offside and the Hammers seemed unlikely to improve their away form when, after a goalless first half, John Hartson was sent off for violent conduct 11 minutes into the second half, appearing to hit Per Frandsen on the back of the head after the defender backed into him.

Nothing daunted, the Londoners continued to make as many chances as their hosts and took the lead in the 65th minute through Trevor Sinclair after Eyal Berkovitch had cleverly set him up. But Blake grabbed a precious equaliser four minutes from time to lift Bolton up a place. But they remain in the relegation frame.

Wimbledon's new strike partnership of Jason Euell and Carl Leaburn proved a handful for Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, both scoring in the Dons' 2-1 win. Euell put them ahead in the 10th minute when Villa failed to deal with Vinnie Jones's near-post cross and the ball broke for Euell to prod it in.

Six minutes before the break, Leaburn added Wimbledon's second when Marcus Gayle, back from Jamaican international duty, crossed to the unmarked former Charlton striker who headed powerfully home.

Almost immediately, Villa hit back when Savo Milosevic's shot took a big deflection off Leaburn to give Neil Sullivan no chance, but after that there was no more luck for Brian Little's unimaginative side.

This afternoon, Newcastle United entertain Leeds United hoping to expunge from memory their worst performance of the season, a 4-1 defeat at Elland Road. "We were so bad we got one goal and we didn't even deserve that," the Magpies' manager, Kenny Dalglish, said.

The partnership Alan Shearer has formed with the former AC Milan forward Andreas Andersson, and the arrival of the left-sided midfielder Gary Speed has improved the balance of Dalglish's side.

Leeds, with only one win in the last six Premiership games, have Lee Sharpe, David Robertson and Derek Lilley out with injuries, Robert Molenaar doubtful and Lee Bowyer and Mark Jackson suspended.